Summary Report
Summary Report
Summary Report
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11/04/2023
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Table of Content
Introduction 3
Methodology 5
References list 11
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Introduction:
As a reader, you can simply imagine that if you had a difficult month in your new job, you did
everything that you can but still it went wrong during the probation assessment, and as soon as
entered your home, imagine finding a magic stick that can turn back time and take you back to
your first day at work, so you can re-live the whole month again. You will be grateful that you
will think about your actions and what went wrong and how can you correct them and do the
exact right things you have done before. In a very simple way, this is reflective practice.
This study is about Reflective Practice. A simple definition of Reflective practice is ‘The ability
to reflect on one’s action to engage in a process of continuous learning.’ (Schon).
Reflective practice is used to learn from everyday events in various areas, including education,
health, and social work. People in these fields would consider contacts with their pupils,
customers, how they operated, and what lessons they may learn.
In this study, as a teacher, I will critically analyze practicing reflection in the educational field. I
will present and discuss the theories of reflective practice, which were introduced by great
practitioners:
John Dewey (1859-1952) Donald Schon (1930-1997), David A. Kolb (1939-present), David
Boud, and Paulo Freire (1921 – 1997).
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Aims and Objectives:
Reflective Practice is a great tool for leveraging knowledge and lessons from past experiences to
examine where we are now and better our present and future.
In this study, we will learn more about the pros and cons of reflective practice. When did it start?
How did it begin? how practitioners managed to benefit from these theories in the past and how
it is being held nowadays in the 21st century.
The objective of this study for me personally is that it helped me with my teaching profession. It
opened my mind to the importance of Reflective practice and how it directly affects the teachers
as well as the students. Through studying the theories of reflective practice, one can understand
how to think critically and reflect on his actions for better development personally and
professionally.
Teachers must be able to make appropriate decisions in the setting of quickly changing
classroom environments. The purpose of this essay is to provide insight into the role of teacher
reflection in professional practice. Teachers who reflect on their practice, especially while
teaching (what Schon describes as reflection-in-action), are the most effective.
This study also includes the practicing of Reflective practice without learning. In this part, the
reader will understand the importance of applying the theories of Reflection in the right context
in schools and educational institutions. And putting light on the bad practice of reflection and
how it may affect the well-being of the learners as well as the practitioners.
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Methodology :
Dewey's observation that "We do not learn from experience, we learn through reflecting on
experience." (Dewey, J., p. (1916)
The Main Data sources for this study include books, journals, and papers that allowed me to
understand the main concept of Reflective practice.). This study will allow readers to make
critical judgments, This Summary report for Reflective practice has gathered information from a
lot of sources. The study will also include the part that explains that reflective practice is applied
in not only teaching but also in many different professions.
Over the last few decades, reflective practise has risen in popularity in many domains of
professional practise and education. It has become one of the distinctive features of competence
in a variety of professions, even though it has occasionally been employed wrongly and
unreflectively to rationalise existing practise.
Searching for the right path to fully understand the process of Reflection and how to use it
properly in our modern world. I gathered many information and examples of good and bad
practices to critically analyze the theory and help readers understand it properly.
John Dewey was one of the first people who wrote about reflective practice
he quoted” the active, persistent and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of
knowledge in the lights of the ground that supports it”
According to Theobald, Dewey's various duties had a great influence on educational field, and he
is considered to be one of the most influential educational philosophers who introduced theories
and ideas to help other practitioners in many fields.
His most significant impact on education was through social development; he believed that
school must have a social atmosphere and that children learn best when they are in realistic
social situations. (Flinders & Thornton, 2013).
When you learn more about Dewey, you will discover that he was one of the first practitioners to
define the term reflection, he urged that it is a very specialized way of thinking. Reflection as per
Dewey arises from uncertainty over a directly faced circumstance. This inspired him to conduct a
focused investigation and devise a method of issue-solving. Dewey said that reflective thinking
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changed how people think, it changed from normal thinking activity driven by convention or
outside influence into reflective action that included a critical evaluation of previously acquired
information.
Dewey’s ideas provided a basis for the concept of ‘reflective practice’ which gained influence
with the arrival of Schon’s (1983). Schon suggested strategies for experts to become aware of
their hidden abilities while also benefiting from their experience. He was more interested in
fostering the development of those who reflect than in defining the practice of reflection itself.
Moreover, Schon’s greatest contribution was the way he distinguished between two ideas of
reflection: reflection-on-action and reflection-in-action.
On the other hand, when you examine Schon's idea of reflective practice, You'll see that he
largely felt that as practitioners became more experienced in their field, they gained the ability to
simultaneously observe and adjust their approach.
