Reflective Practice, Mentoring, and Self-Renewal In Professional Development For Adult Learners

Abstract

Effective mentoring in professional development requires planned and mindful attention to activities that can improve a person’s professional knowledge, skills, and experience. It is important for professionals to use their knowledge as a resource to mentor new professionals (Dana & Yendol- Hoppey, 2007). Mentoring, coaching, and reflective practice can be used as tools to revolutionize professional development and to teach reflective practice to adult learners in formal and informal educational spaces. Inasmuch, reflective teaching in professional development can provide contextual understanding on educational leadership and governance in formal and informal spaces. Sherwood and Horton- Deutsch (2012) explained that reflection in the learning process considers the learner by focusing on the learner’s professional development capacity as well as encourages the learner to ask critical questions that can lead to improvements in professional quality. Professional development must be approached with the intention to learn and improve upon professional competencies. The process of learning and teaching in any capacity in professional development is to create a culture of belongingness where all learners can learn and become a part of their own journey in education (McEntee, 2003). The purpose of this article is to focus on reflective practice, mentoring. and self-renewal in professional development. The author employs a meta-analysis on empirical knowledge to convey the importance of reflective practice, mentoring, and self-renewal in professional development. This article can be used as a resource, teaching guide, and training material in formal and informal learning spaces with the intention of providing professional development education. Keywords: Mentoring, Reflective Practice, Professional Self Renewal, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8444-8619