Academic Professional Practice - Coursework Example

ACADEMIC PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE Name: Course: Tutor: University: City and State: Date: Reflective Practice Abstract Reflective practice has an approach that is appealing in nature because individuals view it as something informing and useful. Although the practice is an available concept and has attained approval as great method of instilling critical thinking and doing, it is argued in terms of its application and conceptualization. However, for the concept to be accepted and used by learners, it is important to identify the nature of reflection in such a way that it gives ways of questioning assumptions which have been taken for granted and encourages learners to see the importance of reflective practice through the success of others. The relationship between experience, expectations and time of learning through reflection is a significant element of reflective practice, therefore to give grounding in reflection calls for contextual professionals to make class periods meaningful. This article analyzes the nature of reflective practice and proposes how it might become an effective practice that can be enhanced and developed through instructor groundwork programs. Introduction Reflective practice refers to a continuous cycle of self-evaluation and self-observation by practitioners in order to comprehend their own actions and the reactions that they prompt in leaners. It can also refer to the judicious and habitual use of technical skills, values, reasoning, emotions, communication reflection and knowledge for the benefit of the communities and individuals being served. Reflection is a great way to become more proactive, confident and competent professional. Engaging in this kind of practice gives students time to improve the quality of care one gives and close the gap between theory and practice. Reflective practice can also be an essential tool in practice- based qualified learning environment where individuals’ learn from their personal professional experiences than from knowledge transfer or formal teaching, which is the main source of improvement and professional development. Reflective practice levels Reflective practice can be used in both in-service and pre-service teaching levels. Student and coaching involvement are the two major aspects in the pre-service level. The role of the teacher as a coach and how students develop skills required for reflective teaching during their field experiences are also part of the pre-service level (Barbara S. 2010, 82). On the other hand, in-service level is characterized by the service of teachers as mentors to their peers. Coaching in this case is presented as self-efficacy (Abbott, Dina, Brown, and Wilson G. 2007, 189). Engagement in reflective practice means that professors pay attention to what goes on in their daily practice and uses the information they collect to make informed decisions about how to promote quality learning and initiatives to the learners (Muir J., 2014, 9). They ask themselves questions such as how they might change the environment to allow for more effective communication among learners, how he or she could be more of an advocate for their profession and why new activities work better than older ones(Bolton, G. 2005, 9). Professional in in-service level can provide an indication of commitment in reflective process by maintaining a journal listing questions that arise during their teaching practice describing how they consider exploring effective solutions, implementing substitute solutions and evaluating the effects any changes might have had on the practice(Roffey-Barentsen, & Malthouse, R. 2009, 98). Steps to a constructive thinking in reflective practice The concept of reflection is an important way of increasing self-actualization. Engaging in the practice helps learners to improve the quality care that one can give and identify gap between theory and practice (Abbott, Dina, Brown, &Wilson G. 2007, 201). To develop the constructive, creative and critical thinking necessary for reflective practice students can follow the following steps as suggested by Neil Thompson in his book People Skills. The first step is that students should read around the learning topics in order to develop a comprehensive understanding of the topic of study (Muir J., 2014, 10). The second step to a critical thinking is asking. Learners should focus on questioning others on the way they do things and the manner in which certain things are done (Thompson, N. 2002, 23) Thirdly, students should watch what is going on around them. The fourth step as suggested by Neil requires students to develop feelings through paying close attention to their emotions, what prods them and how to deal with negative ones. The other step requires students to talk and share their experiences and views with the rest of the students’ in order to avoid giving themselves unnecessary answers (Thompson, N. 2002, 23). Lastly, students should think and learn to appreciate the time spent thinking about their work. They should develop an understanding of the theory and the practice of others through exploring ideas with them (Thompson, N. 2002, 23). Benefits of reflective practice Reflective practice is beneficial in increasing self-awareness which is a key component of emotional intelligence and in developing a better understanding of others (Atherton J. 2013, 1). It also helps tutors in improving their teaching methods as they take time to reflect on their teaching, aspects which need to be improved and solutions to the problems they experience during thee teaching process. Reflective practice enables students to become critical thinkers (Rushton, & Suter M. 2012, 15). They are able to adjust and recognize what to think in order to take accounts of circumstance changes and find quick solutions to their work problems. It is also an essential tool in decision making. During reflection, one is forced to make decisions on what to do or not to do. This involves considering a number of choices that one has to weigh in order to come up with the appropriate one (Bradbury, H. 2010, 76). Reflective practice helps in managing personal change. Being a learner involves rapid, regular and pressured change, which can be one of the most challenging aspects of students’ growth (Muir J. 2014, 12). By using the techniques of the concept which include honest, thoughtful, calm, organized and critical thinking introduces a less emotional response to that particular change (Bolton, G. 2005, 11).According to Muir (2014,12), reflection also enables students to acknowledge their values. Some issues are bound to happen within the professional situation as students, which they may agree or disagree with. Some decisions learners take may differ with their belief of what is wrong or right. Thinking critically through them helps in identifying actions and approaches which can help them resolve the differences without interfering with the professional balance of their work (Bolton, G. 2005, 14). Reflection also allows students to take informed actions that can be explained and justified to others and generate concise answers for them, helps tutors to promote a positive learning environment by responding to students needs which builds trust in them and