This article was downloaded by: [University of Stellenbosch]

On: 29 August 2013, At: 14:02

Publisher: Routledge
Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered
office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK

Reflective Practice: International and

Multidisciplinary Perspectives
Publication details, including instructions for authors and
subscription information:
http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/crep20

‘I’ve let myself get tired’ – one

teacher’s self-reflection process in a
peer group
a a b
Saara-Leena Kaunisto , Eila Estola & Mikael Leiman
a
Faculty of Education , University of Oulu , PO Box 2000,
FIN-90014 , Finland
b
University of Eastern Finland , Joensuu , Finland
Published online: 25 Feb 2013.

To cite this article: Saara-Leena Kaunisto , Eila Estola & Mikael Leiman (2013) ‘I’ve let myself get
tired’ – one teacher’s self-reflection process in a peer group, Reflective Practice: International and
Multidisciplinary Perspectives, 14:3, 406-419, DOI: 10.1080/14623943.2013.767236

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2013.767236

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the
“Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis,
our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to
the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions
and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors,
and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content
should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources
of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims,
proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or
howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising
out of the use of the Content.

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any
substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing,
systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms &
 Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-
and-conditions
Downloaded by [University of Stellenbosch] at 14:02 29 August 2013
 Reflective Practice, 2013
Vol. 14, No. 3, 406–419, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2013.767236

‘I’ve let myself get tired’ – one teacher’s self-reflection process in

a peer group
Saara-Leena Kaunistoa*, Eila Estolaa and Mikael Leimanb
a
Faculty of Education, University of Oulu, PO Box 2000, FIN-90014, Finland; bUniversity
of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
(Received 25 July 2012; final version received 14 January 2013)
Downloaded by [University of Stellenbosch] at 14:02 29 August 2013

This paper adds a new perspective to the research on teachers’ reflection by

applying the concept of self-reflection developed in psychotherapy studies. The
study focuses on the self-reflection process of one teacher in a facilitated peer
group. The peer group was formed to promote the participating teachers’ well-
being and to support them in their work. Methodologically, the group was based
on the idea of narrative approach in which the sharing of personal experiences
could offer new ways of looking at personal and professional experiences. The
research material consisted of videotaped group sessions. Dialogical Sequence
Analysis (DSA), originally developed for therapy contexts, was applied as a
method of studying changes in the teachers’ self-reflection. The results indicate
that peer groups can contribute to the self-reflection process by (1) supporting
the self-understanding that permits an altered relationship with the original expe-
riences, and (2) offering more realistic views of one’s professional options. The
results highlight the meaning of self-reflection of more personal experiences
from the perspective of work life.
Keywords: self-reflection; peer group; being a teacher; case study; Dialogical
Sequence Analysis

Introduction
Teachers’ work is becoming more complex, intensive and emotionally demanding
(Kelchtermans, 2009; Shoffner, 2011). In a large study on work-related burnout,
teaching was among the professions most heavily predisposed to burnout (Maslach,
Schaufeli, & Leiter, 2001). Administrative level demands towards change often
make teachers feel vulnerable and inadequate in their work (Kelchtermans, 2009).
Faced with efficiency requirements and reforms, an increasing number of teachers
become exhausted (Soini, Pyhältö, & Pietarinen, 2010). The drop-out number of
teachers is increasing in many countries, including Finland (Almiala, 2008).
To manage multiform and often contradictory demands, teachers must have the
skills to look at their actions reflectively. In the previous research on teachers’
reflection, along with Schön’s influential model, the significance of reflection in
action that occurs in teachers’ decision-making process and the retrospective reflec-
tion of practice that occurs after they have taken action have been highlighted
(Schön, 1983, 1987). Since then, studies have focused on the reflection of

*Corresponding author. Email: saara-leena.kaunisto@oulu.fi

Ó 2013 Taylor & Francis

 Reflective Practice 407

professional experiences as a tool for better practice and professional development

(Husu, Toom, & Patrikainen, 2008). Various techniques for improving reflective
learning have been developed, such as autobiographical writing, inquiring about
critical incidents, journal writing and having discussions with other colleagues
(Brookfield, 1995; Mezirow, 1990; Mortari, 2012).
The literature concerning teachers’ reflection paints a picture of an expert pro-
fessional, capable of drawing knowledge from his or her experience (Zeichner &
Liston, 1996). However, improving professional expertise demands the ability to
reflect not only on professional experiences but also on personal experiences, as the
personal and professional often intertwine in teaching (Stenberg, 2010; Uitto,
2012). Thus, for enhancing teachers’ professional development, the reflection which
extends to a teacher’s personal experiences is also needed. However, studies on the
reflection process that concentrate on both personal and professional experiences
Downloaded by [University of Stellenbosch] at 14:02 29 August 2013

