Reflecting on ‘Reflective practice’ Essay

Maybe pondering suffices set up us a air of trying to operate sensation of the uncertainty in our spirtplaces and the courage to engagement competently and ethically at the edge of site and chaos (Ghaye, 2000, p.7) wistful put has burgeoned oer the last few decades by by various palm of nonrecreational come and education. In some professions it has become one of the defining features of competence, even if on occasion it has been adopted mis railnly and un musingly to rationalise real f atomic number 18. The allure of the musingness bandwagon lies in the fact that it rings true (Loughran, 2000). inside unlike disciplines and intellectual traditions, however, what is understood by musing convention varies intimately (Fook et al, 2006). Multiple and contradictory understandings of meditative workout session can even be found within the same discipline.Despite this, some consensus has been fall upond amid the profusion of definitions. In general, pensive ma ke is understood as the procedure of learning finished and from experience towards gaining sore insights of self and/or practice (Boud et al 1985 Boyd and Fales, 1983 Mezirow, 1981, Jarvis, 1992). This practically involves examining assumptions of everyday practice. It in like manner t revokes to involve the idiosyncratic practician in organism self-aw ar and searingly evaluating their induce responses to practice situations. The point is to recapture practice experiences and mull them over smallly in order to gain new understandings and so emend future practice. This is understood as part of the process of life-long learning.Beyond these broad atomic number 18as of agreement, however, contention and difficulty reign. There is debate approximately the extent to which practitioners should focus on themselves as undivideds rather than the larger brotherly context. There are questions around how, when, where and why chiding should vex place. For bad-tempered pai ds short on time, excogitateive practice is all too tardily applied in bland, mechanical, un rallying ways, Would-be practitioners may also palpate it testing to stand back from painful experiences and seek to be analytical about(predicate) them. In this tangle of understandings, misunderstandings and difficulties, exactly how to apply and teach reboundive practice effectively has become something of a conundrum.This paper explores current ideas and debates relating to deviseive practice. In the rootage two sections, I review key definitions and models of reprehension commonly utilize in professional practice. Then, in the brooding smelling myself, I livelyly examine the actual practice of the concept, highlighting ethical, professional, pedagogical and conceptual occupys. I put forward the case that reflective practice is twain complex and situated and that it cannot work if applied mechanically or simplistically. On this basis, I conclude with some tentative suggest ions for how educators might leaven an effective reflective practice involving over sarcastic mirror image.Defining reflective practice censure can mean all things to all peopleit is enjoymentd as a kind of umbrella or canopy landmark to signify something that is good or desirableeverybody has his or her let (usually undisclosed) rendition of what mirror image means, and this interpretation is single-valued functiond as the basis for trumpeting the virtues of reflection in a way that makes it sound as virtuous as motherhood. Smyth (1992, p.285)The border reflective practice carries multiple meanings that range from the idea of professionals engaging in troglodyte introspection to that of engaging in critical dialogue with others. Practitioners may embrace it occasionally in formal, explicit ways or use it more fluidly in ongoing, tacit ways. For some, reflective practice just refers to adopting a thinking snuggle to practice. Others see it as self-indulgent navel gazing. For others still, itinvolves guardedly structured and crafted approaches towards being reflective about ones experiences in practice. For example, with reference to teacher education, Larrivee fence ins thatUnless teachers give rise the practice of critical reflection, they stay confine in unexamined judgments, interpretations, assumptions, and expectations. Approaching teaching as a reflective practitioner involves fusing personal beliefs and values into a professional identity (Larrivee, 2000, p.293). In practice, reflective practice is often seen as the bedrock of professional identity. Reflecting on performance and acting on refection, as McKay (2008, Forthcoming) notes, is a professional imperative. Indeed, it has been included in official benchmark standards laid d sustain for professional registration and practice (see table 1 in vermiform process 1).One example is in the way it has been included, explicitly and implicitly, in all Project 2000 curricula for Nursing Diplo mas, plot reflection is highlighted as a pivotal skill to achieve take Standards of Proficiencies in nursing and other health professional education (NMC, 2004 HPC, 2004). It has also become a