219 In other words, self-reflection provides useful information for teachers about
their practice. The acknowledgement of teachers’ pedagogic habitus, identity and some teaching aspects that require special attention encourages teachers to
determine personal goals for making changes.
The goals encourage teachers to take deliberate steps to develop and change existing pedagogic habitus and practice and develop their identity.
This suggests that the need for change will emerge from teacher self-reflection that supports teachers’ development and maintenance of professional expertise.
8.4.2 Awareness of the need for change
A series of teacher self-evaluation activities help teachers to reflect on their practice. This raises their understanding of their practice and themselves as teachers.
They, in turn, achieve a level of conscious awareness of the need to change. In my study, all case study teachers were able to identify aspects of their teaching and
themselves that hindered them from being a more effective teacher. For example, Maya realized that she needed to improve the way she interacted with her students; Andi fully
understood that he spoke too much in the class; Joko realized that he did not give enough waiting time for students to answer his questions. Understanding the things that
need to be improved from their teaching motivates teachers to plan steps for change. In other words, teachers raised their awareness for change after they knew what was
problematic in their instructional practice.
8.4.3 Commitment to change
Awareness of the need for change does not necessarily bring about the improvement in teaching practice since teachers also need to have commitment to the
extra effort required for change. MacDonald 1991, p. 3 claims, “it is the quality of the teachers themselves and the nature of their commitment to change that determines the
quality of teaching and the quality of school improvement” and teachers’ commitment to change is an element of motivation to change Leithwood, Jantzi, Steinbach,
1999. In other words, teachers’ commitment to change can motivate action when their evaluation of present circumstance of their teaching indicates that it is different from the
desired state. In this study, both Maya and Andi have the commitment to change after they
acknowledged their own teaching limitations. For instance, Maya said, “it motivates me to be better. I want to improve my interaction with my students especially in giving
220 compliments” Interview 3, 06062012. Similarly, Andi said, “I’m more motivated to
create student-centred instruction by reducing my portion of talk and creating more interesting activities” Interview 3, 13062012. In contrast, Joko did not show his
commitment to change although he was aware the need for change in his teaching practice. He said, “actually I was so disappointed to know that I talked too much in the
class. Slowly, I will try to reduce the portion of my talk in the class” Interview 2, 15 January 2012. The word “slowly” he used suggests that he does not have sufficient
commitment to change practice.
8.4.4 Action to change
After teachers have committed themselves to change, they need to follow through by taking action to produce the breakthroughs Fullan, 1993. Hence, teachers
need to focus on finding the right fit between their new perspectives and the behaviors, which, in turn, lead to productive change in their teaching practice. Accordingly, in this
study, Maya and Andi were committed to take actions by setting new goals and incorporating new practices into their daily teaching to make differences and bring
about improvement in their practice. Maya, in particular, referred her students’ names when she interacted with them, complimented the students on their work more often,
reduced the amount of time she spent talking during lessons, invited the students to be more active participants in classroom discussions, and provided more opportunities for
the students to ask and answer questions voluntarily. Similarly, Andi reduced the amount of time he talked during lessons, provided his students with more thinking time
to formulate their questions and answers, and provided the students with more opportunities to answer questions of their own free will.
It is assumed that teachers’ extra commitment and action results in changes in their pedagogic habitus that shape their practice which, in turn, influences students’
outcomes. Maya succeeded in changing her pedagogic disposition to dominance and formalitydistance and Andi was able to change his pedagogic disposition to dominance.
This suggests that engagement in a series of teacher self-evaluation activities brought about transformed perspectives that guided Maya and Andi into a pattern of new
behaviour and changing an aspect of their pedagogic habitus.
221
8.4.5 Visualization of possible-selves