are limited. Our study aims to bridge this gap, and adds a new perspective to the
research on teacher reflection by studying the change in self-reflection through the
Dialogical Sequence Analysis (DSA) method developed for therapy studies. Thus,
the literature on self-reflection used in this paper draws on research from therapeutic
contexts as well as research from professional development situations. As reflective
inquiries have been criticised for explaining only how a certain reflective technique
is applied (Mortari, 2012), we focus on rigorous analysis of empirical data of the
process of self-reflection.
We use the particular definition of self-reflection that originated in therapy
studies in which developing self-reflection has been found to be an important factor
in good recovery outcomes (Fonagy & Bateman, 2006). According to our
definition, self-reflection refers to a psychic action by which an individual puts a
part of himself or herself, either outward actions or inward thoughts, under
observation. Through this process, teachers can take a reflective distance to experi-
ences, which makes it possible for them to become aware of thoughts and feelings
and develop an altered relationship with the original problem (Leiman, 2012). At
the same time, teachers can discover more about themselves and achieve a deeper
sense of self (Jaspers, 1963; Stenberg, 2010; Yip, 2007). The object of reflection
can be about basically anything, but by using the term self-reflection we refer to
reflection focusing on self. As opposed to definitions which separate reflection from
action, we understand self-reflection as an action, which is a type of self-research
(cf. Bengtson, 2003).
As reflective conversations with peers can enhance self-reflection, we became
interested in the possibilities of a peer group to enhance the self-reflection process
of its participants (Bold, 2008; Maaranen & Krokfors, 2007). Reflective
conversations about practice among teachers of different ages have been used to
support both teachers’ coping with work and their professional learning in the field
of peer-group mentoring, which shares its roots with our study (Heikkinen, Tynjälä,
& Jokinen, 2012). However, there is little detailed and studied information about
what happens in peer groups on a personal level of one group member and,
furthermore, there is a lack of knowledge of peer groups from the perspective of
change in self-reflection. Changing the way teachers reflect on themselves might
affect the way they see themselves as a person, or what they think about themselves
in relation to work. These changes can have effects on professional development
and well-being.
 408 S.-L. Kaunisto et al.

This study explores one teacher’s self-reflection process during a facilitated

teachers’ peer group, which was organised to support teachers in their work. Our
question is: What is the self-reflection process of a single member in the peer group
like?

The process of the study

To address the current challenges in teachers’ work, we organised a peer group
aimed at promoting the well-being of teachers and supporting them in their work.
The peer group was part of the INTO (Inspirational Narratives of Teaching as an
Opportunity) project, carried out in 2004–2005. A general invitation to participate
was sent to all teachers in the research town. Eleven female teachers met 16 times
over the course of one and a half years. These teachers worked in Finnish day care
Downloaded by [University of Stellenbosch] at 14:02 29 August 2013

centres, primary and secondary schools and vocational institutions, and were
between 30 and 60 years of age.
A case study provides a unique story of one participant’s self-reflection process.
Elina (a pseudonym), one of the teachers in the group, was chosen as the protago-
nist of the research. One of the main reasons for selection was that Elina explicitly
expressed a changed attitude towards her work at the end of the group. She was an
active member of the group and often talked about her own process during the
course of the meetings. When the group meetings started, Elina was in her 50s. She
had worked as a primary teacher for several years but was on sabbatical.
The group was a facilitated peer group, in that two facilitators were mostly
responsible for the timetable, the tasks and the themes of the sessions, but the main
aim was the peer support provided by the group. Methodologically, the group was
based on the idea of narrative approach proposed by Clandinin and Connelly (2000)
in which the sharing of personal experiences could offer new ways of looking at per-
sonal and professional experiences. A variety of narrative-based methods were used,
including discussion about concrete situations, diary writing and application of
socio-metric methods (Moreno, 1966). The sessions were characterised by peer sup-
port, commitment, confidentiality and voluntariness. One researcher videotaped and
one researcher observed the group. All meetings were videotaped and transcribed in
detail. Care was taken to anonymise the data before analysis that was based on tran-
scripts only. The researchers also kept personal diaries and discussed the sessions
afterwards. The group members gave their consent to have this recorded data used
for the purpose of research. The data consist of 70 A4-pages. This paper examines
the self-reflective turning points in meetings 2, 3, 5, 9, 11 and 16.
The analysis applied DSA, a micro-analytic method of analysing discourse
(Leiman & Stiles 2001; Leiman, 2012). Originally, DSA was developed for thera-
peutic settings, but here it was applied as a method of studying the self-reflection
process of one teacher. DSA is derived from cognitive analytic therapy and is thus
based on the assumption that mental actions form a reciprocal structure (Ryle,
1990, 1997). Bakhtin’s theory of utterance is the other main source of DSA, in
which these two ideas are merged (Bakhtin, 1981, 1984). In DSA the dialogue is
analysed using semiotic positions as basic units of analysis (Leiman, 2011; Leiman,
2012). The goal is recognising intra-psychic dialogical patterns in utterances and
distinguishing recurring positions in dialogue in order to describe them (Leiman &
Stiles 2001; Leiman, 2012). Utterances consist of reciprocally related basic ele-
ments: the speaker (‘Who is speaking?’), the referential object (‘About what?’ or
 Reflective Practice 409

the topic), and the addressee (‘To whom?’). These elements are reciprocally related
to each other. The addressee and the referential object together define the position
of speaker (Figure 1).
DSA is not a standardised procedure but rather a set of theoretical concepts
applied to observations of the client’s verbal and non-verbal expression. Because of
the interdependence of the topic of utterances, formal criteria for unitising the mate-
rial cannot be applied. The individual length of utterances may vary from one-word
remarks to elaborate accounts around a theme. Semiotic positions, as the unit of
analysing utterances, are named. The practice of naming varies depending on the
referential object and the position expressed to it in the utterance. For example,
when the person refers to her emotional states, an adjective may be the most accu-
rate way of naming. When the person refers to interaction in relationships, a verb
may be the best way to condense the meaning embedded in the position.
Downloaded by [University of Stellenbosch] at 14:02 29 August 2013

Analysis was done in two phases.

