Reflective Practice: Key Concepts and History

Definitions of Reflective Practice

• Donald Schön: Reflective practice is the ability to reflect on one's actions for continuous learning.
• Gilly Bolton: Involves critical attention to practical values and theories, examining practice reflectively and reflexively for developmental insight.
• Reflective vs Reflexive:
  • Reflective: Analyze past actions.
  • Reflexive: Self-assess and react in real-time.

Importance of Reflective Practice

• Experience alone does not lead to learning; deliberate reflection is essential.
• Barry McBrien: Reflective practice is crucial in practice-based professional learning, integrating theory and practice, primarily in professional development.

History and Development

• Marcus Aurelius: Early example of reflective journaling, known as the meditations.
• Reflective practice roots seen in ancient texts and Buddhist teachings (praxis).
• John Dewey: First to write about reflective practice and experience interaction.
• Kurt Lewin and Jean Piaget: Developed early theories of learning and development.

Evolution of Reflective Practice

• 1960s-1970s saw increased focus on experiential learning.
• David Boud: Reflection as recapturing and evaluating experiences is crucial for learning.

Theories and Models

• Terry Borton: Developed the "What? So What? Now What?" model in therapy.
• Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle: Cyclical process of learning from experience, involving reflection for active experimentation.
• Argyris and Schön: Introduced concepts of single-loop and double-loop learning.
  • Single-loop learning: Repeating actions without change.
  • Double-loop learning: Modifying strategies for improvement.

Reflective Practice in Action

• Reflection on Action: Retrospective reflection on past experiences.
• Reflection in Action: Real-time reflection, crucial in high-stakes fields like surgery.

Influence of Donald Schön

• The Reflective Practitioner (1983): Popularized reflective practice across disciplines.
• Encourages viewing professional growth through a critical lens, embracing doubt.

Reflective Practice in Clinical Settings

• Graham Gibbs (1988): Expanded Kolb's cycle with structured debriefing, common in critical environments to prevent PTSD.
• Christopher Johns: Developed structured guided reflection for faster learning.

Reflective Practice in Education and Development

• Brookfield's Four Lenses:
  • Autobiography as a learner.
  • Learner's eyes.
  • Colleague's experiences.
  • Theoretical literature.

Writing and Reflective Practice

• Gilly Bolton: Advocates for writing as a means of reflection, similar to journaling practices of historical figures like Aurelius.

Summary

• Reflective practice is essential for professional development by integrating learning from experiences.
• Distinction between single-loop and double-loop learners.
• Reflective and reflexive practices offer different approaches to learning and adjustment in real-time.
• Modern reflective practice draws on ancient philosophies and emphasizes continuous personal and professional growth.

Reflective practice remains vital in fields requiring ongoing learning and adaptation. Understanding its historical and theoretical underpinnings aids in realizing its full potential in professional settings. Always be prepared to doubt and critique one's work to foster growth.