Understanding Of Reflective Practice Research Articles

How do I teach? Exploring knowledge of reflective practice among in-service EFL teachers in Ukraine

ABSTRACT This study seeks to investigate the scope and quality of reflective practice in ELT in contemporary Ukraine. 56 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers were surveyed to gain a better understanding of reflective practice in the country. Data were collected using both a quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative (interview) method. The results suggest that Ukrainian EFL teachers apply reflective practice consistently but not systematically in their teaching. However, the study also reveals a significant gap in the understanding of the concept of reflective practice between experienced and novice teachers. Teaching experience appears to be a key differentiating factor in using reflection as a critical lens for improving their professionalism. Generally, teachers prefer peer sharing and observations against journaling or even organised notes, which are viewed as time-consuming and eating into a busy schedule. Easier access to modern recording media would facilitate development of reflective teaching pr

Conceptualizing and Engaging in Reflective Practice: Experienced Evaluators’ Perspectives

The purpose of this study was to determine professional evaluators’ perceptions of reflective practice (RP) and the extent and manner in which they engage in RP behaviors. Nineteen evaluators with 10 or more years of experience in the evaluation field were interviewed to explore our understanding and practice of RP in evaluation. Findings suggest that RP is a process of self and contextual awareness, involving thinking and questioning, and individual and group meaning-making, focused on facilitating growth in the form of learning and improvement. The roles of individual and collaborative reflection as well as reflection in- and on-action are also discussed. Findings support a call for the further refinement of our understanding of RP in evaluation practice. Evaluators seeking to be better reflective practitioners should be competent in skills such as facilitation and interpersonal skills, as well as budget needed time for RP in evaluation accordingly.

Factors influencing radiography lecturers’ perceptions and understanding of reflective practice in a newly implemented curriculum

Background. Reflective practice has become an integral component of the new Bachelor of Science (BSc) radiography programme in South Africa (SA). As a result, lecturers on the programme are required to facilitate reflective learning, and are assumed to be skilled in this. However, relevant literature indicates that health professions educators may not necessarily possess the requisite competence or experience in facilitating reflective learning. Moreover, there is a paucity in the literature on lecturers’ perceptions and understanding of reflective practice in the context of undergraduate radiography curricula, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Objective. To gain insight into BSc radiography lecturers’ perceptions and understanding of reflective practice at a selected university of technology in SA. Methods. This was a qualitative exploratory study in which individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with lecturers teaching on the new BSc Radiography programme. The purposively selected sample consisted of 11 participants. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed. Results. Analysis of the data revealed three themes, namely diverse understandings of reflective practice among lecturers, factors influencing optimal facilitation of reflective learning and strategies to improve reflective practice. Conclusion. The findings of this study indicated that lecturers felt unprepared to facilitate reflective practice in the new BSc radiography curriculum. The need for faculty development initiatives, such as an introduction to reflective tools and educational strategies to support lecturers in facilitating reflective practice, was highlighted. Furthermore, it was found that if objectives were clearly outlined and facilitator guides available, a desired reflective practice could be established.

Grade R teachers’ understanding of reflective practice

Background: Internationally and nationally, reflective practice is suggested as a tool to inform quality teaching and learning. In South Africa, the quality of education is in the spotlight as schoolgoing children continue to perform poorly. This article investigates reflective practice in Grade R teaching. It explores teachers’ understanding of reflective practice to inform their practice to support learners having a positive first year of formal schooling. Aim: The aim of this study was investigate the knowledge and understanding of Grade R teachers about reflective practice. Setting: Two Grade R teachers in one school in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town participated in the study. Methods: An interpretivist case study using semi-structured interviews and document analysis informed the findings. Thematic analysis revealed common themes to explore the knowledge and understanding of Grade R teachers regarding reflective practice. Results: The teachers interviewed demonstrated a tacit understanding of reflective practice. They described it as an innate aspect of their teaching. Their knowledge and understanding are theoretical and there is no evidence of reflective practice in the documents used to inform their teaching on a daily basis. Conclusion: The findings of this study show that the participants use reflective practice innately. Support by the school and the Department of Basic Education through professional development has the potential to encourage the use of reflective practice for quality teaching and learning.