Phase 1. We applied DSA to trace a starting point for Elina’s self-reflection
process during the second session. The starting point was formed by examining
positions occurring in Elina’s speech. Phase 1 defined Elina’s starting point as a
position of idealisation and denying. These positions were validated in a group of
five clinical psychologists and two medical doctors with extensive experience with
DSA, in addition to two of the three authors of the paper. Through common discus-
sion, we reached a consensus of positions of idealisation and denying. Depending
on what a teacher was going to say in the peer group, she construed her addressee’s
potential counter-position, thus affecting the teacher's expression. The positions and
counter-positions could be inferred from the linguistic composition of the utterance,
semantic nuances of the words used, intonation, and timing (Leiman, 2012).
Phase 2. The second phase of analysis involved exploring the turning points
concerning the changes of Elina’s self-reflection in the meetings 3, 5, 9, 11, 13 and
16. Because the process was long, we concentrated on excerpts that suggest turning
points in Elina’s self-reflection. Turning points were stories of ‘dreariness of this
day-to-day life’, dramatic change with childhood experience (‘no room for my tired-
ness and exhaustion’), and the question of ‘have I enjoyed the work?’. Turning
points were found by paying attention to the theme of Elina’s story-telling,
rhetorical devices and choice of words. After that, the positions in turning points
were defined and changes in these positions were tracked. In addition to the earlier
found position of idealising and denying, the helpless and reflective positions were
found.

Figure 1. Dual positioning of utterances (Leiman, 2012).

 410 S.-L. Kaunisto et al.

This paper presents Elina’s process of self-reflection in chronological order. We

first describe what position Elina took towards herself as a teacher during the
second session. In the following excerpts, utterances that show Elina’s explicit
positioning in relation to themes of herself and her well-being are denoted in bold
typeface, and the researcher’s interpretation of the positions are in parentheses. We
slightly modified the narratively rich excerpts by removing repetitions and
hesitations for greater clarity (cf. Polkinghorne, 1995).

Results
Process starts – position of idealising
As members did not know each other beforehand, the second meeting concentrated
Downloaded by [University of Stellenbosch] at 14:02 29 August 2013

on becoming acquainted and creating a safe atmosphere. Group members were

asked to pick up cards that illustrated emotions, thoughts or other features of work
challenges and situations. The following episode illustrates Elina’s self-reflection at
the beginning of the group with regard to herself as a teacher. The group was dis-
cussing a card depicting a clown. The clown stirred up images of teaching as a
clown’ s work: like the clown, the teacher has to perform wearing a mask and dis-
regard his or her own feelings. The clown card inspired discussion on accounts of
teachers in the media. Elina commented on these themes:

Elina: Often I don’t recognise myself in the articles that are written about teach-
ers. (denying)

Facilitator: Yes, that is interesting.

Elina: I don’t recognise, I don’t feel I’m behind any of those roles. I have a much
more positive picture of myself as a teacher than many studies suggest. (downplaying
the research/ idealising herself)

Elina did not identify herself with the teachers hiding behind masks described in
research articles. She regarded herself more positively as a teacher than the articles
suggested. With respect to positions, Elina took a denying position towards research
articles and an idealising position towards herself. As Elina adopted these positions
frequently during the discussion, her initial positions were idealising and denying.
She presented herself as a teacher with difficulties recognising herself in descrip-
tions of teachers hiding behind roles.

Position of helplessness
During the third session, Elina started to reflect on her present situation when group
members were discussing their feelings. For example, one teacher discussed feeling
inadequate at work:

Tiina: There’s always something in my work where I see my own inadequacy and
inferiority, something that I can’t solve. ...

Elina: I think it’ s really nice to share the viewpoint that if I think about my own situ-
ation then I can’t. So to speak, my external circumstances are pretty good. I mean,
 Reflective Practice 411

everything’ s very good at work; I mean, everything external. (idealising) I can’t fault
anything and I do a good job. (idealising). But then that this is my own physical and
mental condition. I’m now at that age, my menopause has just begun (quiet support
from the others) and I don’t know how I can live with the dreariness of this day-
to-day life. (vulnerable/ helpless) Actually this is quite a difficult situation because I
can’t blame anyone. (laughs) (laughter)

(Kirsi taps Elina on the shoulder)

Elina (over the laughter): I can’t blame my husband or my children (laughter) my job
or my boss or my colleagues.

Kirsi (over Elina): And you can’t blame yourself either. (laughs)
Downloaded by [University of Stellenbosch] at 14:02 29 August 2013

Elina: Yes, (pause) I suppose you can’t blame yourself either.

Kirsi (over Elina): You can’t assign blame for that.

Elina: But I’m tired.

Kirsi: Yes.

Elina: Or not tired, but bored (Kirsi: oh), bored to death.

