Reflective Practice: A Component of Professional Learning

Abstract

As organizations seek to provide meaningful professional learning opportunities, research has emerged to support the development of learning cultures that move beyond isolated learning experiences. An essential component of professional learning is reflective practice which occur at both the individual (Schon, 1983) and collective (Day, 1993) level. By utilizing collective reflective experiences, organizations can build structures and systems which incorporate the use of dialogue in professional learning (Osterman & Kottkamp, 2004). Drawing upon the work of Dewey (1933) and Schon (1983), reflection is explored in this dissertation as a critical component of learning. While both Dewey and Schon describe reflection as an individual process, the social component of reflection has been emphasized by others (Day, 1993; Solomon, 1987; Zeichner & Liston, 1996). The term collective reflection is used to describe the social experience of reflection. The definition of collective reflection that is used throughout this research is based on the work of Senge (2006) and Brookfield (2017) and is defined as active engagement in dialogue that examines individual assumptions and belief. Reflective practice is viewed as an individual process that occurs in a social context. Developing a deeper understanding of the role of collective reflection in learning organizations and how individuals experience these opportunities will allow leaders to create meaningful professional development. This qualitative research study adds to the literature on reflective practice by bringing forth the descriptions of educators’ experiences with individual and collective reflective practice. Building on the foundation of experiential learning theory and transformative learning theory, this study examines elementary and middle school educators’ descriptions of engagement in reflective practice. As leaders seek to foster meaningful professional learning, it’s important to understand how educators within an organization experience individual and collective reflection, the impact of those experiences, as well as the organizational conditions that foster an authentic culture of reflective practice.