Having established the need for experiential knowledge that comes up out of reflection, this handout is checking out some of the models constructions and frameworks that can aid the reflective process.
However, before we explore these frameworks some important distinctions are needed to be made about different kinds of representation.
Edgar Schon, an influential writer after some consideration, described reflection in two main ways: reflection in action and reflection on action. Reflection on action is looking back again after the event whilst reflection in action is happening through the event. To complicate things there will vary interpretations of reflection on action. Let's now explore these terms.
Reflection doing his thing means
"To take into account what one is doing whilst one does it; it is normally stimulated by delight, by something puzzled the specialist concerned"(Greenwood, 1993).
Reflection in action allows the practitioner to redesign what he/ she actually is doing whilst he/she does it. That is commonly associated with experienced practitioners. However, it is a lot neglected.
Reflection on action is thought as:
"The retrospective contemplation of practice undertaken in order to discover the knowledge found in sensible situations, by analysing and interpreting the info recalled" (Fitzgerald, 1994pp67)
We can easily see here that reflection on action consists of turning information into knowledge, by conducting a cognitive post mortem.
Alternatively Boyd & Fales suggest reflection on action is:
"The process of fabricating and clarifying the meanings of experience in terms of self with regards to both self applied and world. The outcome of this process is changed conceptual perspectives" (Boyd & Fales, 1983pp101)
We see here that Boyd and Fales target more on do it yourself development. Here refection does not only increase our knowledge but challenges the concepts and theories we keep. Furthermore because of this we don't see more, we see diversely.
Atkins and Murphy (1994) take this notion one step further and suggest that for reflection to produce a real difference to apply we follow this with a committed action to action as a result.
The issues with these views of reflection on action are that they do not take accounts of the value of representation before action.
This is whenever we map out before we take action what we want to do.
So what have we learnt about reflection? It could best be observed as:
Reflection before action
Reflection in action
Reflection after action.
Now lets see which frameworks best support these solutions.
Gibbs Construction for Reflection (Associated with the main skills of reflection)
Stage 1: Explanation of the event
Describe at length the function you are reflecting on.
Include e. g. where were you; who else was there; why were you there; what were you doing; what were other folks doing; that which was the context of the event; what happened; what was your part in this; what parts does the other folks play; what was the result.
Stage 2: Emotions and Thoughts (Personal awareness)
At this level, try to remember and explore those ideas that were going on inside your head. Include:
How you were sense when the function started?
What you were considering at that time?
How achieved it make you feel?
How did other people cause you to feel?
How did you feel about the outcome of the event?
What do you think about any of it now?
Stage 3: Evaluation
Try to judge or make a judgement in what has happened. Think about what was good about the knowledge and what was bad about the experience or what performed or didn't go so well
Stage 4: Analysis
Break the event down into its aspect parts to allow them to be explored independently. You may want to ask more descriptive questions about the answers to the previous stage. Include:
What travelled well?
What have you do well?
What have others do well?
What went wrong or didn't come out how it will did?
In what way have you or others donate to this?
Stage 5: Finish (Synthesis)
This differs from the analysis stage for the reason that you now have explored the issue from different angles and also have a whole lot of information to bottom part your judgement. It really is here that you will be more likely to develop perception into you own and other's behaviour in conditions of how they contributed to the outcome of the event. Remember the goal of representation is to study from an experience. Without detailed analysis and genuine exploration that occurs during all the prior phases, it is improbable that all aspects of the function will be taken into account and therefore valuable opportunities for learning can be overlooked. During this level you should consider what you might have done in another way.
Stage 6: Action Plan
During this stage you should think yourself onward into encountering the event again also to plan what you would do - could you act differently or do you be more likely to do the same?
Here the cycle is tentatively completed and suggests that if the event appear again it'll be the focus of another reflective cycle
Gibbs model includes all the primary skills of reflection. Arguably it is focused after some consideration on action, but with repetition it could be used to focus on reflection in and before action.
