Author Information
Natassa Raikou, University of Thessaly, GreeceLabrina Gioti, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Abstract
Inclusive education requires teachers who are able not only to apply inclusive pedagogical strategies but also to critically examine the beliefs and assumptions that shape their professional practice. However, teacher education has devoted considerably more attention to developing pedagogical knowledge than to systematically fostering critical reflection on the implicit assumptions underlying inclusive teaching. In response to this gap, the present pilot study reports the implementation of a semester-long reflective intervention based on Brookfield's Four Lenses of Critical Reflection within an experiential, workshop-based undergraduate course for pre-service special education teachers. Forty undergraduate students from the Department of Special Education at the University of Thessaly participated in the intervention. Throughout the semester, students engaged in a sequence of individual and collaborative reflective activities organised around Brookfield's four complementary perspectives: autobiographical experience, learners' perspectives, colleagues' perspectives, and theoretical literature. Qualitative data derived from reflective writings, lesson plans, collaborative activities and group discussions were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that participants progressively questioned previously taken-for-granted assumptions about teaching and inclusion, developed broader understandings of inclusive pedagogy, and increasingly connected critical reflection with their future professional practice. Reflective activities appeared to support participants in recognising inconsistencies between declared beliefs and pedagogical thinking while encouraging more inclusive and critically informed interpretations of educational practice. Although exploratory in nature, this pilot implementation suggests that Brookfield's Four Lenses provide a promising pedagogical framework for embedding systematic critical reflection within initial teacher education. The study contributes practical insights into the design of reflective learning environments that may support the preparation of future teachers for inclusive educational practice.
Paper Information
Conference: ECE2026Stream: Learning Experiences
Published: Wednesday, September 23, 2026
This paper is part of the ECE2026 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Raikou N., & Gioti L. (2026) Critical Reflection and Inclusive Education: A Semester-Long Implementation of Brookfield’s Four Lenses in Teacher Education ISSN: 2188-1162 The European Conference on Education 2026: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 149-161) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2188-1162.2026.12
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2188-1162.2026.12
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