As Elina started to reflect after Tiina’s comment, idealising positions appeared with
new nuances. She began by inviting the others to share her viewpoint, in which is a
paradox between everything being well and her being bored. Elina’ s long and
dwindling account is a vivid illustration of what Bakhtin (1984) called a word with
a sideward glance: wanting choral support from the others. She was approaching
the point of disclosing how she felt underneath but could not express it directly.
Instead, she chose to transfer the content of her utterance (her tiredness) through a
rhetorical edifice of a life that could hardly be better. Elina seemed uncertain about
whether the group participants felt sympathy for her and chose indirect rhetorical
devices to elicit it. She managed to receive sympathy from the group and,
especially, from Kirsi. Empathy in the group was very openly expressed, such as by
patting on the shoulder and encouraging questions.
Elina voiced an indirect accusation when she said ‘I can’t blame anyone’. There
was no referential object on which to place blame, yet Elina would obviously have
liked to blame something. This was the first instance of a position that seemed to
underlie Elina’ s denial and idealisation. The desire to blame others illustrated
Elina’ s need to find an external cause – a desire she disclosed after using rhetorical
safety measures to win choral support. Elina’ s ‘Or not tired but bored, bored to
death’ was an outright statement of a problematic position. Everything should have
been well, but obviously was not.
A position of helplessness appeared alongside the idealising position when Elina
spoke of her boredom and the dreariness of day-to-day life. Merely describing her
experiences to group members immediately put Elina into an observer position
regarding those experiences. From this new vantage point, Elina may have
perceived her original experiences in a new light and started to work through them
(Leiman, 2012). This excerpt shows how feelings and experiences are reflected
 412 S.-L. Kaunisto et al.

through conversations (Ashraf & Rarieya, 2008). Verbally sharing and reflecting
through discussion allows group members to be in dialogue with themselves while
listening to the experiences of others (McLean & Whalley, 2004). Tiina’s and
Elina’s experiences were reflected in the meeting’s subsequent narratives, as if the
words of the other participants resonated in them (Conle, 1996). Before Elina, Tiina
discussed emotions of guilt and inadequacy. Once these themes were broached,
Elina had the courage to open up a little bit about her tiredness. Three more teach-
ers then talked about helplessness at work. Thus, a group member’s narration could
direct one’s reflection to the same themes and then allow one to relate to the theme
of the group. Discussing helplessness and tiredness showed that a safe atmosphere
was formed and teachers could reflect on their similar feelings. One manifestation
of the safe atmosphere was that Kirsi tapped Elina on the shoulder when Elina was
discussing her situation. A confidential atmosphere could thus be considered as a
Downloaded by [University of Stellenbosch] at 14:02 29 August 2013

prerequisite for Elina to begin to trust in the support of the group and to tell more
about her experiences in subsequent sessions (Ashraf & Rarieya, 2008).

Critical turn: towards deeper self-reflection

The fifth session was pivotal in that Elina discovered links between her current situ-
ation and her childhood. The self-reflection process revealed to Elina aspects of her
experiences that were difficult. In a sense, it was a critical turn in her process of
self-reflection. There were four instances during which Elina reflected on her
tiredness and related it to her childhood experiences. Throughout the episodes, her
positions changed from denial and idealisation, to an openly helpless position and,
at the same time, to a reflective stance. The next four excerpts from the fifth session
illustrate this dramatic change in Elina’s self-positioning.
Before the first excerpt, the teachers watched a piece of news in which one of the
members of the group spoke about her tiredness. Elina focused on the contradiction in
the news: there was a teacher doing a great job; however, she said that she was tired.

Elina: That would’ve been the expected picture if there’d been an exhausted teacher
type behind the desk ... But there’s a terrible contradiction. A teacher does a really
great job and the same teacher feels tired or exhausted in her work. (idealising)

Laura: At the same time – just like yesterday in the news – you don’t get therapy until
something happens.

Elina: Yes, that was well put; in other words, does one need to have a heart attack
(fatal helplessness) before they’ll say ‘aha, she might have been a little exhausted
after all.’ (downplaying)

In the discussion following watching the news, Elina seemed to think of the situa-
tion of the teacher who did a marvellous job but was exhausted. This thinking
enabled her to articulate the general disregard for feeling tired and vulnerable.
Elina’ s comment regarding tiredness was downplayed, but she expressed it as
somebody else’ s point of view: ‘Aha, she might have been a little exhausted after
all’. This reflects the full pattern concerning Elina’s relation to tiredness. Rhetori-
cally, her expression was that strong: tiredness is so overlooked by others that a
heart attack is needed before they pay any attention, and even then it is
downplayed.
 Reflective Practice 413

A sudden transition happened in the second episode of this session. The group
members were discussing conflicts at their workplaces when Elina began to disclose
her weariness from a personal perspective:

Elina: I’m sort of astonished about those things in a way. How I’ve allowed this situa-
tion to develop like this, that I’ve let myself get tired. In a way, I’m shocked at my
own inability to monitor myself. (reflective stance regarding denial/ acknowledging
tiredness)

Elina did not identify herself with a disregarding stance. She was concerned about
her inability to address and acknowledge her tiredness. For the first time, she
described her vulnerability without denying it and without any idealising overtones.
Elina seemed to recognise that the downplaying position was a part of her that pre-
Downloaded by [University of Stellenbosch] at 14:02 29 August 2013

vented her from listening to the tired and bored parts. Thus, hints of an increased
awareness of feelings and thoughts began to appear in her speech, which were
related to the first stage of reflection (Atkins & Murphy, 1993). The facilitator asked
Elina to reflect on the question of what brought her into that tiredness.

