The Department of Languages and Literature would like to invite you to the following lecture in their Lecture Series 2014/15.
Reflective Practice: A Strategy for Enhancing Teacher Quality Learning in Higher Education
Dr Niki Christodoulou
4 pm, Monday 24th November 2014
UNESCO Amphitheatre
According to Harvey and Newton (2004) defining quality in Higher Education (HE) is a difficult task because it is both a personal and social construct. Dewey (1924) associated quality with “value” and defined the latter as a full or complete experience that contributes to the growth of individuals with positive effects on their learning Similarly, reflective practice (RP), although a multifaceted term, is regarded as a means by which educators can develop a greater level of self-awareness of practice, an awareness that creates opportunities for enhancing teacher quality learning through professional growth and development. In fact, RP is emphasized in today’s Higher Education (HE) as one of the key capabilities for professional practice.
This presentation focuses on RP as a tool and strategy HE teachers can use to enhance the quality of their learning experience, thus empowering themselves and their practice in a positive way. The objectives of the presentation are to a) explore the concepts of quality in teacher learning, reflection and RP in the existing literature and b) present and discuss findings from a doctoral study on the impact of RP on the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) in HE in Cyprus.
Biographical Note
Dr Niki Christodoulou is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Languages and Literature at the University of Nicosia, Cyprus. Dr Christodoulou received her doctorate in Teacher Education from the University of Nottingham, UK and her MA in Education and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from the American University in Washington D.C. Dr Christodoulou has been teaching English as a Foreign Language for the last twenty-seven years both in the United States and in Cyprus. Her main research interests lie in the areas of Reflection, Reflective Practice, Reflective Teaching and Reflective Mentoring, Teacher Development, Teacher Education and Teacher Training, Teacher Autonomy and Teacher Empowerment.