Revisiting Donald Schön’s notion of reflective practice: a Daoist interpretation

ABSTRACT This article revisits Donald Schön’s notion of reflective practice by interpreting it from a Daoist perspective. In the first part of the essay, I summarise Schön’s critique of technical rationality and his concept of reflection-in-action. I argue that two main weaknesses of Schön’s approach to reflective practice are the presupposition of self-protected individualism, and an insufficient attention to ethical concerns. Next I expound on a Daoist formulation of reflective practice by drawing on the philosophical thought of Zhuangzi. Three salient characteristics are highlighted. First, Zhuangzi’s thought is aligned with Schön’s rejection of a technical approach and concomitant support of reflection-in-action. But unlike Schön’s individualistic tendency, a dao-centric orientation is called for where the practitioner is cognisant of and synchronises oneself with the innate nature of all things. Thirdly, Zhuangzi foregrounds ethics by stressing the primacy of other-regarding considerations and harmonious responses for reflection-in-action. A Daoist understanding of reflective practice offers a non-Western philosophical basis to Schön’s ideas and adds to the existing theories on reflection.

Building reflective capability to enhance coaching practice

The ability to reflect on our work is increasingly recognised as a vital competence of skilled professional practice. However, reflection is a concept that has proved difficult to define and operationalise which can hamper the ability to devise effective means of enhancing this capability. This article examines the concept of reflection, reviews some of the literature which seeks to inform our understanding of reflective practice, and provides an illustration of its use in coaching research and practice. The article concludes with some recommendations for coaches and coaching psychologists who wish to develop their skills as reflective practitioners.

How Educators Conceptualize and Teach Reflective Practice: A Survey of North American Pediatric Medical Educators

ObjectiveThe objectives of this study were to explore pediatric undergraduate medical educators' understanding of reflective practice, the barriers they face in teaching this, the curricular activities they use, and the value they assign to reflective practice. MethodsNine survey questions were sent to members of the Council on Medical Student Education in Pediatrics, an international pediatric undergraduate medical educator group. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Open-ended responses were analyzed qualitatively through an iterative process to establish themes representing understanding of reflective practice and barriers in teaching this. ResultsRespondents representing 56% of all North American schools answered at least 1 survey question. Qualitative analysis of understanding of reflection revealed 11 themes spanning all components of reflective practice, albeit with a narrow view on triggers for reflection and a lower emphasis on understanding the why of things and on perspective-taking. The most frequent barriers in teaching this were the lack of skilled educators and limited time. Most respondents valued reflective skills but few reported confidence in their ability to teach reflection. Several curricular activities were used to teach reflection, the most common being narrative writing. ConclusionsPediatric undergraduate medical educators value reflection and endorse its teaching. However, many do not have a complete understanding of the construct and few report confidence in teaching this. Implementing longitudinal curricula in reflective practice may require a culture change; opportunities exist for faculty development about the meaning and value of reflective practice and how best to teach this.

Understanding reflective practice.

What was the nature of the CPD activity, practice-related feedback and/or event and/or experience in your practice? The article provided practical advice to increase my knowledge and understanding of reflective practice. It challenged assumptions that nurses make about the purpose of reflective activity, and indicated that professional reflection should be purposeful, focused and questioning, to enable professional development.

Developing teachers’ reflective practice: an explorative study of teachers’ professional learning experience in a private Lebanese school

This article examines the in-house professional development program in a private school in Lebanon and the approach it adopts to train teachers on reflective practice. It identifies the contextual factors in the school that teachers perceive as supporting their professional learning of reflective practice, and investigates the teachers’ perceptions of the impact of this professional learning experience on enhancing their ability and understanding of reflective practice. The study adopted a qualitative case-study design guided by interpretive epistemology to explore the meaning that the participants gave to their professional learning experiences as they developed their reflective skills within the organizational context of a professional learning community. The study finds that the school vision of building a professional learning community combined with an in-house professional development program that provides structured opportunities for professional collaboration have set conditions that successfully promote the teachers’ ability to reflect on their practice. However, despite the promises of the school approach for promoting reflective practice, the study reveals two areas for improvement: differences in the teachers’ and administrations’ interpretations of reflection; and a limited view that both teachers and administrations hold of reflection and how it can be practiced at higher levels.