According to Schon (1983), the reflective teacher adds both explicit and strategic knowledge to
his or her practice. He refers to the latter as knowing-in-action or knowledge that leads to
spontaneous behavior for which the teacher is unable to provide an explicit justification. The
instructor contributes a range of teaching tactics to his or her lesson, in addition to a bank of tacit
knowledge.
Schön's Reflective practice principles have recently been challenged, coinciding with the
growing popularity of reflective practise as an organising framework for career preparation.
Greenwood (1993) asserts that he misses the importance of thought before action, but Eraut
(1995) asserts that there's little proof of reflection-in-activity in schools. Usher, Bryant, and
Johnston (1997) raise a worry about Schön's unreflexive explanations of his notions, as well as
doubts about his methodology as it relates to practice and draw attention to its inadequately
framed character.
Since 1984 David Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) provides a strong base for the
methods of learning through reflection, and it uses the reflective practice to prepare students for
real life and how to deal with their careers in business, health care, and other fields. It also has
had a very good impact on the development of pedagogy centered on the learner in education as
well.
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According to Donald Kold’s 1984 book, 'Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of
Learning and Development', He developed an experiential learning process based on the theories
of Kurt Lewin, Jean Piaget, and others concerning adult learning, which is represented as Kolb's
Learning Process Diagram. As a continuous loop, Hiss' renowned figure depicts four major
stages of the learning process:
1. Experience,
2. Reflection,
3. Learning/Conclusion,
4. Planning/experimentation
David Kolb's Learning Styles concept is a classic model that represents how we deal with
education at work as well as in our daily lives, and how we learn best while practicing and
moving between real-life activity and reflective modes, and specially through the stages shown
in the diagram:
Concrete
Experience
Active Reflective
Experimentation Observation
Abstract
Conceptualization
Moving on to the Boud Reflection paradigm, which was developed by David Boud, Rosemary
Keogh, and David Walker (1985), is a reflective learning paradigm that emphasizes learning by
reflecting on one's practice.
It's also worth noting that the Reflective Cycle Learning Theory is largely concerned with
people's experiences and learning, whereas Boud is mostly concerned with adults' real
experiences and how they can reflect and judge themselves in during heir professional practices.
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This approach has the potential to impact the alteration of a person's thoughts in the workplace.
There are lots of good things about Boud reflection model and how we can benefit from it. If we
became more dedicated at work, as well as having more understanding and awareness of what
you do and the reason why we are doing it, can lead to w very well work environment and
practices. It can also introduce new perspectives on things that happened at work that can be
fixed.
According to Rugut, and Osman( 2013), Freire developed adult literacy programs. He made sure
that the purpose of these programs is to assist poor people to help them learn how to read and
write. He believed this can be achieved by helping them to respect the l they use everyday. Freire
insisted that ” to build on the language, experiences, and skills of the educates rather than
imposing on them the culture of the educators‟.
Freire also carried learning methods outside the classroom, establishing "the culture circle," in
which students utilized their methods of speech to explain their common knowledge regarding
how their world is basically the way it was and how to act to have a better future.
During my studies, I noticed a very interesting article about using reflective practice wrong:
Reflection without learning. When you think about the importance of reflection, not all planned
reflecting practices result in a proper learning. Poorly implemented reflective activities may not
be good on the long run. Allowing time for reflection does not ensure that it will be used in a
productive way during learning process. Children may be able to utilize such time as a respite in
a crowded curriculum in many cases, but they may not be able to use it to reflect or learn in
meaningful ways.
Case studies have also indicated that it is not appropriate for schools with structured learning
environments. Even though you detailed the process thoroughly, how the plan is used and how
the reflection is planned will not always be aligned together. It is always believed that the
context of learning is unproblematic in educational institutions, despite the fact that I believe,
based on my experience and research, that context is critical in all aspects of education.
Have you ever heard of intellectualizing reflection? It’s defined as the state where emotions and
sentiments are usually being ignored in the educational contexts, contemplation is also usually
treated as if it were an academic practice. Recognizing emotive components of learning requires
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practitioners and learners to be responsible for creating a proper environment where emotional
expression will always be valid. Reflection can be inappropriate in certain forms, but only when
you find a place where learners can express themselves in any situations of trust and security and
know that if they did and let their emotion appear without being scared, then one will not have
any negative implications for them.
