Critical Thinking and Reflective Practices (EDU406)

Assignment 1 (Fall 2019)

Total Marks: 20
Lecture No. 1-12 (Topic 1-72)
Instructions:
 Late assignments will not be accepted.
 If the file is corrupt or problematic, it will be marked zero.
 Plagiarism will never be tolerated. Plagiarism occurs when a student uses work done by someone else as if it was his or her own;
however, taking the ideas from different sources and expressing them in your own words will be encouraged.
 No assignment will be accepted via e-mail.

 The solution file should be in Word document format; the font colour should be preferably black and font size should be 12 Times
New Roman.

Synopsis and context of assignment

This assessment aims to develop your critical thinking skills and reflection skills, comprising two components: knowledge of reflective practice and
a critical disposition. This reflective essay of 800-1000 words aims to assess your critical disposition by using a range of critical skills to reflect
upon a critical incident. This incident is one that has significance for you as a particular individual, leading to a shift in your understanding of
teaching and learning or towards an aspect of education. It could be a single lesson, or a semester of teaching, for example. That is, it may have led
you questioning an aspect of your beliefs, values, attitude or behaviour as a teacher/ reflective practitioner.
The focus of event MUST be on building student-teacher relationships.

Reflective Essay

Task: Reflect about your developing critical disposition towards building student-teacher relationships by using critical skills in an essay. Essay
shall consist of following three parts:
 Background/Description (recollect, comprehend, apply)
 Reflection/ Interpretation (analyze, evaluate)
 Outcomes (justify, synthesize)

1
Reflective Essay Criteria Sheet and Rubric

Criterion High Distinction Distinction Average Below Average Poor

In your reflective essay In your reflective essay In your reflective essay In your reflective essay In your reflective essay
about a critical incident about a critical incident about a critical incident about a critical incident about a critical incident
you provided: you provided: you provided: you provided: you provided:
Reflect about your  a background that  a background that  a background that  a background that  a background that
developing critical comprised: comprised: comprised: comprised: comprised:
disposition towards  a detailed and  a detailed  a partly  an outline of  a rough outline
teaching by using thorough description description of what detailed description what you recollected of what you
critical skills in an of what you you recollected about of what you as the order of events recollected as the
essay: recollected about the the incident, recollected about the in the incident, order of events in the
 background incident, including including when and incident, including including when and incident including
(recollect, when and where it where it took place (6 when and where it where it took place (4 when and where it
comprehend, apply) took place (7 marks) marks) took place (5 marks) took place (3 marks)
 reflection (analyse, marks)
evaluate)  a perceptive  a  an explanation  loosely-linked  separate
 outcomes (justify, explanation of why it comprehensive of why it was statements about why sweeping statements
synthesise) was significant (had explanation of why it significant (had it was significant about the incident
meaning) for you, was significant (had meaning) for you, (had meaning) for and what you thought
that included meaning) for you, that included you, that made about it (2 marks)
applying the that included applying some of the passing reference to
important relevant applying most of the important relevant the important
aspects of the important relevant aspects of the relevant aspects of
incident to your aspects of the incident to your the incident (4
disposition towards incident to your disposition towards marks)
teaching (8 marks) disposition towards teaching (6 marks)
teaching (7 marks)

2
Reflective Essay Criteria Sheet and Rubric

Criterion High Distinction Distinction Average Below Average Poor

In your reflective essay In your reflective essay In your reflective essay In your reflective essay In your reflective essay
about a critical incident about a critical incident about a critical incident about a critical incident about a critical incident
you provided: you provided: you provided: you provided: you provided:
 a reflection that  a reflection that  a reflection that  a reflection that  an reflection that
involved: involved: involved: involved: involved:
 a thorough and  a reasonably  an analysis in  a superficial  a repetition of
insightful analysis in thorough analysis in which you identified analysis in which you the information given
which you identified which you identified the thoughts and identified the in the background (4
the thoughts and the thoughts and feelings that were thoughts and feelings marks)
feelings that were feelings that were generated during and that were generated
generated during and generated during and after the incident, and during and after the
after the incident, and after the incident, and explained how most incident, and made
clearly explained clearly explained of these related to general statements
how all of these how most of these each other (6 marks) about how these
related to each other related to each other related to each other
(10 marks) (8 marks) (5 marks)
 a considered  a considered  an evaluation  a partial  a statement
and sensitive evaluation of how of how much impact evaluation made up that the incident did
evaluation of how much impact the the incident had on of broad or did not have an
much impact the incident had on these these thoughts and generalisations about impact on your
incident had on these thoughts and feelings feelings in terms of how much impact the thoughts and feelings
thoughts and feelings in terms of affecting affecting your incident had on these (4 marks)
in terms of affecting your knowledge, knowledge, values, thoughts and feelings
your knowledge, values, assumptions, assumptions, beliefs (5 marks)
values, assumptions, beliefs or or perspectives (6
beliefs or perspectives (8 marks)
perspectives marks)
(10 marks)

3
Reflective Essay Criteria Sheet and Rubric

Criterion High Distinction Distinction Average Below Average Poor

In your reflective essay In your reflective essay
about a critical incident about a critical incident
you provided: you provided:
 outcomes that  outcomes that
included: included:
 a realistic and  a realistic and
achievable plan of achievable plan of
action with action with mostly
convincing reasons convincing reasons
(justification) that (justification) that
explicitly related to related to your
your analysis and analysis and
evaluation of the evaluation of the
incident (7 marks) incident (6 marks)
 a logically  a logically
organised and organised
concise conclusion conclusion
(synthesis) that (synthesis) that
combined the combined the
different parts of different parts of
your reflection into a your reflection into a
new and cohesive new and mostly
observation about cohesive observation
how your critical about how your
disposition has critical disposition
changed (8 marks) has changed (7
marks)
In your reflective essay In your reflective essay In your reflective essay
about a critical incident about a critical incident about a critical incident
you provided: you provided: you provided:
 outcomes that  outcomes that  outcomes that
included: included: included:
 a realistic plan  a plan of action  general ideas
of action with partly with reasons rather than a plan of
convincing reasons (justification) that action, with reasons
(justification) that made some reference (justification) that
made some reference to your analysis and paraphrased previous
to your analysis and evaluation of the information given in
evaluation of the incident (4 marks) the background (3
incident (5 marks) marks)
 a conclusion  a conclusion  a conclusion
(synthesis) that (synthesis) that stating that your
combined most of the combined a few of critical disposition
different parts of the different parts of has changed (2
your reflection into a your reflection into a marks)
new observation new observation
about how your about how your
critical disposition critical disposition
has changed (6 has changed (4
marks) marks)