The reflective practitioner

Reflecting on an event or situation provides the opportunity for more in-depth learning, evoking new ways of working. It is, however, essential to recognise that to reflect, means more than to think back to a situation. Reflecting is an active and dynamic process; it is about taking ownership of the thinking process, looking for learning points, striving for a better understanding. The initial concepts of reflection come from the work of Dewey who recognised three important characteristics essential to the reflective practitioner; open-mindedness to new ideas; wholeheartedness to search and accept new ideas, and responsibility to understand and accept the consequences of actions. An individual’s knowledge can limit reflective learning, true reflective depth will take time and practice and needs to be enriched with opportunities to engage with peers. Theoretical reflective models provide a structure to guide and scaffold the reflective process helping to deconstruct experiences to access deeper level reflections.