Critical incident analysis: reflections of a teacher educator
As a teacher educator I consider myself an advocate for research informed education, and strongly believe that it starts with one's own critical self reflection and analysis of one's own teaching practice. Critical incident analysis is a pedagogical theory developed by Tripp (1993) whose analytical approaches allow reflection on teaching situations 'the critical incident' so that teachers can develop their professional judgments and practices. This article examines the concept of critical incident analysis through a teaching situation, with the aim of improving the teaching practice of students on teacher education programmes. I conclude that although critical incident analysis is a useful tool in navigating teaching practices, often challenges need to be addressed at much broader levels than the teaching context itself.