Facilitator: If you think now of your course of life, what has driven you to that [being
tired]?

Elina: Well, of course I’ve thought about it a lot and I’ve considered that perhaps
childhood, that there’s been no room for exhaustion; I mean, in our family the exhaus-
tion of other kids has been listened to, or illnesses, or something else, but there was
no room for my illness. (ill and longing in relation to denying and ignoring)

Facilitator: Right.

Elina: ... I start to cry when I think of it, episodes of a pretty concrete sort. I had an
injury and I was not taken care of (pause, begins to cry) well. (helpless in relation
to neglecting)

Facilitator: You didn’t have any other alternative but to survive alone.

Elina (crying): Yes, and that I had an injury and I was made fun of because of it.
Well, not made fun of, but laughed at and then my face didn’t work, so (pause). Then
also that, maybe, I felt there was no room for my tiredness and exhaustion – for
others’, yes, but not for mine. Maybe it’s because of that. (being helpless, denied
and ridiculed)

The facilitator’s question encouraged Elina to reflect on why listening to herself

was so difficult for her. During the third excerpt, the denying tone vanished
altogether and an interchange between a reflective and an experiencing stance was
evident. Elina first maintained a reflective stance regarding her childhood
experiences, but the tone and the timeframe changed when the full pattern of
vulnerability that was ignored was voiced: ‘there was no room for my illness’. The
same alternation in tense between the reflective stance and the voice of experience
continued after Elina’s acknowledgement. The reflective perspective became
stronger, and she described how the injury affected her; then the timeframe changed
again to the present. Her tiredness and exhaustion became the referential focus, as
well as her expectation that it would be ignored.
 414 S.-L. Kaunisto et al.

This excerpt illuminates the possible origins of Elina’s denial and idealisation
that dominated her expressions in the first session. As a child, when she was
helpless, Elina experienced downplaying and ignoring responses from others.
Consequently, helplessness became an intolerable position that she had to ward off,
which she did by adopting the same downplaying stance she felt was the response
of others. This episode also shed light on the rhetorical devices Elina used during
the second session, when she wanted to make sure that she received sympathy from
others while speaking about her tiredness and boredom.
In this fourth excerpt, Elina continued to reflect on the consequences of the
interactions in her childhood home for her life.

Elina: Yes, it’s almost certain that you haven’t experienced that type of healthy
interaction. When you express tiredness or sickness and it’s answered in a normal
Downloaded by [University of Stellenbosch] at 14:02 29 August 2013

way, and you learn that interaction with yourself as well. (reflective stance to
tiredness)

Elina: You have to take care of getting the love and acceptance yourself, by buying it
in a certain way all the time.

Elina drew the conclusion that she did not learn to empathise with herself because
her experiences were not heard and she had felt that she was not cared for as a
child. As a result, she became an ideal performer who earned approval by
performing. Elina’s process shows that through self-reflection, one can draw new
conclusions about past experiences and achieve a meaningful understanding of
feelings and actions that relate to the self and to significant others (Angus & Hardt-
ke, 1994; Wade & Yarbrough, 1996). Elina had the impression that her parents did
not listen to her and that peers made fun of her; she then shielded herself from
these feelings of helplessness and rejection with her idealisation. In this fifth
session, however, Elina received a different response to her helplessness than she
did as a child: instead of being ignored and rejected, she was hugged, listened to
and shown empathy. Thus, the fifth session appeared to be a turning point in Elina’s
process of self-reflection. The group supported Elina so that she could fluctuate
between the experiencing and reflective stances. She re-entered her feelings of
helplessness and received appropriate responses from the group that allowed her to
understand her problems in a new light. At the same time, Elina’s experiences show
how the self-reflection process can evoke emotional experiences (Keville et al.,
2009).
During the fifth session, Elina was able to move on from the reactive position
towards the reflective position and face her helplessness. In a reactive position, the
relation to one’s personal feelings may alienate and impair one’s sense of agency,
whereas in a reflective position, one can accept previously unacknowledged
experiences. When people reach the reflective position, their attitudes towards
themselves and their problematic experiences have changed (Keltanen, Räsänen, &
Holma, 2009; Toskala & Hartikainen, 2005). In Elina’s self-reflection, achieving a
reflective position was an essential turning point, as therapy studies have shown that
increased awareness of one’s initial problems can result in an altered relationship to
those problems (Angus, Goldman, & Mergenthaler, 2008; Stiles, Meshot, Anderson,
& Sloan, 1992).
 Reflective Practice 415

Reflections of work
The fifth session was a turning point for Elina in the sense that after it, her relation
to herself started to change: a perceptive stance towards tiredness and taking care of
herself started began to take the place of her previous tendency to downplay her
needs. During the ninth session, Elina started to question and reflect on her way of
idealising herself as a teacher:

Elina: I’ve had a terrible need to, in a way, demonstrate that I’m doing a good job
and I’ve got feedback on that. But then ultimately I’ve had this top-down perception
that it’s enough when parents are of that opinion and teacher colleagues and the head
teacher and so on. So I feel it’s very positive that I’m now able to ask myself have I
… have I been a good teacher at all, even? And have I enjoyed the work? (reflec-
tive stance to work)
Downloaded by [University of Stellenbosch] at 14:02 29 August 2013

This development towards the reflective stance could also be seen during the elev-
enth session, which showed Elina’ s steps towards a more empathic, reflective
understanding of her self. During the eleventh session, group participants were dis-
cussing their tiredness and the chaos at work. Elina entered this discussion when
Virpi commented on how awful it was to work in the chaos.