helps both teachers and students to become aware of the underlying assumptions and beliefs about teaching and learning so that they can understand why people do what they do and what needs to be done to bring change(Bradbury, H. 2010, 79). Limitations of the reflective practice The following are the limitation of the reflective practice; Not all practitioners may understand the process. They may not be able to understand the importance of the process and tend to ignore it. Others may find it uncomfortable evaluating and challenging their own practice (Cassidy, Simon, &Eachus P. 2000, 308). Another limitation is that the process can be time consuming and time spent reflecting on actions can be used to carry out other activities. Reflective practice can be disadvantageous in that it causes confusion as to which experience or situations one should reflect on (Redmond, B. 2004, 123). Theory and Practice The importance of carrying out a successful reflective practice on what an individual is or wants to do as part of the learning process have been stressed by many theorists. Donald Schon and Argyris (1978) argued that the ability to reflect on an act so as to participate in a continuous learning process was one of the important characteristics of professional practice. The two clarified the difference between single and double loop drawing on a distinction in a formative work on cybernetics (Mcgregor, & Cartwright, L. 2011, 57). Single-loop learning is a process in which students’ performance is assessed through reflection and then improved or corrected. In double- loop, the whole learning process is part of a larger cycle whereby reflection occurs in the engagement of the assumptions and activities implicated in it (Hunt, K. 2009, 54). Graham Gibbs (1988) discussed the use of structured debriefing in six steps:- 1. Description: According to Gibbs one should simply describe what happened. Making judgments or drawing a conclusion is not important 2. Feelings: He argued that one should talk about feelings and reactions without analyzing them 3. Evaluation: This should be based on value judgments on what was positive or negative about the experience (Mcintosh, P. 2010, 36). 4. Analysis: Gives an account of the sense that can be made out of reflective practice, what was going on during the reflection process and the experiences of different people 5. Conclusion: Gives a detailed information on other things that should have been done during the process 6. Action plan: Gives an account of what one would do differently if he or she found themselves in the same situation Gibb`s model is described as a cycle because the action taken in the last stage will cycle back into the first stage beginning the process again (Hunt, K. 2009, 56). Johns` model for restructured reflection (1995) is a series of questions that help both learners and tutors to think through what happened. These questions are used as guides to studying a critical event or an overall reflection on experiences. He highlights the significance of proficient knowledge and the capability of the practitioners to understand, put into practice and access information that has been developed through realistic means (Cassidy, Simon, &Eachus P. 2000, 321).He also commends that the student should use a planned diary. He recommends students to look deep into the situation, which comprehends concentrating on themselves and paying close attention to their emotions and thoughts. He then directs on looking at the situation in details and writing a description of the situation around the feelings and thoughts of what one is trying to accomplish, why they responded in the way they did, how others felt about it and how they acted in their best ways to achieve those goals (Lyons, N. 2010,32). Rolfe`s model for reflective practice on the other hand entails three basic questions to help in reflecting on the situation. They are what, so what and what now. Analyzing the three questions leads into the examination of the situation and the construction of knowledge based information that was learned through the experience (Hunt, K. 2009, 60). Christian Ganshirt framework for reflective practice (2007) recommends the notion of design cycle to describe the repetitive and reflective structures of the design process. Ganshirt design cycle is understood as a rounded time structure which starts with coming up with an idea, expressing it verbally or visually, involving and perceiving the idea with other members and starting the whole cycle with the critical reconsideration of the perceived idea (Loughran, J. 2006, 89). Conclusion Research on reflective practice over the past years has shown that an effective learning and teaching is linked to reflection, continuous professional growth and inquiry. The concept of reflective practice can be a valuable form of professional change at both the in-service and pre-service levels of teaching. By attaining a precise understanding of their individual teaching techniques through reflective practice, instructors can advance their efficiency in the classroom. Reflective practice can be said to be an effective process for a successful learning both as a student and in relation to work and life experiences. Although it might take time to embrace the reflective notion, it will eventually save energy and time. References Abbott, Dina, Brown S., & Wilson G., (2007). Development management as reflective practice. Journal of International Development 19.2, pp. 187-203. Bradbury, H., (2010). Beyond reflective practice: new approaches to professional lifelong learning, London: Routledge Bolton, G. (2005). Reflective practice: writing and professional development, London: Sage Publications. Cassidy, Simon, &Eachus P., (2000). Learning style, academic belief systems, self-report student proficiency and academic achievement in higher education.Educational Psychology, 20(3), pp. 307-322. Hunt, K., (2009). Reflective learning: Theory and Practise, Cambridge: Belknap Press. Loughran, J., (2006). Developing reflective practice: learning about teaching and learning through modeling, London: Falmer Press. Lyons, N., (2010). Handbook of reflection and reflective inquiry mapping a way of knowing for professional reflective inquiry, New York: Springer. Mcgregor, D., & Cartwright, L. 2011. Developing Reflective Practice: A Guide For Beginning teachers, Cambridge: Belknap Press. Mcintosh, P., (2010). Action research and reflective practice: creative and visual methods to facilitate reflection and learning, London: Routledge. Muir J., (2014). Academic Professional Practice, New York: Bloomsbury Thompson, N., (2002). People skills, Basingstoke: Palgrave. Redmond, B., (2004). Reflection in action: developing reflective practice in health and social services, Aldershot, Hants, England: Ashgate. Roffey-Barentsen, J., & Malthouse, R., (2009). Reflective practice in the lifelong learning sector. Exeter: England. Rushton, I., & Suter, M. (2012). Reflective Practice for Teaching in Lifelong Learning, Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Education. Barbara S., (2010). Reflective writing: a management skill: Library management,London: Routledge. Atherton J. S., (2013). Learning and Teaching; Reflection and Reflective Practice [On-line] (updated 17 November 2014) Available at: Read More