developing critically reflective practice reading

Reflective practice

Analysing professional experiences and actions to learn, improve understanding, and develop future practice.

Critically reflective practice

Examining experiences, assumptions, values, social contexts, and power relations to improve professional practice.

Superficial reflection

Briefly thinking about an experience without analysing it, connecting it to professional knowledge, or identifying learning.

Technical rationality

An approach that applies scientific theories, rules, and procedures to solve problems, often overlooking the complexity of human situations.

Integration of theory and practice

Combining professional knowledge and real-world experience to understand situations and guide decisions.

Professional artistry

Using professional knowledge, experience, judgement, and adaptability to respond to complex situations rather than mechanically following rules.

Reflective learning

Learning through experience, analysis, and the connection between theoretical knowledge and practical action.

Active learning

Treating learners as active participants whose existing knowledge, skills, and experiences contribute to their learning.

Participative learning

Involving learners in shaping their learning rather than having the curriculum determined entirely by educators.

Challenging dogma

Questioning accepted beliefs, assumptions, and prejudices instead of accepting them without examination.

Reflection-in-action

Thinking about and adjusting one's actions while carrying out a task or responding to a situation.

Reflection-on-action

Looking back on an experience afterwards to analyse decisions, improve understanding, and develop professional knowledge.

Reflection-for-action

Thinking and planning ahead, using previous experiences and professional knowledge to prepare for future situations.

Critical thinking

Questioning assumptions, examining evidence, and considering different perspectives rather than accepting information at face value.

Reflexivity

Analysing how one's own beliefs, actions, identity, and social and cultural background influence professional practice and understanding.

Reflective practice vs. reflexivity

Reflection analyses actions and experiences; reflexivity also examines how the practitioner influences the situation and the knowledge being produced.

Criticality: depth

Examining underlying assumptions, thoughts, feelings, values, and beliefs that influence a situation.

Criticality: breadth

Examining the wider social, cultural, political, and organisational context, including power relations and inequality.

Social context

The cultural, social, and structural conditions that influence people's experiences, learning, and professional practice.

Power relations

Differences in power that can influence learning, communication, professional decisions, and whose perspectives are accepted or ignored.

Emotional dimension of reflection

Recognising that emotions influence learning, professional experiences, and the process of questioning or changing existing beliefs.

Routine or habitual practice

Repeated actions performed with little analysis, which may cause practitioners to overlook problems or act inconsistently with their professional values.

Professional knowledge base

The theories, research, skills, experience, and values used to understand situations and guide professional decisions.

Critically reflective practitioner

A professional who continually analyses their own practice, questions assumptions, considers wider social influences, and uses learning to improve future actions.

Main goal of critically reflective practice

Integrate theory, experience, self-analysis, and awareness of social and political influences to support more thoughtful, informed, and effective practice.