Abstract
Reflection is an ambiguous and profoundly complex human activity. We celebrate the developments in teaching and researching reflection in education, yet have identified flaws in the way reflection has been operationalized: medical education has translated the age-old concept into a teachable and measureable construct. We fear that in this process of operationalization, the philosophical underpinnings of reflection have been discarded. We illustrate this with a thought experiment about a ‘reflective zombie’: students who have been conditioned to follow prescribed thought steps rather than engaging in truly reflective behaviour. In research and assessment of reflection, measuring tools might be unable to distinguish reflective zombies from students who authentically reflect. We argue that the instrumental approach lies at the root of this problem as it limits the rich concept of reflection and illustrate our point by describing problems related to paradigm (we are looking at reflection in the wrong way), methods (we are using the wrong tools), and epistemics (can we even know what we want to know?). We offer three suggestions for implementing reflection into the curriculum and for research into reflection. First, acknowledge the diversity of reflection and let go of the ‘checklist approach’. Second, embrace the personal nature of reflection by stimulating awareness of one’s personal reflection styles as part of the reflective process. Third, shift the focus of research to the practice of reflection. We believe that a strong vision on reflection can lead to a balanced curriculum, setting students up for a lifelong learning as a reflective practitioner.
Highlights
Imagine two third year medical students who are identical in almost every way
The issues touched upon in this essay are valid for all higher education courses in which reflection has a place, yet focused on medical education
As Fendler and colleagues have pointed out [18], if reflection is cast in the same formal terms of the paradigm it is translated into, it incorporates the methodological habits of that paradigm and loses its power to interrupt and question
Summary
Imagine two third year medical students who are identical in almost every way. They wrote identical reflective reports, for which they both received an A–. The ‘reflective zombie’ is someone who displays all the outer traits of reflection, without having reflected In this thought experiment, the most important clue to distinguish the reflective zombie from the student who has authentically reflected is their score for the written reflective report and the outcome of the questionnaire. They are good at playing the educational game and at gaming the system to succeed and know, for instance, that ‘they like it if you say you cried’ [3] Reflective assignments such as portfolios or essays could reward students for doing nothing more than check the boxes of ‘good reflection’, which they can do without reflecting. We join critical calls for a new conceptual approach [2, 7,8,9], and highlight existing practices that might help us to teach and study reflection in a way that is congruent with its original goals
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
