Reflective practice model - an efficient way of professional development in the classroom management

Abstract

The change of teachers’ professional development paradigm, especially professional training, is an important precondition while implementing positive changes in school practice. Reflective practice is considered as an efficient way of professional development. Classroom management and discipline, as a segment of educational work, traditionally is perceived as the greatest challenge while simultaneously neglected in professional training. The aim of this research was to identify if there is a difference in teachers’ self-evaluation of behavior and job satisfaction in classroom management and discipline regarding the form of their professional training. The research sample size was 218 Croatian teachers into experimental and control group. Results showed significant differences between groups. Reflective practice implementation (experimental group) results in more positive teachers’ self-evaluation of behavior and job satisfaction in classroom management and discipline than education (control group). The results indicate that proposed reflective practice model can be good foundation for efficient reorganization of professional training and change of professional development paradigm.