Task 2C - Reflective Theory

Until reading Reader 2, ‘Reflective Practice’ was a term I was unfamiliar with and I did not appreciate that, sometimes without even knowing it, I had already incorporated into my day to day routine. After further research, I recognised that it is a key component in my profession and serves as a huge learning tool. Now I am consciously aware of this tool and understand it better, I believe I can begin to analyse my thought process and learning technique to use it even more effectively.

Reflection is defined by dictionary.com as, ‘a careful or long consideration or thought.’ It is also defined as day to day activities we engage in that gives us information we can draw and gain experience from. It can be used as a tool that helps us to see where things are missing and enables us to find them. Reflective Practice is basically all about learning from your experiences.

Dewey (1933) was an educationist and philosopher. He emphasised the importance of integrating reflective thinking into your own practice. I work in education so the use of reflective practice is extremely useful! After each activity, I can assess whether it was successful or whether changes need to be made. I teach a dance club within the school so need to reflect on what they have learnt. I always look to try out different techniques or styles and note down whether they worked or not.

Dewey was interested in experience, experiential learning and believed there were many different levels of experience. He states that, ‘we do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience.’ He also said, ‘If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow.’ I completely agree with this statement having had teachers in the past who just delivered the same lecture every year (obviously without any reflection!).  It is so important, especially in education, to review each activity and if it doesn’t achieve the desired results then you need to reflect and change the way in which you approach it.

Kurt Lewin, a Polish born seminal theorist, was also interested in social change with an interest in experiential learning. Lewin separated ‘experience’ into sections – Spiral of steps.  Each box represents the next step to take – ‘circle of planning, action and fact-finding about the result of action.’

Lewin had many theories that can be applied to different practices. Another which I consider to be extremely important in education, one I may adopt into my career, is his, ‘Change Theory.’

This would benefit me in my professional practice as it would enable me to realise what isn’t working, discard any old behaviours or processes, introduce new methods, processes and behaviours. And finally, establish them, see the progress and achieve the desired results.

Change is a scary thought and one that many people shy away from, possibly are even frightened of. However, in this day and age, change is inevitable and happens on a daily basis. I believe that change helps us to grow as professionals, it allows us to prepare and transition smoothly. I’m not suggesting changing everything – the old saying ‘if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it’ jumps to mind – but take a close look and understand what needs changing and start the process. Lewin once said, ‘Motivation for change must be generated before change can occur. One must be helped to re-examine many cherished assumptions about one’s relations to others.’  

David Kolb is an American educational theorist who focused on experiential learning. Throughout his career, he developed many theories or cycles perhaps the most notable of which was the ‘Learning cycle’.  It is most commonly used for reflection within many professions including mine, teaching, it helps us to see how we learn and creates a tool for approaching experience.

‘Concrete Experience’ is doing or having an experience, ‘Reflective Observation’ is reviewing/reflecting on the experience, ‘Abstract Conceptualisation’ is concluding/learning from the experience and ‘Active Experimentation’ is planning/trying out what you have learnt. We all do a lot of these steps but where you start learning and find meaning will be where you enter the cycle at different points and that can link to your learning style.

Multiple intelligences was first introduced by Howard Gardner (1983). He said that people are intelligent in a number of ways and had different ways to engage with understanding and learning. Multiple intelligences is becoming more recognised in today’s society and breaks the traditional model of what intelligence is.