Teachers' Perceptions of Reflective Teaching in Improving Teachers' Teaching Practices: A Case Study in Get-House of English Cirebon

dr. sigit muryono, m.pd., kons; dr.h. idris h.m. noor. m.ed, dr. santi chairani djonharm.a;

This study investigated teachers‟ perceptions of reflective teaching in improving
teachers‟ teaching practice. The three specific areas of investigation were (a) teachers‟ strengths and weaknesses in teaching, (b) teachers‟ perception of reflective teaching in improving teachers‟ teaching practice, (c) teachers‟ changes of improvement in relation to participating in reflective teaching. The data were collected from interviews, informal classroom observations, and collection of teachers‟ lesson plan. The participants are novice teachers who have one up to two years teaching experience who graduated from different background education. The data revealed that generally they had similar strengths and weaknesses in teaching. The strengths were friendly and communicative to students, while the weaknesses were they still have difficulties in designing a proper lesson plan and in ordering exercises which should be from the easiest to the most difficult. All teachers perceived that reflective teaching is very important and useful. They could apply different teaching techniques that led to achieving lesson objective. Their participation in reflective teaching gave changes to their teaching improvement,
although one teacher was not from education faculty. It happened due to her immediate and regular reflection, so she showed a good progress. The other participants improved their teaching as well in some different teaching areas. Before they participated in reflective teaching they used monotonous techniques in teaching but after their participation they could apply various kinds of strategies since opening until closing the lesson. On the basis of this study it can be concluded that teachers‟ perception of reflective practice helps teachers improve their teaching skills.