key strand of approaches to the broader sector of chronic professional development, work-based learning and lifelong learning (Eby, 2000 HPC, 2006).Given its growing emphasis in professional practice and education, it would seem important to explore the concept of reflective practice in some detail. To this end, this section stigmatizees between different types of reflective practice and looks at the sister concepts of reflection, critical reflection and reflexivity. Reflection in and on practiceDewey (1933) was among the first to identify reflection as a specialised form of thinking. He considered reflection to stem from doubt, hesitation or perplexity related to a directly experienced situation. For him, this prompted purposeful research and problem resolution (Sinclair, 1998). Dewey al so argued that reflective thinking moved people away from routine thinking/action (guided by tradition or external authority) towardsreflective action (involving careful, critical consideration of taken-for-granted knowledge). This way of conceptualising reflection crucially starts with experience and stresses how we learn from doing, i.e. practice. Specifically Dewey argued that we think the problem out towards formulating hypotheses in trial and error reflective situations and then use these to be after action, testing out our ideas.Deweys ideas provided a basis for the concept of reflective practice which gained influence with the arrival of Schons (1983) The reflective practitioner how professionals think in action. In this seminal work, Schon identified ways in which professionals could become aware of their implicit knowledge and learn from their experience. His main concern was to facilitate the development of reflective practitioners rather than describe the process of refl ection per se. However, one of his most important and enduring contributions was to identify two types of reflection reflection-on-action (after-the-event thinking) and reflection-in-action (thinking spot doing). In the case of reflection-on-action, professionals are understood consciously to review, describe, break up and evaluate their past practice with a view to gaining insight to improve future practice.With reflection-in-action, professionals are seen as examining their experiences and responses as they occur. In both types of reflection, professionals come to connect with their feelings and attend to relevant theory. They seek to build new understandings to figure their action in the unfolding situation. In Schons words The practitioner allows himself to experience surprise, puzzlement, or confusion in a situation which he finds uncertain or unique. He reflects on the phenomenon before him, and on the preliminary understandings which have been implicit in his behaviour. He carries out an experiment which serves to come back both a new understanding of the phenomenon and a change in the situation. (Schon, 1983, p. 68)For Schon, reflection-in-action was the core of professional artistry a concept he contrasted with the technical-rationality demanded by the (still dominant) positivist paradigm whereby problems are solvable through the rigorous applications programme of science. A contemporary example of this paradigm is the evidence-based practice movement, which favours quantitative studiesover qualitative ones, and established protocols over intuitive practice. In Schons view, technical-rationality failed to work the dilemma of rigour versus relevance confronting professionals. Schons argument, since taken up by others (e.g. Fish and Coles,1998), was as follows Professional practice is complex, unpredictable and messy. In order to cope, professionals have to be able to do morethan follow serve procedures. They draw on both practical experience a nd theory as they think on their feet and improvise. They act both intuitively and creatively.Both reflection-in and on -action allows them to revise, modify and refine their expertise. Schon believed that as professionals become more expert in their practice, they developed the skill of being able to monitor and adapt their practice simultaneously, perhaps even intuitively. In contrast, novice practitioners, lacking knowing-in-action (tacit knowledge), tended to cling to rules and procedures, which they are inclined to apply mechanically. Schon argued that novices needed to step back and, from a distance, take time to think through situations. Whether expert or novice, all professionals should reflect on practice both in general and with regard to crabby proposition situations. Schons work has been hugely influential some would say ratified in the way it has been applied to practice and professional training and education. For example, in the health care field, Atkins and Murp hy (1993) identify three stages of the reflective process.The first stage, triggered by the professional becoming aware of uncomfortable feelings and thoughts, is akin to Schons experience of surprise (what Boyd and Fales, 1983, identify as a sense of home(a) discomfort or unfinished business). The second stage involves a critical outline of feelings and