Critical Incident Technique: Promoting a Match between Theory and Practice

As a former student of a Teaching Englush as a Foreign Language (TEFL) College, I can remember that my partners and I expected to find, during the years of teacher education, the answers to our inquiries in order succeed in teaching and to compensate our inexperience as regards the teaching-learning process and its context. However, as time passed by and a bit of experience was gained, I realized that theory was sometimes not enough and that it would have been positive to learn how to reflect and solve unexpected conflicts in the classroom during my years at the TEFL College.

Taking into account the significant number of situations which may arise in the classroom, is theory about approaches or methodologies enough when dealing with people, who are by nature unique and can respond in a particular way to the process of learning? In connection to this question, Fernández, Elórtegui and Medina (2003) proposed Critical Incident (CI) as a “pre-service and in-service teacher education strategy.” (p.101). Fernández  and Fernández (1994) added that teachers were asked to take decisions according to the information given in different written situations. (as cited in Fernández, Elórtegui & Medina, 2003).

I think the Critical Incident Technique (CIT) gives us the possibility to reflect upon different plans of actions for incidents such as lack of pedagogic materials or misbehaviour; but without the pressure of being in the classroom itself. As Gil (1991) and Torre (1997) have pointed out, “puede parecer que para enseñar basta con saber” (as cited in Fenández, Elortegui & Medina, 2003, p.102). However, teachers “además deben (...) aplicar decisiones idóneas nuevas sobre el planteamiento de problemas de aula” (Tejada, 2000; as cited in Fernández, Elórtegui & Medina, 2003, p. 102). In other words, teachers can make use of hypothesizing as a resource for future professional decisions without only relying on their common sense.

References

Fernández González, J., Elórtegui Escartín, N., & Medina Pérez, M. (2003). Los incidentes críticos en la formación y perfeccionamiento del profesorado de secundaria de ciencias de la naturaleza. Revista universitaria de Formación de Profesorado, 17-001. Zaragoza, España: Universidad de Zaragoza. Retrieved October 2011, from http://caece.campusuniversidad.com.ar/mod/resource/view.php?id=12816