MODELS OF REFLECTION

What informs the way you do things?

Learning objectives To consider our roles in reflective practice and reflect initially on what informs planning activity To introduce other models of reflection and discuss how these would operate within our own practice To read examples of Reflective Journal entries to inform own To update iPDP

What helps you reflect?

Why should we reflect critically on our daily practice?

Introduction to Kolb Defines learning as the ‘process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience.’ Do you agree with this?

Kolb’s cycle for reflection

Activity Consider where you may have recently tried out a new method or resource Use Kolb’s four stages to consider the development of the technique in practice

The most inadequate reflections might be those which merely describe what happened in a session. On its own this has no value. But it is a start. Perhaps the most complete model of reflection is provided by Gibbs:

Critical incidents Critical incidents: important for reflection For every situation there is the possibility for ‘cognitive conflict’ - in which the many fragments of understanding and insight that we possess through intuition and experience and knowledge are brought to bear on assessing whether a situation is ‘reasonable’ or not. If the situation matches your cognitive framework, then the situation is judged to be ‘reasonable’. If it doesn’t fully match nor has certain mismatches, then it’s judged to be ‘surprising’ Can you think of a critical incident that has arisen and has confronted your sense of what is reasonable?

What happens when we identify something as a critical incident? Try to analyse it and its effects systematically: Why is it critical? Describe the event in some detail Focus on key points to identify what could be done differently next time e.g. Was it related to the learning environment? Was it behavioural? Was it subject related? Was it pedagogical?

Pause for thought … How do we feel when we are doing something new? What happens when you don’t succeed? What is the ideal? How do you get from being a ‘novice’ to something becoming quite ‘second nature’?

Learning something new http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GMIBxiXUJs

Conscious Competence Model This is a psychological theory also referred to as the four stages of competence, learning model. Relates to the psychological states involved in the process of progressing from incompetence to competence in a skill.

Reynolds (1965) model of developing competence in social work suggests the stages seen in model below:

‘Experts rely on a large repertoire of strategies and skills that they can call on automatically, leaving them free to deal with unique or unexpected events….The wealth of knowledge and routines that they employ, in fact, is so automatic that they often do not realise why they preferred a certain plan of action over another. However, when questioned, they are able to reconstruct the reasons for their decisions and their behaviour.’ (Rollett 2001: 27) This seems to suggest that expert teachers might be unconsciously incompetent. Do you think that reflection has a role in this? Have you ever been unconsciously incompetent? (Consider areas of skills and knowledge you have developed since starting the course)

Some theory on reflection John Dewey: educational philosopher (19th / 20th century. Dewey believed that reflections begin from a state of doubt or perplexity which for teachers may involve when working with new learners or when things don’t go according to plan. According to Dewey, these are important moments when we can reflect and solve the perplexity.

Some theory on reflection Donald Schon (1983) developed the notion of reflection in action and reflection on action; ‘reflecting while you are doing it’ or reflecting after you have done it’.

Some theory on reflection A further development in Schon’s work is the distinction between technical rationality and tacit knowledge. The distinction can be characterised more simply as the theory practice gap. Like Dewey, Schon believed that reflection begins in working practice, particularly those areas where professionals are confronted with unique and confusing situations. Schon calls these the ‘swampy lowlands of practice’. Teachers may have acquired the theoretical knowledge of their subject and the practice of teaching as it should be, but it might not explain it as it actually is. From these real-life experiences teachers can develop a tacit knowledge – a synthesis of theory and practice that he may have developed for themselves. It is vital these learning experiences are recorded in your Reflective Journals and discussed with fellow trainees and mentors. The real teaching environment is where the theory is applied, tested and evaluated.

DFD7130: The Reflective Journal Page 9 of the DFD7130 handbook It should be a total of 2000-2500 words in length and must refer to and use appropriate literature, including literature on reflection. Your work should show an awareness of models of reflection.

RJ1: Using reflection and feedback to improve teaching and learning In this section, you need to demonstrate the use of regular, sustained and independent reflection to evaluate and improve your own teaching and inclusive practice. Your reflections must draw on feedback from others (including learners, specialist colleagues and your mentor). As a guide, your reflections in this section should normally cover at least six separate learning sessions in addition to any teaching observation reflections you draw on – however, you are encouraged to discuss different ways of approaching this section with your module tutor. Approximately 1,200 words

RJ2: Reflection on own specialist knowledge and skills Reflect on your own knowledge, skills and experience in your specialist area and discuss your aspirations and development needs as a subject specialist teacher, relating them to your action planning in PDP3 and PDP4. Your reflections should place your development as a subject specialist in the context of key qualifications and curriculum developments within the specialist area. Approximately 600 words

RJ3 Audit of literacy, language, numeracy and ICT skills in your specialist area Identify literacy, language, numeracy and ICT skills which are integral to your own specialist area and explain why they are important. Discuss the barriers to learning that would exist for learners whose skills are not sufficiently developed, and investigate the resources and strategies that might be used to support such learners. Reflect on your own skills in literacy, language, numeracy and ICT and identify any significant development needs, relating them to your action planning in PDP3 and PDP4 and to your Personal Skills Presentation where appropriate. Approximately 500 words

Further guidance You should use tables and diagrams where appropriate. Take care to refer to appropriate literature and also to records of your own teaching, such as lesson plans and schemes of work.

References and recommended reading http://www.mcgraw-hill.co.uk/openup/chapters/9780335222407.pdf http://www.businessballs.com/consciouscompetencelearningmodel.htm http://www.devon.gov.uk/reflectivepractice.pdf http://infed.org/mobi/donald-schon-learning-reflection-change/