Unit 4

Reflective Practice

COURSE COORDINATOR
DR. AFSHAN HUMA
DEPARTMENT OF EPPSL, AIOU
BY
MUHAMMAD YOUNAS MUGHAL
PHD SCHOLAR EDUCATION
 What is Reflection?

What do you see in the mirror?

Why do you see mirror before you leave
home?
How does reflection help you?
 Reflection is important!

Home: A family is a social structure; every family

member needs to reflect upon what they do? why they
do it? And how they can do it better for family’s
betterment?
Organizations: A set up in which people interact for a
purpose and they need to reflect if their actions and
behaviors are fulfilling the purpose/s without harming
anyone.
Society: A larger structure of personal, private and
public set ups in which individuals and groups need to
reflect before during and after any social interaction.
 REFLECTIVE PRACTICE

Reflective practice is the ability to reflect on

action in order to keep the learning process in cycle.
(Schon, 1983)
After analysing and evaluating, we develop the
theoretical aspects in practice. This practice is being
done for the better future. Such process is known as
Reflection. (Reid, 1993)
Reflection is more than merely thinking or musing.
Reflection is a not simple, but complex in nature. It
is planned and brainy activity that flourishes
learning from experience. (Dewey, 1933)
 THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES AND MODELS

John Dewey on Reflection: What contribute to

learning is not confined to imagination, belief, and
stream of consciousness.
They are certainly part of our thinking activities, but
play too less a part in lifelong learning. In the context of
learning; reflection plays a different role.
Dewey defines reflection as the
" …active, persistent, and careful consideration of any
belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the
grounds that support it and the further conclusions to
which it tends “(Dewey, How We Think, 1933).
 Stages of Reflection

1. "Perplexity", it starts when an individual responds to suggestion

and ideas that s/he confronts with a problem.
2. "Elaboration" is the second stage. Soon after confronting problem
the individual recalls the previous experiences, its pros and corns,
negative and positive effects.
3. In the light of the elaboration, the person sets the "Hypotheses".
What happened why and how and what best choice was at that
time.
4. When a person come across with the same experience or same to
some extent he then, compares the existing problem and its
hypotheses with the previously learnt experience and its
hypotheses. This stage of "Comparing Hypotheses" enables him
to come to some better conclusion.
5. After carefully examining all the hypotheses, he is now ready for
the final stage "Taking Action". This action is now a well thought
 Three Attitudes

In fact, to Dewey, reflective thinking fosters the

development of three attitudes that further the
“habit of thinking in a reflective way.” These three
attitudes are:
 Open mindedness (freedom from prejudice)
 Whole heartedness or absorbed interest
 Responsibility in facing consequences (Dewey,
1944)
 Schon’s Model of Reflective Practice

According to Schon (1983) "Professional knowledge

and expertise is developed through reflective
practices". Schon was basically interested in knowing
as to when and how the professionals use reflection
for professional development.
Schon's work was based on the proximal
development of theory and practice of reflection. His
work is on reflection in-action and reflection on-
action.
 Kolb’s Model of Reflective Practice

According to David Kolb (1984) the learning process

becomes easier by going through the four stages
of learning despite people’s preference for a certain
stage.
Kolb’s four stages of learning is a cyclical process in
which people must work through each of the four
stages.
This does not necessarily have to be from the same
starting point, but preferably in the same order.
 Peter’s DATA Model

Peters (1991) describes a process called DATA that

consists of four steps:
 Describe : the basic elements of situation
 Analyze: facts, beliefs, assumptions
 Theorize: the known theories to resolve the issue
 Act: after evaluating the alternatives –decide to
act accordingly
 Brookfield 4 Critical Lenses

Brookfield (1995) suggests that we employ four

“critical lenses” through which we view and reflect
upon our practice.
These are:
our own view (which he refers to as autobiography);
that of our students;
that of our fellow professionals;
and the various theoretical perspectives propounded
in educational literature.
 ACTION AND REFLECTION
in teaching and learning
Through reflective practice models, learning from
experience requires shuttling back and forth from
observations, to examination and reflection on those
observations, and then acting on those conclusions.
The more people reflect before, during and after an
action, the better they get as professionals and the
more they can learn about themselves.
To be reflective in the instruction, reflective
practitioners ask questions routinely and
deliberately to themselves and then use their answers
to guide and change their instructional practices.