Reflective practice

Reflective practice is the ability to reflect on one's actions so as to take a critical stance or attitude towards one's own practice and that of one's peers, engaging in a process of continuous adaptation and learning.^[1]^[2] According to one definition it involves "paying critical attention to the practical values and theories which inform everyday actions, by examining practice reflectively and reflexively. This leads to developmental insight".^[3] A key rationale for reflective practice is that experience alone does not necessarily lead to learning; deliberate reflection on experience is essential.^[4]^[5]

Reflective practice can be an important tool in practice-based professional learning settings where people learn from their own professional experiences, rather than from formal learning or knowledge transfer. It may be the most important source of personal professional development and improvement. It is also an important way to bring together theory and practice; through reflection a person is able to see and label forms of thought and theory within the context of his or her work.^[6] A person who reflects throughout his or her practice is not just looking back on past actions and events, but is taking a conscious look at emotions, experiences, actions, and responses, and using that information to add to his or her existing knowledge base and reach a higher level of understanding.^[7]

^ Schön, Donald A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: how professionals think in action. New York: Basic Books. ISBN 978-0465068746. OCLC 8709452.
^ Leitch, Ruth; Day, Christopher (March 2000). "Action research and reflective practice: towards a holistic view". Educational Action Research. 8 (1): 179–193. doi:10.1080/09650790000200108. ISSN 0965-0792. S2CID 145226800.
^ Bolton, Gillie (2010) [2001]. Reflective practice: writing and professional development (3rd ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE Publications. p. xix. ISBN 9781848602113. OCLC 458734364.
^ Loughran, J. John (January 2002). "Effective reflective practice: in search of meaning in learning about teaching" (PDF). Journal of Teacher Education. 53 (1): 33–43. doi:10.1177/0022487102053001004. S2CID 6370058. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-12-15. Retrieved 2015-03-11.
^ Cochran-Smith, Marilyn; Lytle, Susan L. (January 1999). "Relationships of knowledge and practice: teacher learning in communities". Review of Research in Education. 24 (1): 249–305. doi:10.3102/0091732X024001249. JSTOR 1167272. S2CID 143929745.
^ McBrien, Barry (July 2007). "Learning from practice—reflections on a critical incident". Accident and Emergency Nursing. 15 (3): 128–133. doi:10.1016/j.aaen.2007.03.004. PMID 17540574.
^ Paterson, Colin; Chapman, Judith (August 2013). "Enhancing skills of critical reflection to evidence learning in professional practice". Physical Therapy in Sport. 14 (3): 133–138. doi:10.1016/j.ptsp.2013.03.004. PMID 23643448. S2CID 46254192.

[Schon-1] Schön, Donald A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: how professionals think in action. New York: Basic Books. ISBN 978-0465068746. OCLC 8709452.

[2] Leitch, Ruth; Day, Christopher (March 2000). "Action research and reflective practice: towards a holistic view". Educational Action Research. 8 (1): 179–193. doi:10.1080/09650790000200108. ISSN 0965-0792. S2CID 145226800.

[3] Bolton, Gillie (2010) [2001]. Reflective practice: writing and professional development (3rd ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE Publications. p. xix. ISBN 9781848602113. OCLC 458734364.

[Loughran-4] Loughran, J. John (January 2002). "Effective reflective practice: in search of meaning in learning about teaching" (PDF). Journal of Teacher Education. 53 (1): 33–43. doi:10.1177/0022487102053001004. S2CID 6370058. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-12-15. Retrieved 2015-03-11.

[5] Cochran-Smith, Marilyn; Lytle, Susan L. (January 1999). "Relationships of knowledge and practice: teacher learning in communities". Review of Research in Education. 24 (1): 249–305. doi:10.3102/0091732X024001249. JSTOR 1167272. S2CID 143929745.

[6] McBrien, Barry (July 2007). "Learning from practice—reflections on a critical incident". Accident and Emergency Nursing. 15 (3): 128–133. doi:10.1016/j.aaen.2007.03.004. PMID 17540574.

[paterson-chapman-7] Paterson, Colin; Chapman, Judith (August 2013). "Enhancing skills of critical reflection to evidence learning in professional practice". Physical Therapy in Sport. 14 (3): 133–138. doi:10.1016/j.ptsp.2013.03.004. PMID 23643448. S2CID 46254192.

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