Using technology for enhancing reflective writing, metacognition and learning

There exists broad agreement on the value of reflective practice for personal and professional development. However, many students in higher education (HE) struggle with the concept of reflection, so they do not engage well with the process, and its full value is seldom realised. An online resource was developed to facilitate and structure the recording, storage and retrieval of reflections with the focus on facilitating reflective writing, developing metacognitive awareness and, ultimately, enhancing learning. Ten undergraduate students completed a semi-structured questionnaire prior to participating in a focus group designed to elicit a common understanding of reflective practice. They maintained reflective practice online for 6 weeks and participated in post-study individual interviews. Findings provide evidence for the positive acceptance, efficiency and effectiveness of the intervention. Using a structured approach to online reflective practice is empowering and ultimately enhances undergraduate learning through the development of metacognition.

Reflective learning in sport: a case study of a senior level triathlete

This paper attempts to highlight the influence of integrating reflective practice into the training programme of an elite athlete and thus outline the pertinence of reflective practice in the development of athletic performance. A case study with an elite senior level triathlete is presented in order to examine how a structured approach to reflective practice can be incorporated as a method of advancing evaluative skills and increasing levels of self‐awareness. Findings from this case study support the notion that reflective practice can be used to holistically aid athletic performance. Evidence was found for an increase in self‐awareness and evaluative skills, and supports the notion that reflective practice should be considered as a component for athlete development. Consequently, applied sport psychologists must develop their own understanding of reflective practice and the way that it can be integrated into the support services they offer.

Understanding reflective practice in occupational therapy

This study aims to identify occupational therapists' understanding of reflective practice in three separate settings: mental health, stroke rehabilitation and general medicine. The factors that encourage or hinder reflection are investigated and analysed to inform future practice.

Taking up a Post-personal Position in Reflective Practice: One teacher's accounts

A conventional understanding of reflective practice is that the accounts teachers give about their professional work are stable and exist in their memories waiting to be retold. This paper proposes, alternatively, that teachers' accounts are not fixed, but rather bound to particular methods of accounting. It is demonstrated how three specific methods of accounting, a teacher-generated picture book, an interview protocol, and a one-on-one interview with a researcher, are crucial in attempting (and succeeding) to position one teacher to account in a manner that moves from a personal to a post-personal or social justice focus. The design and use of different methods of accounting would most certainly produce an alternative account of professional practice.

My Reflective Practice as Research

This paper presents the author's attempt to develop her understanding of reflective practice and also verify its effectiveness as a method to improve her teaching, through her own action research. Developing her personal interpretation of Schon's concepts and definition of ‘reflective practice’, the author elaborates a model that is used to analyse her own processes of ‘reflection‐in‐action’ and ‘reflection‐on‐action’ in teaching first‐year architectural students. She also emphasises the importance of the concept of ‘role‐frame’ in informing the whole reflective process, presenting the way she sees her own role‐frame and how it affects her practice.

Reflective practice: reviewing the issues and refocusing the debate

Reflective practice has emerged in the U.K. and beyond as an important issue not just in nursing but in many other professions. However, it remains problematic; it is difficult to conceptualize and many aspects of it are open to debate. Reflective practice is also contentious because, at a fundamental level, it raises a number of important issues for professional practitioners and the way they view their practice. The intention of this paper is to: • • explore some of the issues that have emerged as the profession of nursing and other professions have gained a better understanding of reflective practice; • • broaden the scope of the debate and refocus it; • • raise issues which are in need of further research.