Elina: I felt that I was already, like, in that state where I act. Well, I’m doing things
all the time and at full force or whatever power I’m capable of. Just like a
machine. (Virpi agrees all the time) (performing)

Facilitator: So what about your feelings?

Elina: Completely no, there weren't any. I couldn’t conceive that I was tired but my
body didn’t [work]. My body started to [pause] This, this is quite a strange system,
this human system; that as I continue to say ma [many], a few, sometimes to myself, I
didn’t realise I was tired (emphasises this) and it’s very true. I didn’t realise I was
tired. (repeats this more quietly; the others nod)

Virpi (to Elina): It’s terrible to do the work like that like a machine.

Elina (agrees silently): it is. And maybe it is some sort of, like, a sort of warning that
I’m not enjoying this.

In this episode, Elina adopted a metaphor of a machine that works at full blast to
describe her way of working. Emotions are cut off from a machine. The same mechan-
ical tone continued when Elina spoke of her body as a system that did not work at full
blast any more. It was this system that started to give signals to stop. Elina's different
voices took turns in this episode: a mechanical actor, a dissociated tired side, and a
fragile reflective viewer who wondered that she did not notice that she was tired. The
clarity of these sides fluctuated. Speaking from the perspective of the mechanical
actor, Elina was clear and mechanical, while the fragile viewer groped for the words:
‘that as I continue to say ma [many], a few, sometimes to myself’. Virpi highlighted
the voices of these emotions by saying that it was terrible to work as a machine.
It is noteworthy that Elina spoke in the past tense (the imperfect tense), as if her
experiences were far away. At the same time, she was constructing an understand-
ing about herself. At the beginning of this vignette, she spoke indirectly, but at the
end of it, she spoke from her personal experience. This fluctuation describes the
 416 S.-L. Kaunisto et al.

slow shaping of the reflective position (Toskala & Hartikainen, 2005). When the
denying and idealising positions vanished, Elina could give attention to her experi-
ences and start to recognise and reflect on them in a new way.
In the last session, the teachers chose one colour to symbolise their feelings at
that point. Elina said that she was ready to go back to work now after her sabbatical.

Elina: The colour green is the colour of new life and hope and it suits me really well.
I have this worry I’ve had for a while now about whether I’ll find it at all nice to
return to work. I’m a little worried about myself in a way but now I’ve found it.

Elina adopted the colour green as a symbol for new life and hope, through which
she spoke about finding hope and desire for work. A slight idealising overtone may
be recognised when Elina spoke about her hopefulness. The downplaying or ignor-
Downloaded by [University of Stellenbosch] at 14:02 29 August 2013

ing stance that accompanied self-idealisation in the first session, however, seemed
to have evaporated. The next excerpt illustrates the change that had taken place.

Elina: I’m starting to think about the working community, of being a legitimate mem-
ber of the working community. And even to the extent that the community defends
you as well. If an employee is threatened by something, then in a way the working
community begins to defend that employee and I feel very strongly that I’m needed
there, in the working community and that I’m expected back there.

Elina’s process of self-reflection led to the decision to return to work and thus had
concrete results. In this context, she spoke positively of her work environment. Instead
of seeing herself as a self-sufficient performer, she felt that she was a part of a commu-
nity that would receive her back on more mutual give-and-take terms and expected to
be protected by others if threatened. Thus, the self-reflection process permitted Elina
to have an altered relationship with her work experiences (Leiman, 2012). Change in
self-reflection can also be crucial from the perspective of work life.

Conclusions
In this paper, we have sought an answer to the following question: What is the self-
reflection process of a single member in the peer group like? As a conclusion, we
describe three significant issues which are connected with the self-reflection process
based on our analysis. First, our study showed the significance of turning points for
self-reflection. The self-reflection process proceeded through turning points where
Elina’s positions changed and dialogue between her past and current life experi-
ences strengthened. Second, the support of the peer group was essential for Elina’s
self-reflection process. The study showed that the group members’ responsiveness
was decisive in Elina’s self-reflection. The questions from and dialogues with group
members provided opportunities for self-reflection and for becoming aware of
personal feelings. With the support of the group, Elina was able to re-encounter
traumatic experiences from her childhood and was heard in a different way than
she had been in childhood. Third, the process would not have been possible without
Elina’s own motivation and courage to speak of her personal and professional issues
in the group. As her self-reflection process proceeded, she started to form a greater
understanding and more approving stance towards herself, her experiences, and her
tiredness.
 Reflective Practice 417

