SOWK 1009

Reflective Practitioner
Course facilitators:
Dr. Elsie CHIEN
Ms. Bibiana LO
Dr. Hafiz MUHAMMAD
Dr. Jessica TANG
 Self-understanding & reflexivity is
important for social workers

Why setting
Core curriculum components by Hong
up this Kong Social Workers Registration
course? Board in September 2007

Value issues surfaced at the

placement
Of the 9 Required subject area, 2 are particularly related to
our course
Values and ethics
● Personal and professional development
● Social work values and ethics in contexts
● Code of ethics
Communication Skills
● Self-understanding and interpersonal communication
Core Competencies of Social Workers

● Nine core competencies have been identified in the Social

Work Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards of
the Council of Social Work Education (2015).
 Connection with Reflection
Competency 1: Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
● use reflection and self-regulation to manage personal values and maintain
professionalism in practice situations;

Competency 2: Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice

● apply self-awareness and self-regulation to manage the influence of personal
biases and values in working with diverse clients

Competency 3: Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and

Environmental Justice
● advocate for human rights at the individual and system levels; and
● engage in practices that advance social, economic, and environmental justice.
 Connection with Reflection
Competency 4: Engage In Practice-informed Research and Research-
informed Practice
○ apply critical thinking to engage in analysis of quantitative and qualitative
research methods and research findings; and
○ use and translate research evidence to inform and improve practice, policy, and
service delivery.

Competency 5: Engage in Policy Practice

○ apply critical thinking to analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that
advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice.
 Connection with Reflection

Competency 6: Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and

Communities
● use empathy, reflection, and interpersonal skills to effectively engage diverse clients and
constituencies.

Competency 7: Assess …
● collect and organize data, and apply critical thinking to interpret information from clients and
constituencies;

Competency 8: Intervene with …

● critically choose and implement interventions to achieve practice goals and enhance capacities of clients
and constituencies;

Competency 9: Evaluate Practice with …

● critically analyze, monitor, and evaluate intervention and program processes and outcomes;
 A thread that connects these
competencies

● Practice self-reflection
● Recognize personal values…
● Use critical thinking for understanding, action planning…
è Gain sufficient self-awareness & monitor self correction …
è An experiential course, not teaching theories
 Objectives of the course

Individual Level Interpersonal Level

1. Increase students’ self-awareness; 4. Increase students’ awareness of

2. Acknowledge the importance of diversity & understanding of others’
self-reflection for self-correction; perspectives
3. Increase students’ self-reflective 5. Increase students’ openness in
behaviour; interacting with others

Societal Level

6. Encourage students to critically

explore some social/world issues
around them.
 What is
reflexivity?
Different conceptualizations by
different authors
Three variations of defining reflexivity
(D’Cruz, Gillingham & Melendez, 2007)

1. Individualistic reflection on one’s situation in relation to self-

development and decision-making of life choices.
2. Critical reflection of professional practice that questions the
part power plays in knowledge construction and/or generation
of theory.
3. Reflection of the dynamic relationship between one’s thoughts
and feelings

D’Cruz, H., Gillingham, P. & Melendez, S. (2007). Reflexivity, its meaning and relevance for social work: a critical review of the
literature. British Journal of Social Work, 37, 73-90.
 Reflexivity
Etherington (2017)

● Reflexivity is “an ability to notice our responses to the world around us,
other people and events, and to use that knowledge to inform our
actions, communications and understandings” (p.85).

● Reflexive practice incorporate the practitioner’s personal experience in

the relationship and the process (use of self).

● Being a part of the relationship and the process, every party plays a
role in influencing, informing and shaping the ways of how the journey
goes, how knowledge is co-created and how the stories are told.
 Three
viewpoint
holistic model
of Reflexive
Practice (Prpic,
2005)

Prpic, J. (2005). Managing academic change through reflexive practice: A quest for new views. Research and
Development in Higher Education, 28, 399-406.
Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological
Systems Theory

Source: https://www.simplypsychology.org/Bronfenbrenner.html
Parallel in Confucius cultural virtue
conceptualization禮記 · ⼤學
World 平天下

Society 治國

Family 齊家
明德
Self
格物 修身
The Conceptual
Model of the
Course
Source: Chow, Lam, Leung, Wong & Chan (2011).
Core elements

Systemic
Interactive
connection

Dynamic and
Self-directed
changing
Learning
outcomes
Orientation to the
Course Design

Experiential Learning
 Experiential Learning

“方其知之, 而行未及之, 則知尚淺。既親歷其域, 則知之益明, 非前日之意味。”

《朱子語錄》卷九 • 學三 • 論知行

“When you know something but don’t act on it, your knowledge of it is still
superficial. After you’ve personally experienced it, your knowledge of it will be
much clearer and its significance will be different from what it used to be.” Chu
Hsi, [朱熹 Zhu Xi], Chapter 9, translated by D.K. Gardner, 1990, p. 116.

Source: https://ghelc.hku.hk/what-is-experiential-learning/
Kolb, 1984
 Henton, 1996, p.46
Source: https://health.tki.org.nz/Key-collections/Curriculum-in-action/Making-Meaning/Teaching-
and-learning-approaches/Experiential-learning-cycle
 Why experiential learning?
We grow with experience + reflection.