knowledge. The final stage of reflection involves the development of a new perspective. Atkins and Murphy argue that both cognitive and affective skills are prerequisites for reflection and that these combine in the processes of self-awareness, critical analysis, synthesis and evaluation (see Appendix 2). In the education field, Grushka, Hinde-McLeod and Reynolds (2005) distinguish between reflection for action, reflection in action and reflection on action (see Appendix 3).They offer a series of technical, practical and critical questions for teachers to engage with. For example, under reflection for action teachers are advised t o consider their resources and how long the lesson will take (technical) how to make the resources relevant to different learning styles (practical) and to question why they are teaching this particular topic (critical). Zeichner and Liston (1996) differentiate between five different levels at which reflection can take place during teaching1. speedy reflection immediate, ongoing and automatic action by the teacher.2. Repair in which a thoughtful teacher makes decisions to alter their behaviour in response to students cues.3. Review when a teacher thinks about, discusses or writes about some component part of their teaching.4. Research when a teacher engages in more systematic and keep up thinking over time, perhaps by collecting data or reading research.5. Retheorizing and reformulating the process by which a teacher critically examines their own practice and theories in the light of academic theories. objet dart Schons work has inspired many such models of reflection and ca tegories of reflective practice, it has also gaunt criticism. Eraut (2004) faults the work for its lack of precision and clarity.Boud and Walker (1998) argue that Schons analysis ignores critical features of the context of reflection. Usher et al (1997) find Schons business relationship and methodology un self-referent, while Smyth (1989) deplores the atheoretical and a governmental quality of his conceptions. Greenwood (1993), meanwhile, targets Schon for downplaying the importance of reflection-before-action. Moon (1999) regards Schons pivotal concept of reflection-in-action as unachievable, while Ekebergh (2006) draws onphenomenological philosophy to argue that it is not possible to distance oneself from the lived situation to reflect in the moment. To achieve real self-reflection, she asserts, one needs to step out of the situation and reflect retrospectively (van Manen, 1990). Given this level of criticism, questions have to raised about the wide adoption of Schons work and the wayit has been applied in professional practice and education (Usher et al, 1997). There have been calls for a more critical, reflexive exploration of the nature of reflective practice.Reflection, critical reflection and reflexivitycontemporary writing on reflective practice invites professionals to engage in both personal reflection and broader kind critique. For example, work within the Open Universitys Health and Social Care faculty has put forward a model whereby reflective practice is seen as a synthesis of reflection, self-awareness and critical thinking (Eby, 2000) (see figure 1). In this model, the philosophical roots of reflective practice are identified in phenomenology (with its focus on lived experience and personal consciousness) and also in critical theory (which fosters the development of a critical consciousness towards emancipation and resisting oppression ).Self-awarenessRoots phenomenology The cognitive ability to think, feel,sense and know through intuition To evaluate the knowledge derived throughself-awareness to develop understandingReflectionRoots existentialphenomenology andcritical theory-interpretive and critical theory tool for promoting self- and genial awarenessand social action ameliorate self-expression,learning and co-operation links theory and practiceReflectivePractice critical thinkingRoots scepticism andcritical theory identifying and repugnassumptions challenging the importanceof context to imagine and explorealternatives which leads toreflective scepticism icon 1 Skills underpinning the concept of reflective practice. Other authors argue for the concept of critical reflection, which is seen as offering a more thorough-going form of reflection through the use of critical theory (Brookfield, 1995). For adherents of critical reflection, reflection on its own tends to remain at the level of relatively undisruptive changes in techniques or fiddling thinking (Fook, White and Gardner, 2006, p.9). In contrast, critical re flection involves attending to converse and social and political analysis it seeks to enable transformative social action and change. For Fook (2006), critical reflectionenables an understanding of the way (socially dominant) assumptions may be socially restrictive, and then enables new, more em baroning ideas and practices. Critical reflection thus enables social change commencement at individual levels. Once individuals become aware of the hidden forcefulness of ideas they have absorbed unwittingly from their social contexts, they