The role of reflection in teaching in the process of professional development of teachers and improving the quality of education

this article is dedicated to analyzing the role of reflection in teaching with a focus on the professional development of educators and improving the quality of education. The relevance of the topic is due to the growing attention to reflective practices in educational research and the need to develop empirically grounded recommendations for their implementation. The study is based on a comprehensive methodology, including theoretical analysis, surveys, qualitative interviews, and statistical data processing. The sample covers 450 university educators in China. As a result, key parameters of reflection that influence the professional growth of educators (systematicity, criticality, feedback orientation) were identified, and a positive correlation between the level of reflectivity and teaching quality indicators was confirmed (r=0.68; p<0.01). A typology of reflective teaching styles was proposed. The findings open up prospects for the development of scientifically grounded programs for reflective development of educators and can be used in professional development and certification systems for teachers. Further research should be aimed at cross-cultural verification of conclusions and the expansion of methodological tools.

reflection in teaching, professional development of teachers, quality of education, reflective practices, higher education