Variation in Folk High School Teachers’ Conceptions of Reflection : Broadening the Understanding of Reflection in Swedish Popular Education

The concept of reflection expressed as different types of thinking is explicitly given an essential role in specific strands of international discourses on lifelong learning and education. Meanwhile, some researchers consider reflection problematic and point to the lack of consensus on its meaning in theory and practice. Assuming that there are varied conceptualizations and that arguments for learning of reflective skills are deemed sound, it follows that it would be especially meaningful to find out how professionals responsible for educational practices understand the concept. As this kind of research appears scarce in adult education, an exploration may contribute to knowledge underlying what teachers do ‘in the name of reflection’. The pedagogy in Swedish popular education is of special interest as it ideally centers adults' participation and reflection with others to facilitate learning. Furthermore, the curriculum is not regulated in law which may indicate a wide variety of interpretations of the teaching mission including its key concepts. Therefore, the aim of this phenomenography inspired study is to identify the variation in folk high school teachers’ (n=7) conceptions of reflection in Swedish popular education. Based on analysis of semi-structured interviews, it is argued that the results in some sense broaden the understanding of reflection in revealing three different categories of descriptions. These categories are; reflection as a process fostering understanding of experiences, reflection as a tool facilitating learning and development, and reflection as a pedagogy enacting ideals of popular education and emancipation. On basis of the theoretical idea that teachers’ thought is important to and influence their professional action, the potential influences of these varying conceptualizations on folk high school teachers’ professional practice are elucidated