Defining and recognising different types of reflective practice

Towards a definition of reflection

There are many definitions and conceptualisations of ‘reflection’ and ‘critical reflection’, both simple and complex. There is no one ‘right’ or ‘correct’ definition or conceptualization. As we will see, context is important.

In simple terms, reflection certainly has something to do with deliberately taking time to gain greater understanding or sense-making of experience whether after (‘reflection on’) or during (‘reflection in’) the experience or both. An important theorist in the field, David Boud’s (2013) contends that reflection is ‘turning experience into learning’.

In general terms REFLECTION is:

  • Deliberate, time needs to be set aside for the purpose of reflecting
  • Individual (on one’s own) or done with others (critical friend/group)
  • More effective generally if done with an other(s)
  • More effective if structured– by self or other(s)
  • Generally not a well-developed skill/attitude naturally in human beings
  • Not just about thinking also about feeling, emotions, behaving/action
  • Reframing decisions, events, interactions, relationships, experiences, perspectives etc
  • Contextualising – context provides different purposes, content & foci
  • Different according to purpose – Technical (means/ends); Communicative/Hermeneutic (in dialogue with self/others towards meaning and understanding); Critical (derived from Critical Theory- transcendence in awareness/understanding of self and one’s decisions/actions within a wider context of power and authority in political, social and economic structures and contexts).
  • “On” (after the decision/interaction/event/experience etc) and/or “In”(during the decision/interaction/event/experience etc)
  • Not just about problem-solvingSugg
  • Derived not only from Western writing/frameworks/traditions but also from Eastern traditions (eg., Hindu, Confucian, Buddhist, Islam, Sufi et al.,)
  • Evidenced by talk (oral, written, visual, artistic, non-verbal)
  • About “mindful action”

Boud, D., Keogh, R., & Walker, D. (2013). Reflection: Turning experience into learning. Routledge.