Speakers
Description
This paper suggests a collection of practical reflective tools for K-12 English teachers in Vietnam which is designed to be low-cost, easily integrated into professional development programs, and especially suitable for resource-constrained settings. The collection is grounded in Fleck’s (2012) four-levelled scale: descriptive, dialogic, transformative, and critical reflection, and responds to the evolving demands for professional autonomy and reflective competence of English language teachers in the context of Vietnam’s General Education Curriculum (MOET, 2018). In the collection, each level of reflection is paired with context-based reflective tools that progressively deepen teachers’ engagement with their own practice. At the descriptive level, teaching journals and lesson logs help teachers document classroom events. For dialogic reflection, peer observations and dialogue circles encourage collaborative inquiry. To reflect at transformative level, teachers engage in critical incident analysis and mini action research projects that challenge existing beliefs and foster innovation. At the highest level, critical reflection, teachers examine how systemic issues such as policy, equity, and ethics shape classroom realities. The collection consists of explanations of each tool with adaptable templates and implementation strategies that support sustainable reflection in both individual and collective teacher development. This work contributes to the local as well as global dialogue on empowering language teachers through reflective practice.
Biography
Ms Nguyen Thi Kim Phuong (M.Ed) is a lecturer at University of Languages and International Studies, VNU Hanoi. She has 18-year experience in teaching English and methodology, and training pre-service and in-service teachers. She is also an author of English textbooks for pre-school and upper secondary students. Her interests include Teacher Education, English Language Teaching, and ICT in ESL classrooms .
Tran Thi Hieu Thuy (PhD) has been an EFL/ ESL teacher, teacher educator, English textbook writer and material developer for 20 years. She is currently a lecturer at VNU University of Languages and International Studies and works closely with MOET to design and deliver training courses for in-service English teachers. Her research interests include English Language Teacher Competences, Blended Learning, and Multimodal Instructions. She has published in the fields of Teacher Education and Applied Linguistics.