The present study illustrates that DSA, which was originally developed for
tracing change in a therapy context, can also be applied as a researcher’s tool when
studying self-reflection processes in peer groups. The DSA analysis made possible
a detailed and elaborate analysis of Elina’s turning points and the way by which the
salient topics emerged and were shared by the group members. However, this study
does not present the processes of the other group members. For facilitators, the
principles of DSA open up tools for understanding group members’ speech and
positions about which they speak. As a unit of analysis, the semiotic position
permits the linking of discourse topics on the basis of the meaning content
involved. The helpless/vulnerable position emerged and was named long before
Elina connected her present situation with her painful childhood experiences.
Our study adds a new perspective to the research on teachers’ reflection by
applying the concept of self-reflection developed in psychotherapy studies. The
Downloaded by [University of Stellenbosch] at 14:02 29 August 2013

study shows that self-reflection is helpful especially when one feels emotionally
drained or tired from work. In these situations, merely reflecting on decisions
related to teaching situations is not enough; reflection on more personal experiences
is needed. Elina’s process shows that coming to know herself better was a major
element of change (DeMulder & Rigsby, 2003). Through the self-reflection process,
one can become more aware of resources and a life story which can result in a new
perspective on work. Thus, the self-reflection process can offer a more realistic
view of one’s professional options, too.
The study suggests that the research of teacher reflection should pay attention to
the significance of self-reflection. A proposal for using peer groups as context for the
self-reflection of professional and personal experiences of both in-service teachers
and those in pre-service education is offered. However, the group is not automatically
a place which makes self-reflection possible. Not all peer group arrangements would
necessarily allow the development of self-reflection illustrated in this study. The self-
reflection process requires trust and motivation, and is a long-lasting process.
As the study shows that peer group processes can resemble psychotherapy
processes (cf. Lieberman, 1994; Schiff & Bargal, 2000), facilitators should pay atten-
tion to the purpose and the methods of the group activities. Ethical questions should
be carefully taken into account. The analysis suggested that groups could encourage
self-reflection by offering group members a place to become understood. Based on
this study, the self-reflection process in peer groups seems to be helpful especially
when tiredness threatens. It can change the way the group members see their present
and past and gradually permit an altered relationship with their original experiences.

Acknowledgements
Our warmest thanks to the group of five clinical psychologists and two medical doctors with
extensive experience with DSA. The discussions with them were important to analyse the
process.

Notes on contributors
Saara-Leena Kaunisto, MEd, is a doctoral student at the Faculty of Education, University of
Oulu, Finland. Her research interest focuses on how a peer group can support teachers in
their work.

Eila Estola, PhD, is a professor of Early Childood Education at Faculty of Education,

University of Oulu. Her research focuses on teachers' narrative identities, teacher education,
children’s well-being and ethical issues in narrative research.
 418 S.-L. Kaunisto et al.

Mikael Leiman is an emeritus professor of Psychology at the University of Eastern Finland.

His research interests include psychotherapy and counselling process. He is also the co-
developer of Cognitive Analytic Therapy that provided the context for developing Dialogical
Sequence Analysis as a clinical and a research tool.

References
Almiala, M. (2008). Mieli paloi muualle: opettajan työuran muutos ja ammatillisen identi-
teetin rakentuminen. [I wanted to do something else: the change process in teachers’
careers and the construction of the occupational identity]. Joensuu: Joensuun yliopisto.
Angus, L., & Hardtke, K. (1994). Narrative processes in psychotherapy. Canadian Psychol-
ogy, 35, 190–203.
Angus, L., Goldman, R., & Mergenthaler, E. (2008). Introduction. One case, multiple mea-
sures: An intensive case-analytic approach to understanding client change processes in
evidence-based, emotion-focused therapy of depression. Psychotherapy Research, 18,
Downloaded by [University of Stellenbosch] at 14:02 29 August 2013

