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New Methods to Support Effective Collaborative Reflection Among Kindergarten Teachers: An Action Research Approach

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Abstract

Collaborative reflection refers to the process by which members of a community reflect through social interaction, as well as to the outcomes of this process. In this study, we adopted a sociocultural perspective to examine the obstacles a group of Chinese kindergarten teachers faced with collaborative reflection in collectivist cultural contexts. We tried to overcome these constraints by introducing three supportive methods—(a) the Minute Paper Method; (b) the Six Thinking Hats Method; and (c) the 360° Reflection Method. Sixteen teachers working at a kindergarten in Shanghai participated in this 1-year action research study. Research shows that collectivism brings many benefits to collaborative teacher reflection, however, it also leads to some problems, such as: the neglect of individual interests, centralization, undemocratic reflective atmosphere, and inefficiency. The three methods cited above successfully helped teachers overcome these constraints and promoted effective collaborative reflection, especially in terms of broadening perspectives, facilitating critical thinking, and creating a more democratic, equitable reflective atmosphere. The study frames collaborative reflection as both a metacognitive mechanism and a social practice. It suggests more attention needs to be paid to the importance of teacher emotions, human relationships, and culture in understanding and promoting collaborative teacher reflection. It also suggests that more innovative approaches and methods should be implemented to help the teaching community generate the dynamics of change from the inside out.

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Fig. 1

Image credit: The de Bono Group, LLC., http://www.debonogroup.com/six_thinking_hats.php

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Notes

  1. The free rider problem refers to a market failure when some individuals consume more than or pay less than their fair share of the cost of a shared resource. Here, we use this term to refer to teachers who do not make an effort in collaboration but enjoy the resources, support, and help provided by the group.

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Funding

The funding was funded by The National Social Science Fund of China (Grant No. 18ZDA336)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China

    Yong Jiang

  2. Faculty of Education, East China Normal University, Room 818, Tian Jiabing Building, North Zhongshan Road Campus, 3663 N. Zhongshan Rd., Shanghai, 200062, China

    Chuchu Zheng

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  1. Yong Jiang
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Correspondence to Chuchu Zheng.

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Jiang, Y., Zheng, C. New Methods to Support Effective Collaborative Reflection Among Kindergarten Teachers: An Action Research Approach. Early Childhood Educ J 49, 247–258 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-020-01064-2

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