Reflection without learning. While reflection is important, not all planned reflective
processes lead to learning
2
. Inadequate, inappropriate, or badly used reflective activities can
become an obstacle. Just leaving time for reflection does not mean that the time will be used
in a productive way
Reflection without learning. While reflection is important, not all planned reflective
processes lead to learning
2
. Inadequate, inappropriate, or badly used reflective activities can
become an obstacle. Just leaving time for reflection does not mean that the time will be used
in a productive way
Reflection without learning. While reflection is important, not all planned reflective
processes lead to learning
2
. Inadequate, inappropriate, or badly used reflective activities can
become an obstacle. Just leaving time for reflection does not mean that the time will be used
productively.
Dewey believed that schools and classrooms should represent real life situations. This will allow
children to participate in learning activities that has a variety of social settings. (Dewey, 1938;
Gutek, 2014)
Some of his ideas and attitudes, though they are different, they are being used to help all students
to participate in classrooms through the use of technology more than fifty years after his death.
He was known as the father of progressive education and was an advocate of social learning
(Slaughter, 2009).
Teachers have a responsibility to give students with new levels of learning that are relevant,
effective, and socially engaging. Nowadays technology is influencing students' social lives in
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every way, its utilization is an efficient strategy to encourage student’s engagement inside the
class which will result in lifetime learning pattern.
The Responsive Classroom curriculum is a teaching technique that emphasizes the need of
having a good community for learners as well as achieving a Dewey's beliefs in the twenty-first
century.
A responsive Classroom includes some guidelines and tactics to help teachers begin the school
year by establishing a classroom environment that allows children to grow socially and
intellectually.
Sobel explained that in the 21st century students should be taking more field trips and they
should spend more time on learning activities that include project learning too. (Sobel, 2004).
John Dewey's views are present in place-based education. According to Graham (2007), place-
based education is based on the progressive idea that education should be multidisciplinary in
nature, with authentic learning activities that seek to extend learning beyond the school's walls.
Today's typical classrooms are primarily concerned with preparing students to pass standardized
tests and state examinations. John Dewey is often regarded as the most influential philosopher in
the history of education. (Theobald, 2009). Finding proof of John Dewey's theories and ideals in
action in 21st-century classrooms is becoming increasingly rare, but it is possible. John Dewey's
teachings are still prevalent in several institutions and classrooms throughout the world.
While researching this topic, I realized that the school where I work makes a concerted effort to
implement Dewey's teaching methods. Other schools and classrooms continue to put a spot on
the value of community building, establishing relationships, building higher-level thinking skills
for real-life application, and structuring instruction around student interests. As they mature into
adult citizens, usually the students who participate in educational academic programs will turn
out to be critical thinkers and they will defiantly be an important and beneficial contributor to
society.
Reflective practice is defined as the process of learning from and through experience in order to
develop new insights into oneself and/or one's practice (Boud et al 1985; Boyd and Fales, 1983;
Mezirow, 1981, Jarvis, 1992). Reflective practice allows you to understand from experience how
helpful it may be in your current position and your future career. It is also seen as a
contemporary word and a developing framework for an ancient approach to self-improvement.
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Furthermore, Reflective Practice is a technique for evaluating our ideas and activities to improve
our learning and growth.
According to Smyth's analysis of reflection, everyone has their own perception of what reflection
means, and this interpretation is used to trumpet the virtues of contemplation in a way that makes
it sound as good as motherhood. By stating that reflection can imply anything to everyone, it is
employed as a kind of shade or umbrella term to denote something good or desirable. Smyth
(1992)
To summarize, I feel that reflective practice in teaching improves both teachers and students.
Teachers have the chance to improve their teaching methods by using reflective teaching
strategies. Reflective practice includes doing self-assessments, and evaluating what changes did
during the process, while problem-solving and improving analytical abilities.
Reflective practice helps in professional development. You can gain a lot better knowledge of
your professional growth abilities and weaknesses by engaging in an extensive inner process of
thinking as well as gaining a much better grasp of your strengths and shortcomings. It will also
ensure that each student will get the most out of their learning experience.
References :
Avendaño, D. (2022). Boud Reflection Model. [Online]. 14 April 2022. Toolshero. Available at:
https://www.toolshero.com/personal-development/boud-reflection-model/. [Accessed: 28 March
2023].
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Finlay, Linda (2008). Reflecting on ‘Reflective practice’. Practice-based Professional Learning
Paper 52, The Open University.
Jaeger, E.L. (n.d.). Teacher reflection: Supports, barriers, and results - ed. [Online]. Available
at: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1014037.pdf. [Accessed: 28 March 2023].
Rugut, E.J. and Osman, A.A. (2013). Reflection on Paulo Freire and Classroom Relevance.
American International Journal of Social Science, 2(2).
Williams, M. K. (2017). John Dewey in the 21st Century. Journal of Inquiry and Action in
Education, 9 (1). Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.buffalostate.edu/jiae/vol9/iss1/7
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