What is reflective practice?‘One simply siphons the excess thoughts from one’s mind, pours then into the basin and examines them at one’s leisure. It becomes easier to spot patterns and links, you understand when they are in this form.’ (Rowling, J.K. (2000) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire).

Reflecting on ‘Reflective practice’Linda Finlay

A DISCUSSION PAPER PREPARED FOR PBPL CETL

(WWW.OPEN.AC.UK/PBPL)

JANUARY 2008

Origins of practice

•Dewey (1933): reflective stems from doubt relating to an experienced situation; reflective action the response.

•Schon (1983): reflection-on-action and reflection-in-action

•Grushka, Hinde-McLeod and Reynolds (2005): reflection for action, reflection in action and reflection on action

•Zeichner and Liston(1996): rapid reflection, repair, review, research and retheorizing.

The General ConsensusLearning through and from

experience

Examining assumptions

Being self-aware and critically evaluating

Part of life-long learning

Models of Reflective Practice

Retrospection

Self-evaluation

Levels of reflection

Reorientation

Modern theoretical developments•Brookfield’s ‘critical lenses’ or ‘stance and dance’

•Mutual collaboration aka. communities of practice.

•Reflective practice as social critique

•Reflective practice as ironic deconstruction

Reflective practice: the dark side•Ethical concerns (confidentiality, rights to privacy, informed consent and professional relationships).

•Professional concerns (when reflection is of poor standard)

•Pedagogic concerns (forcing people when they are not ready)

•Conceptual concerns (i.e. what exactly is reflective practice and how do we do it?)

Reflective practice: ways and means•Models to be used as starting point only

•Range of tools (e.g. blogs, journals, communities, audio and visual diaries)

•Awareness of different levels of reflective writing and their utility

•Practical exercises