Bortons` (1970) Framework Guiding Reflective Activities
What?
So What?
Now what?
This is the descriptionand self awarenesslevel and everything questions start with the word what
This is the amount of analysisand evaluation whenever we look deeper at that which was behind the experience.
This is the amount of synthesis. Here we build on the prior levels these questions to enable us to consider choice lessons of action and choose what we are going to do next.
Examples
What occurred?
What did I really do?
What have other do?
What was I striving to accomplish?
What was good or bad about the experiences
Examples
So what is the importance of the?
So what more do I have to learn about this?
So what have I learnt about this
Examples
Now what may i do?
Now what do I have to do?
Now what might I do?
Now what might be the results of the action?
Bortons model has all the central skills of reflection. Arguably it is focused after some consideration on action, but with repetition maybe it's used to give attention to representation in and before action.
Johns Model of Structured Refection
Chris John's (1994; 1995) model arose from his work in the Burford Medical Development Product in the early 1990's. He envisaged this model as being used within an activity of guided representation. His concentration was about uncovering and making explicit the data that we use inside our practice. He adopted some early work by Carper (1978) who looked at ways of knowing in nursing.
Ways of knowing
Cues
Aesthetics - the art of what we do, our own experiences
What was I seeking to attain?
Why performed I react as I did so?
What were the results of this for the patient? Others? Myself?
How was this person (people) sense?
How did I Know this?
Personal - personal awareness
How did I feel in this example?
What inside factors were influencing me?
Ethics - moral knowledge
How does my activities match my beliefs?
What factors made me act in an incongruent way?
Empirics - scientific
What knowledge performed or must have enlightened me?
The construction uses five cue questions that happen to be then divided into more focuses to market detailed reflection.
Cue Questions
1. Explanation of the experience
Phenomenon - explain the here and now experience
Casual - what essential factors added to this experience?
Context - what are the significant record factors to the experience?
Clarifying - what exactly are the key operations for representation in this experience?
2. Reflection
What was I attempting to achieve?
Why do I intervene as I did so?
What were the consequences of my activities for:
Myself?
The patient / family?
The people I work with?
How did I feel about this experience when it was going on?
How did the individual experience it?
How do I know the way the patient felt about any of it?
3. Influencing factors
What inner factors inspired my decision - making?
What exterior factors affected my decision - making?
What sources of knowledge do / should have affected my decision - making?
4. Analysis: Could I have dealt with the problem better?
What other choices did I have?
What would be the consequences of these options?
5. Learning
How will i now experience this experience?
How have I made sense of the experience in light of previous activities and future practice?
How has this experience improved my ways of knowing
Empirics - scientific
Ethics - moral knowledge
Personal - personal awareness
Aesthetics - the art work of what we do, our very own experiences
Smyth's Platform for Reflection on Action
Activity
Cues
Describe
What did I do?
Inform (Examination)
What will this mean?
Confront (Home awareness)
How does I come to be like this?
Reconstruct (Analysis and Synthesis)
What do my procedures say about my assumptions, principles and beliefs?
Where do these ideas come from?
What social methods are indicated in these ideas?
What is it that causes me to maintain my theories
What views of electric power do they embody?
Whose interests seem to be to be served by my practices?
What is it that acts to constrain my views of what is possible in my practice?
We can easily see with lots of models each goes through, some, or every one of the following phases.
Descriptive phase
Reflective phase
Emancipator phase
Processes
Description of practice events
Reflective research against espoused theories
Critique of practice regarding conflicts distortions and inconsistencies
Examination of information for genuiness and comprehensiveness
Reflective evaluation of
the situations
Reflective analysis of intentions
Engagement in emancipatory &change process
Products
Descriptive accounts/narrative
Knowledge about practice procedures and applications
Learning and change in practice
Self awareness
Self critique and emancipation
Phases in critical reflective inquiry Kim 1999
