Self-Reflection Informed by Early Childhood Guidance and Counseling as a Means of Professional Development for Raudhatul Athfal Teachers

Abstract

Abstract

Teacher reflection has been widely studied in early childhood education, yet its explicit integration with the principles of early childhood guidance and counseling (ECGC) in the daily routines of raudhatul athfal teachers has rarely been reported. This study describes how ECGC-informed self-reflection was implemented, how it related to teachers’ understanding of children’s behavior and their pedagogical decisions, and which factors supported or hindered it. A qualitative instrumental case study was conducted at raudhatul athfal Nur Hidayah Bandung over four weeks (20 working days), involving four teachers and one principal. Data were collected through daily reflection sheets, semi-structured in-depth interviews, and non-participant observation, and were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña. Three themes emerged: (1) a three-part reflection sheet helped teachers separate behavioral description from inferred developmental needs; (2) teachers reported a shift from reprimanding and labeling toward responses that teach social-emotional skills; and (3) weekly case discussions turned individual reflections into material for team learning. The main obstacles were limited time and novice teachers’ difficulty in refraining from labeling, which were addressed through flexible formats, mentoring by the principal, and a psychologically safe work climate. The findings indicate that ECGC-informed reflection may serve as a form of workplace-based professional learning that complements formal training. The findings are context-specific and do not measure effects on service quality or children’s developmental outcomes.

Keywords: Early childhood guidance and counseling; pedagogical decisions; continuing professional development; raudhatul athfal; self-reflection.