are then freed to make choices on their own terms.Fook and Askeland argue that the focus of critical reflection should be on connecting individual identity and social contextPart of the king of critical reflection in opening up new perspectives andchoices about practice may only be realized if the connections between individual thinking and identity, and dominant social beliefs are articulated and realized. (Fook and Askeland, 2006, p.53).For Reynol ds (1998), four characteristics distinguish critical reflection from other versions of reflection (1) its concern to question assumptions (2) its social rather than individual focus (3) the particular attention it pays to the analysis of power relations and (4) its pursuit of emancipation (Reynolds, 1998). By way of example, Reynolds argues that when managers critically reflect (rather than just reflect) they become aware of the wider environment in which they operate. They begin to chain the social power exercised by their organisation through its networks and relationships. In the field of teaching, Brookfield (1995) characterises critical reflection as stance and dance. The critically reflective teachers stance toward teaching is one of inquiry and being open to further investigation. The dance involves experimentation and risk towards modifying practice while moving to fluctuating, and possibly contradictory, rhythms (Larrivee, 2000).A key concept giving pulsing to the idea o f reflective practice involving both personal reflection and social critique is reflexivity. Reflexive practitioners engage in critical self-reflection reflecting critically on the touch on of their own background, assumptions, positioning, feelings, behaviour while also attending to the impact of the wider organisational, discursive, ideological and political context. The terms reflection, critical reflection and reflexivity are often confused and wrongly assumed to be interchangeable. Finlay and Gough (2003, p. ix) find it cooperative to think of these concepts forming a continuum. At one end stands reflection, defined simply as thinking about something after the event. At the other end stands reflexivity a more immediate and dynamic process which involves continuing self-awareness. Critical reflection lies somewhere in between.Previously, Ive proposed five coincide variants of reflexivity with critical selfreflection at the core introspection intersubjective reflection coarse collaboration social critique and ironic deconstruction (Finlay, 2002, 2003). These variants can too be applied todistinguishing between the types of reflection practitioners could engage in when reflecting on practice. Reflective practice as introspection involves the practitioner in solitary self-dialogue in which they probe personal meanings andemotions. Intersubjective reflection makes the practitioner focus on the relational context, on the emergent, negotiated nature of practice encounters. With mutual collaboration, a participatory, dialogical approach to reflective practice is sought what Ghaye (2000) calls a reflective conversation. Here, for example, a mentor and student, or members of a team, seek to solve problems collaboratively. Reflective practice as social critique focuses attention on the wider discursive, social and political context. For instance, the practitioner may think about coercive institutional practices or seek to manage the power imbalances inherent i n education/practice contexts. Finally, reflective practice as ironic deconstruction would cue into postmodern and poststructural imperatives to deconstruct discursive practices and represent something of the ambiguity and multiplicity of meanings in particular organisational and social contexts. At the very least, a critical and possibly sarcastic gaze could be turned to challenging the ubiquitously unreflexive rhetoric of reflective practice.In practice, introspection is the dominant mode of reflective practice. Sometimes presented as notwithstanding a promising personal attribute (Loughran , 2006), it is a predominantly single and personal exercise (Reynolds and Vince, 2004) in which practitioners tend to focus on their own thoughts, feelings, behaviours and evaluations. This passes as legitimate reflective practice which professionals then can use to advance their cause to fit formal requirements for continuing professional development.While such reflective practice may take place in dialogical contexts such as supervision sessions, the onus stays on the individual practitioner to reflect upon and evaluate their own practice. What is lacking is any mutual, reciprocal, shared out process. Institutional structures and quality assurancesystems encourage, perhaps even require, this individual focus. It starts other(a) on during professional education and training where learners engage professional assimilation and are taught how to reflect, using structured models of reflection.One of the consequences of the lack of consensus and clarity about the concept of reflective practice is the proliferation of different versions and models to operationalise reflective practice.