DEVELOPMENT OF THE TEACHER’S PROFESSIONALISM BY MEANS OF REFLECTIVE PRACTICE

Background. The importance of continuous improvement of professional competencies caused by scientific and technical development and socio-economic changes taking place in society has increased significantly in all spheres of human activity. Among the specialists capable of personal and professional growth, critical thinking, intellectual flexibility, as well as creative decision-making, a particular place is taken to those who are capable of reflection. Respectively, the need to develop professional reflection skills comes to the forefront. The article considers reflective practice as a means of development of teachers’ professionalism. The study of issues connected with the development of teachers’ professional reflection is relevant due to the fact that well-developed professional reflection skills and abilities are the key to the efficacy of teachers’ professional activities and to the effectiveness of the educational process. The issues of the development of professionalism by means of reflective practice are understudied and could be considered a promising subject of pedagogical and psychological research. Purpose. Reflexive practice is considered to be means of a teacher’s professional reflection development. Materials and methods. Scientific methods of theoretical analysis, information systematization and generalization were used throughout the investigation. The research is based on the general literature review related to the key concepts of the study: reflection and reflective practice. The data obtained through the research are evaluated and interpreted on the basis of the descriptive approach. Results. Various models of reflective practice are compared. The benefits and conditions of the implementation of reflective practice are defined. The article describes the ways of organizing reflective practice and provides practical examples of its tools. The paper concludes that it is crucial to implement reflective practice as it is an effective means of the development of teachers’ professionalism and it enhances the learning process. EDN: GWVBON