629–633.
Ashraf, H., & Rarieya, J. (2008). Teacher development through reflective conversations –
possibilities and tensions: A Pakistan case. Reflective Practice, 9, 269–279.
Atkins, S., & Murphy, K. (1993). Reflection: a review of the literature. Journal of Advanced
Nursing, 18, 1188–1192.
Bakhtin, M.M. (1981). Discourse in the novel. In M. Holquist (Ed.), The dialogic imagina-
tion: Four essays by M. M. Bakhtin (pp. 259–422). Austin, TX: University of Texas
Press.
Bakhtin, M.M. (1984). Problems of Dostoevsky’s poetics. San Francisco: Manchester Univer-
sity Press.
Bengtson, J. (2003). Possibilities and limits of self-reflection in the teaching profession.
Studies in Philosophy and Education, 22, 295–316.
Bold, C. (2008). Peer support groups: Fostering a deeper approach to learning through criti-
cal reflection on practice. Reflective Practice, 9, 257–267.
Brookfield, S. (1995). Becoming a critically reflective teacher. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Clandinin, D.J., & Connelly, F.M. (2000). Narrative inquiry. Experience and story in quali-
tative research. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Conle, C. (1996). Resonance in preservice teacher inquiry. American Educational Research
Journal, 33, 297–325.
DeMulder, E., & Rigsby, L. (2003). Teachers’ voices on reflective practice. Reflective prac-
tice, 4, 267–290.
Fonagy, P., & Bateman, A. (2006). Mechanism of change in mentalization based treatment
of borderline personality disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 62, 411–430.
Heikkinen, H., Tynjälä, P., & Jokinen, H. (Eds.). (2012). Peer-group mentoring for teacher
development. Abingdon: Routledge.
Husu, J., Toom, A., & Patrikainen, S. (2008). Guided reflection as a means to demonstrate
and develop student teachers’ reflective competencies. Reflective Practice, 9, 37–51.
Jaspers, K. (1963). General psychopathology. (J. Hoenig & M. Hamilton, Trans.). Manches-
ter University Press. (Original work published 1923.).
Kelchtermans, G. (2009). Who I am in how I teach is the message: Self-understanding,
vulnerability and reflection. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 15, 257–272.
Keltanen, J., Räsänen, E., & Holma, J. (2009). Releksiivisyyden muutos väkivaltaisten
miesten ryhmäterapiassa. [Change in reflexivity in the group therapy for violent men].
Psykologia, 44, 275–286.
Keville, S., Nel, P., Uprichard, S., McCarney, R., Jeffrey, S., Ford, D., & Legget, S. (2009).
Reaching the journey’s end: Reflections on the final phase of a problem-based learning
group. Reflective Practice, 10, 589–599.
Leiman, M. (2011). Mikhail Bakhtin’s contribution to psychotherapy research. Culture and
Psychology, 17, 441–461.
Leiman, M. (2012). Dialogical sequence analysis in studying psychotherapeutic discourse.
International Journal for Dialogical Science, 6, 123–147.
 Reflective Practice 419

Leiman, M., & Stiles, W. (2001). Dialogical sequence analysis and the zone of proximal
development as conceptual enhancements to the assimilation model: The case of Jan
revisited. Psychotherapy Research, 11, 311–330.
Lieberman, M. (1994). Growth groups in the 1980s: Mental health implications. In A. Fuhri-
man & G.M. Burlingame (Eds.), Handbook of group psychotherapy: An empirical and
clinical synthesis (pp. 527–558). New York: Wiley.
Maaranen, K., & Krokfors, L. (2007). Time to think? Primary school teacher students
reflecting on their MA thesis research processes. Reflective Practice, 8, 359–373.
Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W.B., & Leiter, M.P. (2001). Job burnout. Annual Review of Psy-
chology, 52, 397–442.
McLean, B., & Whalley, J. (2004). No real tale has a beginning or an end … Exploring the
relationship between co-supervision, reflective dialogue and psychotherapeutic work with
mental health service users. Reflective Practice, 5, 225–238.
Mezirow, J. (Ed.). (1990). Fostering critical reflection in adulthood: A guide to transforma-
tive and emancipatory learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Downloaded by [University of Stellenbosch] at 14:02 29 August 2013

Moreno, J.L. (1966). The international handbook of group psychotherapy. New York:
Philosophical Library.
Mortari, L. (2012). Learning thoughtful reflection in teacher education. Teachers and
Teaching. Theory and Practice, 18, 525–545.
Polkinghorne, D. (1995). Narrative configuration in qualitative analysis. In J.A. Hatch & R.
Wisniewski (Eds.), Life history and narrative (pp. 5–23). London: Falmer.
Ryle, A. (1990). Cognitive-analytic therapy: Active participation in change. Chichester:
Wiley.
Ryle, A. (1997). Cognitive analytic therapy and borderline personality disorder. The model
and the method. Chichester: Wiley.
Schiff, M., & Bargal, D. (2000). Helping characteristics of self-help and support groups.
Their contribution to participants’ subjective well-being. Small Group Research, 31,
275–304.
Schön, D.A. (1983). The reflective practitioner. London: Temple Smith.
Schön, D.A. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Shoffner, M. (2011). Considering the first year: Reflection as a means to address beginning
teachers’ concerns. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 17, 417–433.
Soini, T., Pyhältö, K., & Pietarinen, J. (2010). Pedagogical well-being: Reflecting learning
and well-being in teachers’ work. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 16,
735–751.
Stenberg, K. (2010). Identity work as a tool for promoting the professional development.
Reflective Practice, 11, 331–346.
Stiles, W.B., Meshot, C., Anderson, T., & Sloan, W. (1992). Assimilation of problematic
experiences: The case of John Jones. Psychotherapy Research, 2, 81–101.
Toskala, A., & Hartikainen, K. (2005). Minuuden rakentuminen: Psyykkinen kehitys ja kogn-
itiivis-konstruktiivinen psykoterapia. [The construction of the self: Mental development
and cognitive-constructive therapy]. Jyväskylä: Jyväskylän koulutuskeskus.
Uitto, M. (2012). Behind every profession is a person: Students’ written memories of their
own teacher-student relationships. Teaching and Teacher Education, 28, 293–301.
Wade, R.C., & Yarbrough, D.B. (1996). Portfolios: A tool for reflective thinking in teacher
education. Teaching and Teacher Education: An International Journal of Research and
Studies, 12, 63–79.
Yip, K. (2007). Self-reflection in reflective practice. A Jaspers’ orientation. Reflective prac-
tice, 8, 285–298.
Zeichner, K.M., & Liston, D. (1996). Reflective teaching: An introduction. Mahwah, NJ:
Lawrence Erlbaum.