Author(s)

ZhuQing Zhang

Affiliation(s)

School of Preschool Education, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China.

Corresponding Author

ZhuQing Zhang

ABSTRACT

Reflective competence is the core fulcrum of kindergarten teachers' professional development. Constructing scientific and systematic paths to improve reflective competence is a key measure to promote teachers' transformation from "practical" to "reflective" and "expert" practitioners. Currently, kindergarten teachers in China face prominent problems in reflective practice, such as cognitive biases, fragmented content, single methods, and weak support systems. The essence lies in the misalignment between reflective practice and professional development needs, which not only restricts the advancement of reflective competence but also traps professional development in a predicament of "experience solidification". Based on reflective practice theory, sociocultural theory, and teacher professional development stage theory, this study focuses on the core orientation of professional development and constructs a closed-loop path for improving reflective competence: concept guidance - content reconstruction - method innovation - system guarantee - support empowerment. It also supports hierarchical adaptation strategies for novice, proficient, and expert teachers, providing an operable practical framework for kindergarten teachers' professional growth and theoretical/practical references for teacher team building in preschool education.

KEYWORDS

Kindergarten teachers; Reflective competence; Professional development; Improvement paths

CITE THIS PAPER

ZhuQing Zhang. Paths to improve kindergarten teachers' reflective competence for professional development. World Journal of Educational Studies. 2025, 3(9): 7-15. DOI: https://doi.org/10.61784/wjes3117.

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