The Dialectical-Level Reflective Habits of Middle-Grade Teachers: A Phenomenological Study

The literature leads us to believe that an educator must be reflective in order to improve one\u27s practice, and in terms of reflection, Van Manen\u27s (1977) highest level of reflection, the dialectical-level, is presented as a worthy aim for all educators. But should this type of reflection truly be a goal for all educators? This study sought to uncover the phenomenon of dialectical-level reflection. Dialectical, or critical-level, reflection is the process of analyzing, reconsidering and questioning experiences in order to continually adjust one\u27s practice with an eye towards improvement. This phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of five middle school educators who exhibit dialectical-level reflective traits. In-depth interviews as well as a videotaped classroom lesson and reflection were utilized in order to determine the dialectical-level reflective habits and tacit knowledge of experienced educators. The findings of this study revealed both positive and negative characteristics of dialectical-level reflection