Option 4: Donald Schön wrote that “reflective practice is a dialogue of thinking and doing through which I become more skilful” Schön (1987, as cited by Bell & Gillett, 1996, p. 47). Define reflective practice in the context of your field and discuss how will you use it to develop as a professional and educator.
To simply define reflective practice in the field of education is to have the “ability to recognise and make sense of what we are learning”. (Silva, 2020) The preparedness to successfully reflect upon our practice, to become more skilful, begins with assessing ourselves in the way we learn and through this process, helps us and those who surround us to improve our academic capabilities. Assessing ourselves is an individuals experience and encourages us to evaluate responses to situations in the creation of purposeful, “pause-think-learn” (Silva, 2020) moments, where our schedules are endured on a routine basis with the main objective to raise apprehension, encourage critical thinking and learn from our reflection. To efficiently reflect we must go through the process of gathering, analysing and actioning, resulting from our reflection, such as; what happened? what were you thinking and feeling? what were the good and bad about the experience?.
There are multiple approaches to reflective practice, however, the prominent approach teachers use within their classroom is the work by Schön. “Schön distinguishes between reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action.” (Cambridge Assessment International Education, 2020).
Reflection-in-action is the doing stage, whilst someone is enduring a task, they themselves can reflect upon the situation whilst it is happening. This allows for individuals to consider the situation, decide on how the action and act immediately. This reflection process is an efficient method for teachers, as it is utilised during a lesson, giving a teacher time to react and change an event during the time it happens. For example, a teacher can use this method if they notice some students not understanding a topic being taught. The reflection-in-action process helps the teacher convey an understanding of what the students are struggling with and adapt the lesson to suit those who may be struggling. Which in conclusion, allows for the whole class to be focused and on-topic.
However, reflection-in-action “involves reflecting on how practice can be developed after the lesson has been taught”. (Cambridge Assessment International Education, 2020). Schön acknowledges the significance of reflecting, “to discover how our knowing-in-action may have contributed to an unexpected outcome”. (Cambridge Assessment International Education, 2020). This method allows individuals to evaluate the situation, identify changes required and prepare for similar situations in the future. For example, using critical thinking, a teacher after completing their lesson will identify obstacles as to why the students did not understand the topic and develop causes and options to encourage areas that require development or potential change in the class learning.
Reflective practice, particularly Schön’s approach is beneficial for teachers to not only approach their methods of teaching and how they are meeting the curriculum requirements, but in addition, it encourages teachers to progress further in a much-needed competence that is associated with professionalism. Obtaining professionalism, especially in education means continuously developing which is accompanied by reflective practice. For example, a teacher who has a conflict issue within their classroom leads to reflective practice to control the issue. Reflect upon the root causes of the conflict (what has the teacher reflected about?), assess and monitor groups within the classroom and provide clear instructions on given tasks (teacher has reflected on what they can do next) and the competencies that develop.
Additionally, reflective practice increases the awareness of professional knowledge one embodies and gestures by “challenging assumptions of everyday practice and critically evaluating practitioner’s responses to practice situations”. (Silva, 2020) To successfully use this practice in education, comes experience. “Experience is valuable in helping us to reflect on how we learn- particularly on how, as learners, we experience the interplay between cognition and metacognition.” (Studymode. 2015) Experience helps shape the effectiveness of how teachers can influence and motivate students to learn in and out of the classroom. Having experience and the ability to reflect allows not only for teachers to determine their strengths and weaknesses but creates a safe space for students to become more confident in themselves and their capabilities. Students are challenged as teachers reflect on their methods, and so do the students themselves and their ability to be successful learners. Challenging students allows for various challenging in learning, which leads to the development of confident pedagogical knowledge.
In conclusion, the significant impact of reflective practice, especially from the teacher’s role is to make learning more effective within the classroom, tailoring it to the student’s needs. By using the reflective process, teachers can identify barriers that students may endure and create lessons that help students overcome these barriers. Furthermore, this adaption to the students and their lessons, ultimately helps the teacher themselves to develop professionally.
To develop professionally and in terms of the educational field, reflective practice is a skilful ability as it improves the practice of one’s position that stimulates and demands reflection. This demand helps gain a better understanding of past experiences, current events and the evaluation or reflection on how to improve better actions within the future. This for example can be used in education as a teacher can reflect upon their teaching practices on how to better teach content that certain students may struggle to understand.
References:
About the Author: Marisa Silva (The Lucky PM) PPM specialist with extensive experience in industry with a focus on collaboration, PPM specialist with extensive experience in industry with a focus on collaboration, & Silva, M. (2020, September 10). Revolutionising PMO Learning: Reflective Practice. Wellingtone. Retrieved April 26, 2022, from https://wellingtone.co.uk/revolutionising-pmo-learning-reflective-practice/
Cambridge Assessment International Education. (2020). Getting started with reflective practice. What is reflective practice? Retrieved April 26, 2022, from https://www.cambridge-community.org.uk/professional-development/gswrp/index.html
Reflection essay. Studymode. (2015). Retrieved April 26, 2022, from https://www.studymode.com/essays/Reflection-Essay-66938806.html