Teachers' Reflection and Exploration of Their Own Work as a Prerequisite for Professional Development

High-qualified teachers, able to continuously improve by reflecting on their teaching, are a prerequisite for quality education. Teachers are expected to be competent in a wide range of areas, from transmitting knowledge to a diversity of learners to creating a stimulating learning environment, encouraging learners to actively participate and learn from each other, forming a classroom community, and fostering learners' critical, independent and responsible personalities. In addition to continuous professional learning, quality teaching at many levels and in many areas is also ensured by systematic monitoring, reflection and research on one's own practice. On this basis, it is realistic to expect changes and innovation in one's own work. In the modern world, the ability to learn continuously and to respond to change is becoming one of the core teachers' competences. Professor Kramar stresses the importance of teacher's constantly reflecting on their actions in the classroom, as this provides feedback on their work and helps them to make quality decisions for their future work. In this paper we will focus on the meaning, levels and conditions of teacher reflection and research. We will be interested in the role of school culture and climate in encouraging individuals in their professional development.