Transforming Information into Knowledge: Structured Reflection in Administrative Practice

This paper presents findings of a study that explored ways in which educators used reflective practices for administrative problem solving. Specifically, the study explored the ways in which administrators used a cognitive-coaching framework to guide their thinking and contributed to their practical wisdom through structured reflection of their past experiences. In June 1990, 55 school administrators from school districts across the United States and Canada participated in a 4-day Cognitive Coaching Leadership Training program. Data were derived from analysis of 17 participants' self-reports, in which they reconstructed a supervisory event, generated a cyclical self-conversation to examine their thinking, and recreated new meanings of those experiences. Findings suggest that reflective practice is greatly enhanced when based on a rich and specific framework. Participants reported that they frequently used the tools of paraphrasing and questioning, valued the building of rapport and trust in the supervisor-teacher relationship, improved their collaborative practices, and utilized the maps of the cognitive coaching model as a filter for viewing interaction. Two tables are included. (LMI)