THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT NEEDS OF EARLYCAREER TEACHERS AND THE PROMOTION OF REFLECTIVE PRACTICE

<doi>10.24250/jpe/2/2025/MTV/</doi>

Abstract

This study explores the fundamental theoretical frameworks
of reflective practice in professional development, based on
the premise that the professional debut of teachers
continues to be described in the specialized literature as a
critical stage for the formation of professional identity and
the maturation of teaching competences. The article offers
a critical and integrative analysis of both international and
Romanian literature, examining the evolution of the
concept of professional reflection from classical models
(Dewey; Van Manen; Schön) to contemporary frameworks
focused on identity, emotional and digital integration,
reflective mentoring, and collaborative learning
(Korthagen; Akkerman & Meijer; Redecker & Punie).
Beyond the theoretical synthesis, the study includes an
exploratory qualitative analysis conducted through a semistructured
interview survey addressed to novice teachers,
aiming to capture how they understand and practice
reflection, as well as the barriers and facilitators of its
implementation in concrete school contexts. The results
converge toward interpreting reflection as a contextual,
dialogical, axiological, and technologically mediated
phenomenon that combines cognitive, affective, and ethical
dimensions of teaching practice and calls for systemically
oriented initial and continuous training policies.