Experience provides stimulation

■ From activities

■ From sharing of other

groupmates

Reflection helps with awareness,

■ awareness of
Ø who we are,
Ø what potentials we
have,
Ø what limitations we
have to stand,
Ø what choices are open.
Awareness helps with…

○ moving in the desired direction,

○ better self-control and self-
autonomy,
○ deciding if we want to change and in
what way to change,
○ accepting ourselves and accepting
others.
○ our self-actualization.
 How to get the most out of it?

● Full involvement in the activities

● Disclosure at your own pace (safety)
● Feedback to others for mutual stimulation
● Strict compliance to respect & confidentiality
 ○ Risk taking (experience something new)

○ Trusting (your senses/feelings & classmates)

So be ready ○ Thinking (the implications of the experiences)

with the ○ Disclosing (to enhance mutual understanding)

followings ○ Listening (your inner voices & other’s stories)

○ Accepting (yourself & others)

○ Supporting (each other), and,

○ Applying what you learn in your life!

Move at your own pace !!

 Individual
& group
projects

SMALL
GROUP Experiential
activities
TEACHING

Interactive
discussion

Experiential learning
Class format
 Community Personal
awareness- awareness- self,
culture and loss & pain, body
diversity, social & mind, meaning
issues - of life, strengths
Community study and weaknesses-
project Self-care project
Course
structure Integrative
reflective paper

Interpersonal Family
awareness- awareness-
intimacy family, loss & pain
 Course schedule
No. Date Topic Class
1 16 Jan 2023 Introduction Whole class (W) >
Small groups (S)
23 Jan 2023 No class- Chinese New Year Holiday
2 30 Jan 2023 Relationship with self: Compassion and care W>S

3 6 Feb 2023 Self and the community W

4 13 Feb 2023 Relationship of self and family (1) W>S
5 20 Feb 2023 Relationship of self and family (2) S

6 27 Feb 2023 Self in a world of diversity S

7 6 Mar 2023 Relationship with others: Intimacy S
8 13 Mar 2023 Loss and coping W>S

9 20 Mar 2023 Meaning of life W>S

10 27 Mar 2023 Community study project presentation W

11 3 Apr 2023 Community study project presentation W

10 Apr 2023 No class – Easter holiday
12 17 Apr 2023 Consolidation and round up W>S
Sharing of self-care project
Strengths and weaknesses
 Assessment Tasks

20% 5% 30% 45%

In-class Individual Group Integrative

participation self-care presentation self-reflective
& attendance project on community paper
Due on: Due on: study
21 Feb 2023 13 Feb 2023
28 Feb 2023 27 Mar & 3 Apr 2023 Due on: 24 Apr 2023
21 Mar 2023
 Attendance & in-class participation
(20%)
● 100% compulsory attendance
● Absence requires permission, and absent
student needs to write a journal after reading
on the topic so as to catch up with the learning

Assessment & ●
process.
React on the specific topics and submit THREE

Assignments (I) short reflective journals (150 words each)

basing on your learning experience and in-
depth understanding in association with the
lecture content, class activities and discussion.
● Due dates:
○ 21 Feb 2023, 17:00

○ 28 Feb 2023, 17:00

○ 21 Mar 2023, 17:00

● Marks will be granted upon submission.
 Individual Self-care Project Proposal
(5%)
● Deadline: 13 Feb 2023, 23:59

Assessment & ● 500-word proposal of self-care

project
Assignments (II) ● Identify an area of self-care and
work out one’s own self care plan
which he/she will implement in the
following two months
 Group Presentation on Community
Study (30%)
Duration: early Feb to mid Mar 2023
● 5-6 students to form a group
Assessment & ● Work together to study the needs

Assignments (III) and concern faced by a particular

target population
● Give a presentation of your study to
other students
● Presentation: Mar 27 & Apr 3, 2023
Group Community Study

Learning Objectives:
● To learn to explore and understand a particular
target population (e.g. elderly, women, EM, or
people with disability, etc.) with the Design
Thinking model
● To identify possible solutions to help address the
needs and concern of the target people
● To enhance students' self-understanding on
their personal reactions to the needs of people
 Group Presentation

● Critical analysis on the issue

of concern of the targeted
population
● Demonstrate understanding
on people's strengths and
needs
● Identify potential solutions
or actions to take to help
address the issue
● Share your insights and
reflection from the study
● Practice your presentation
skills
 Integrated Self-Reflective Paper
(45%)
● Deadline: April 24, 2023, 23:59
● Part 1: In-depth self-reflection on the

Assessment & course materials and learning

experience (approx. 1500-2000
Assignments (IV) words) (35%)
● Part 2: An evaluation and reflection of
the self-care project (approx. 500
words) (10%)
 Submission of assignments

● Submit soft copy

assignments to Turnitin
through Moodle

● Submit hard copy

assignment unless
otherwise suggested by
teacher.
 Notices and Readings

● Refer to the Moodle for notices and

handouts and take note of email
concerning the course.

● Recommended readings are listed under

each session. Students are strongly
advised to read them before class.
*Special request
● The content of your paper may be
analyzed for our better understanding on
the impact of our course on you.

● The findings may be reported in papers,

and presentations but will all be
anonymous without individual identity.

● Your permission is here requested. Please

feel free to let us know if you do not want
your journal content to be used for such
purpose.
 Summary reminders
● Confidentiality to all the activities
and sharing in the group.
● Read through the Course Outline
and see if there is any question.
● Check Moodle to see if there is
any problem of access.
● Always read related references.
● Be punctual.
● Absence requires permission,
and absent student needs to
write a journal after reading on
the topic so as to catch up.
Hope you enjoy
the journey!
Q&A
THANK YOU!
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