Reflection strategies - ways out of the lack of attention in reflection phases

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Mandy Hommel
• Subject Area: General and Domain-Specific Teaching and Learning
• Term: from 2012 to 2013
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 228083095

The initial point of the research project is to study the phenomenon of low attentiveness of students in the reflection phases of a lesson. This phenomenon has been shown in business management lessons in different concepts of teaching, such as more traditional teaching and also in more student-centered teaching in business games and business case studies (Hommel, 2012a, 2012b). The resultant assumption of this is that low attentiveness in reflecting phases is not dependent on a special kind of lesson or teaching. Nevertheless the importance of reflection on new information and new learned knowledge is obvious. Reflection prepares the ground for transfer of this new knowledge to several action situations. Without reflection there is fear for the new information staying abstract and isolated. If there is no association to prior knowledge and ways of action, new knowledge remains useless. The challenge for teachers is to activate and scaffold reflection and also to help students to develop reflection strategies. At first a detailed and complex analyses of scientific literature is necessary. The main focus therefor is empirical research of reflection strategies. The classroom videos from the project of Prof. David Clarke (from classrooms in Australia, China and Finland) offer an additional cross cultural source to analyze ways of stimulating reflection. Found reflection strategies will be classified and a framework for further empirical investigation of efficacy will be developed. Empirical evidence has to be proofed with the help of three indicators: observable attentive behavior, knowledge pre- and posttests in dimensions of higher cognitive dimensions (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001) and self-assessment of used reflection by students. Cross cultural findings can be reached with the help of the analyses of Australian, Chinese and Finnish classroom situations. By means of the research stay at the International Centre for Classroom Research, University of Melbourne, the research horizon can be expanded and the wide experiences of international education researchers can be included by working directly together.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: Australia
• Host: Professor David Clarke