Practicing reflection in teaching
I think that being a reflective practitioner is a dynamic and intentional process, often going beyond one’s routine tasks. It involves a thoughtful examination of experiences, decisions and interactions in the class and an understanding of what shapes a student’s interests and motivations in learning. Through this introspective process, one can gain valuable insights into their strengths, weaknesses and areas for improvement. By embracing a reflective practice, educators can adapt more effectively to challenges, refine their skills and ultimately contribute to a more resilient and successful work journey.
The process of applying for Advance HE Fellowship is actually the start of a transformative journey of self-reflection, and gathering of evidence as we explore the effectiveness of our teaching approaches.
Recognition of success
In August 2023, Curtin University Malaysia achieved recognition as one of the leading institutions in the country for having a high number of Advance HE Fellows. This is testament to the University’s commitment and dedication in ensuring the quality of teaching to enrich student experience and engagement at the University. Being more reflective about our teaching practices has also led to numerous other achievements, notably the increased scholarship in, and research in, teaching and learning and the improved profile in teaching achievements among the faculty.
The recognition and acknowledgment have had favourable effects on the staff, leading to the attainment of various international, national and University teaching awards and research grants. This highlights the staff members' high motivation and dedication to improving the quality of teaching.
Impact on professional practices
My journey began with baby steps. I applied for Associate Fellowship first then proceeded to apply for Fellowship. However, my journey towards applying for Fellowship really taught me to be more reflective in my teaching. During the write up process, I had support from my mentor and colleagues from the Teaching Excellence Team (LITEC) in Curtin Bentley, which for me, was the most valuable part of the application process. They prompted me to think more deeply about my teaching practices and how this impacted my students, and consequently, to examine how I could improve on my teaching based on my reflections.
By achieving both Associate Fellowship and Fellowship, my drive to nurture teaching excellence has prompted me to engage in more scholarship and research in teaching and learning. I was also more careful when designing class activities and exploring various pedagogies that would suit the diverse needs of my students. As evidence of recognition of my efforts, I was awarded the 2023 Curtin Malaysia Learning and Teaching Excellence Award, employing the reflective practices and methods that I had learnt while preparing for my fellowship application.
Another impact of my fellowship journey was the impetus to conduct action research to improve the quality of our teaching. Our team was awarded two Curtin Malaysia Teaching and Innovation Project grants in 2020 and 2021. Both research projects were focused on understanding students’ perceptions and engagement in the classroom through personalised learning and community engagement. Our research project involves interdisciplinary collaboration between two faculties and involves students in engineering, commerce and media courses within the University. The projects gave us valuable insights to students’ perceptions and the strategies they employ when learning, allowing us to tailor our teaching to cater to students’ needs.
What fellows at Curtin have to say
Participating in fellowship has significantly benefited my teaching. Mentorship provided valuable insights into reflecting on and enhancing learning practices which encouraged me to adopt more open and experiential teaching methods, leading to my involvement in iSOLT projects, successful grant awards, and the sharing of experiences in Learning and Teaching platforms. These achievements directly resulted from applying reflective learning through fellowship in my teaching practices.”Dr Noraisikin Sabani, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Humanities and Health Sciences, Associate Fellow
I started my journey with Advance HE in 2019 with a Fellowship. I continued to look into new practices based on my reflection and learning from my students. In 2020, I challenged myself and applied for Senior Fellow (SF), I was then awarded the SF in 2021. Since then, I have been involved as a mentor to my colleagues and have recently engaged in the Advance HE Senior Fellow Network. Through my involvement as a SF, I have learned that teaching is part of learning new things, and learning is not just from concepts and theories but through reflecting on your engagement with your students and your colleagues.”Associate Professor Shamsul Kamariah Abdullah, Department of Management, Marketing and Digital Business, Faculty of Business, Senior Fellow
Constantly reflecting on my teaching practices has allowed me to adapt and evolve, ensuring that my methods align with the diverse ways in which students learn. I have dedicated time to exploring pedagogical approaches and educational research such as exploring coaching intervention in peer feedback to enhance teamwork competencies. I also place a significant emphasis on respecting individual learners, acknowledging their unique backgrounds and experiences. Embracing diversity and inclusion is not just a checkbox, but a fundamental aspect of my teaching approach. I remain committed to the principles of fellowship, ensuring that my teaching is not just a profession but a continuous, evolving journey towards student-centred excellence.”Associate Professor Lau Shiew Wei, Department of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Fellow
Anita Jimmie is a Senior Teaching Fellow at Curtin University Malaysia. She has 20 years of teaching experience. She is also the Chair of Engagement for the School of Pre-University and Continuing Education and works with both internal and external parties on knowledge transfer programmes and community outreach initiatives.
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Fellowship Application Builder
7 May 2024, Virtual
A short online course designed to enable participants to develop an application for Fellowship. Find out more.