Reflective Learning in Higher Education: Active Methodologies for Transformative Practices

Jordi Colomer,Remigijus Bubnys,Dolors Cañabate,Teresa Serra

doi:10.3390/su12093827

Abstract

In this Special Issue, Reflective Learning in Higher Education explores on tertiary education and its practices. It looks at in-house and external individuals, and collective initiatives and activities that centre on generating and reflecting on knowledge. It also explores the transformation output of learning communities, the communities themselves and their reflective practices, and discusses how reflective learning and developing one’s professional identity through reflection are linked. The connections between the theoretical and applied research on reflective practices, knowledge generation in all areas, professional practice and identity through theoretical definition, situated and grounded practice and transformative knowledge are also considered. The nine manuscripts in this Special Issue manifest that reflective learning is likely to (i) help forge students’ professional identity and ensure sustainable competences are effectively developed, (ii) transform students’ preconceived perspectives and social preferences to foster new reasoned action plans for decision-making, (iii) promote understanding one’s personal professional strengths and limitations and develop the ability to identify resources and ways to solve existing and/or future professional challenges and (iv) modify the students’ beliefs, attitudes, and daily behaviour to develop competences that will ultimately result in promoting sustainability.

Highlights

Sustainable development is described by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)’s Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as being underpinned by an ethic of solidarity, equality, and mutual respect among people, countries, cultures and generations
Reflective learning is becoming increasingly relevant to meet the challenges of a technologically advanced world and to develop the ability to adjust to ever-changing environments
As reflection allows for contemplation about new experiences and their association with past experiences in different contexts and focuses on future transformations, it offers ways in which, through active methodologies, reflective learning can change a person s awareness and ability to act in different contexts

Summary

Introduction

Sustainable development is described by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)’s Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as being underpinned by an ethic of solidarity, equality, and mutual respect among people, countries, cultures and generations. The process of education is characterised by cognitive contemplation, learning to manage processes through skills and active experimenting [4,6] It is an individual process where students expand their knowledge and understanding, their skills and experiences, values and attitudes and develop these into social values [9,10,11,12]. The process of reflective learning is characterised by a transformative empowering of students for personal, unrestricted, independent activity by (i) analysing their own experiences and learning skills, (ii) relating theoretical knowledge to practical knowledge and developing skills to identify and solve problems and (iii) changing their attitudes and becoming more tolerant [18,19]. Conditions for reflective teaching and learning are created by developing the learner’s competence to reflect, where individual experiences, thoughts, emotions and actions become the essential elements embedded in the ability to recognise the social and political contexts in which the individual lives and the values they want to keep to be inclusive, democratic, sustainable and social [22,23]

Conceptual Contributions

Transforming Learning through Active Methodologies

Applied Research on Reflective Practices

Discussion and Conclusions

Findings

List of Contributions