The Purposes, Practices, and Professionalism of Teacher Reflectivity: Insights for Twenty-First-Century Teachers and Students

For teacher educators, teacher candidates, classroom teachers, administrators, and researchers, Pultorak (curriculum and instruction, Southern Illinois U. Carbondale) compiles 18 essays by teacher educators in a variety of fields from the US and Europe who consider the role of teacher reflectivity in teacher performance, retention, student learning, and other aspects of education. Chapters originated in a national commission appointed by the Association of Teacher Educators in 2004 on these issues. The practical and research-based chapters discuss specific types of reflection in theory and research, education programs, with teacher candidates, in schools and classrooms, and from international perspectives like that of Chinese teachers. These include reflectivity as a social problem-solving process, changing dispositions of new teachers, facilitating instructional differences, self-assessment, teacher development, the role of inquiry-oriented learning communities, the use of journals, and the role of teaching standards. No index is provided. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Edward Pultorak is currently on faculty in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He has authored over fifty-five publications, including articles in Kappan, Journal of Teacher Education, and Action in Teacher Education, and he currently serves as coeditor for Critical Issues in Teacher Education.