Reflecting on pedagogical practice through the speech of teachers from the Contemporary Pedagogical Thought Collective in Bogotá

Abstract

This study examines how teachers’ discourse reveals processes of reflective pedagogical practice within the Contemporary Pedagogical Thought Collective (Colectivo Pensamiento Pedagógico Contemporáneo) in Bogotá, Colombia. It is grounded in the premise that pedagogical reflection extends beyond the improvement of teaching techniques, constituting instead a process of professional, ethical, and personal transformation through which teachers reconstruct their identities and redefine their educational practice. Rather than focusing exclusively on observable classroom actions, the study explores teachers’ narratives in order to understand how they interpret their experiences, question established practices, and generate new meanings regarding their professional role.

A qualitative research design was adopted, based on the interpretation and analysis of teachers’ discourse. Data were collected through semi-structured ethnographic interviews with ten teachers from different educational levels and disciplinary areas who are members of the Contemporary Pedagogical Thought Collective and who had previously documented their classroom experiences through autobiographical narratives. The interviews were analyzed using MAXQDA Analytics Pro 24.1.0, following the R4 Reflective Practice Model proposed by Domingo (2013), which organizes reflection into four interconnected dimensions: teaching practice, reflective practice, autobiographical narration, and the transformation of pedagogical practice.

The findings reveal that teachers’ discourse reflects an ongoing tension between institutional norms and professional autonomy. Participants acknowledged that school practices continue to reproduce disciplinary mechanisms such as hierarchical supervision, normalization, and examination, all of which shape teachers’ subjectivity and influence pedagogical decision-making. Nevertheless, reflective practice enables educators to critically examine these institutional constraints, recognize inconsistencies between their beliefs and actions, and progressively transform their professional identities. Reflection seen not merely as a cognitive exercise, but as a deeply ethical and emotional process that allows teachers to reinterpret their experiences, question traditional forms of authority, and construct more democratic, dialogic, and student-centered pedagogical relationships.

Autobiographical writing proved to be a powerful mediating tool for reflection, encouraging teachers to revisit significant classroom experiences, critically examine their emotions, values, and decisions, and articulate new understandings of teaching. Through narrative reconstruction, participants reported increased self-awareness, greater empathy toward students, and a stronger commitment to educational improvement. Reflection also fostered collaborative learning, as teachers emphasized the importance of sharing experiences with colleagues in order to collectively build pedagogical knowledge and strengthen professional development.

The study concludes that reflective practice contributes not only to the improvement of teaching strategies, but also to the transformation of teachers’ subjectivity. Reflection allows educators to move beyond technical conceptions of teaching toward an emancipatory understanding of education grounded in ethical responsibility, critical awareness, and continuous professional growth. The interaction between personal experience, professional context, and systematic reflection promotes changes in teachers’ beliefs, emotions, and pedagogical actions, ultimately influencing classroom relationships and students’ learning experiences. These findings reinforce the value of collaborative teacher networks as spaces for professional inquiry and demonstrate that reflective discourse constitutes an essential mechanism for generating pedagogical knowledge, fostering teacher agency, and supporting educational transformation in contemporary school contexts.