Continuous Assessment 1

Tutorial Papers
Paper 3:
Reflective Practice

Student Name:

Christopher Doherty

Students Number:

G00308650

Module Title:

Professional Studies

Module Leaders:

Dr. Pauline Logue Collins

Mr. Kevin Maye

Programme:

B.Sc. (Hons) in Design and Technology Education

Year:

Date Submitted:

17th November 2016

1. CONCISE SUMMARY OF READING

Stephen Brookfield starts this book with a very powerful statement, we teach to change the
world. Brookfield talks about reflection as haunting assumptions and he distinguishes
between three broad categories of assumptions; paradigmatic assumptions, prescriptive
assumptions and casual assumptions. paradigmatic assumptions are the hardest to the three
assumptions to uncover and we may not recognize them as assumptions even if they were
pointed out to us. Prescriptive assumptions are assumptions about what we think ought to
be happening in a situation. They are assumptions that come to mind when we think of how
we think teachers should behave. Casual assumptions help us understand how different
processes work and they are usually stated in predictive terms.
Brookfield goes on them to discuss what makes reflection critical. He stated that reflection,
by definition, is not critical but just because reflection is not critical does not mean that it is
not important. Brookfield talks about the teacher being a fly on the wall approach to
teaching. This is where after the teacher give the students a task to work on they move off to
the side allowing the students to work away on the task themselves. The teacher will still be
in the room but they might sit at their desk, or off in a corner, observing groups get started
on their project (Brookfield, 1995, p. 11).
In chapter 2, Brookfield talk about his four critically reflective lenses. These lenses include
our autobiographies as teachers and learners, our students eyes, our colleagues experiences
and theoretical literature. Our own autobiographies as teachers and learners involves
consulting our experiences as learners and assessing our practice from the other side of the
mirror. The second lens involves seeing ourselves through our students eyes. The main
difficulty with this is that if can be hard for the students to give honest feedback to the
teacher. According to Brookfield, the best way to get honest feedback from the students is if
their critical opinions and comments are anonymous. The third lens involves talking to other
colleagues about what we do. As colleagues describe their own experiences dealing with the
same points we experience, we can check, reframe, and broaden our own theories of
practice. The last of Brookfields lenses involves assessing the theoretical literature, where
we analyse what others have wrote about the issue at hand. Brookfield writes that it can be
hard to get teachers to read educational theory and research because they have the

perception that people who write books on teaching dont have a clue about the reality of
classroom life (Brookfield, 1995, p. 38). Another problem that Brookfield finds with
theoretical literature is that most is written in a tone that is formal and academic, not the
tone that teachers use commonly on a day to day basis.

2. CRITICAL REFLECTION

In chapter 2, when Brookfield is discussing the student lens he says that the best to get
honest feedback from the students is if the feedback is anonymous. From Teaching practice
1 and from reviewing other literature it is clear that the anonymity of the comments helps
the students to be more truthful and critical. Davis suggests that you invite anonymous
notes, because sometimes students want to tell you important things but dont want to be a
snitch (Davis , 2015). There are many ways of gathering feedback from the students. It can
be done online and on IT programmes or it can be done on paper. It is that authors opinion
that students feedback is very important and this feedback should be used to plan for the
next class. There are others that believe that getting student feedback is pointless and
unnecessary. In an article in the guardian, an anonymous authors states that despite the
time and effort put into recording students experiences and opinions, feedback is rarely
useful. Response rates are low, unless it is made compulsory (Academics Anonymous:
student feedback is a waste of everyone's time, 2014). Depending on the way in which
questions are asked, can have an impact on how useful the feedback from the students is. If
the feedback is presented in a proper way and the questions are suitable for the group, it is
the authors opinion that the feedback received should be effective and useful in planning for
the next lesson.

In chapter 1 of the book Becoming a critically reflective teacher, Brookfield talks about the
teacher as being a fly on the wall. He talks about after setting the task the teacher will
then retreat from the scene to let the students work as they wish (Brookfield, 1995, p. 11).
This can depend on the activity and on the class group. Some activities or class groups might
work better if the teacher is constantly going around the classroom checking in on each
group regularly.

Brookfield discusses the reasons why critical reflection is important. The reasons he gives
include helping us to take informed actions, helping us develop a rationale for practice,
helping us avoid self-laceration and it enlivens our classrooms. Critical reflection is
descriptive, analytical, and critical, and can be articulated in a number of ways such as in
written form, orally, or as an artistic expression (The University of Tennessee, n.d.). there
are many advantages of critical reflection especially in teaching such as inproving basic
academic skills and promoting a deeper understanding of course subject matter it also
improves higher level thinking and problem solving (Metropolitan State University ). In an
article by Surgenor he states that reflection on teaching is frequently cited as a fundamental
practice for personal and professional development (Surgenor, 2011).

There are numerous different models of reflective practice that can be used. These models
that are similar to Brookfields four lenses include Gibbs framework for reflection, Bortons
Framework for guiding reflective activities, Johns Model of structured reflection, Smyths
framework for reflection on action, Schons reflection in action and Kolbs Learning cycle.
The Gibbs model for reflective practice involves six stages in the praxis model. These stages
include a description of what happened, feeling and thoughts that you were having, an
evaluation, an analysis, conclusion and an action plan. This model encourages you to think
systematically about the phases of an experience or activity (Oxford Brookes University,
n.d.).

Figure 1 Gibbs Framework for Reflection

Bortons model of reflective practice involves three stages which include what, so what and
now what. This model encompasses three simple questions to be asked of the experience
of activity to be reflected on, what? So what?, now what? (First Steps for Health Care
Assistants ). The Johns model involves engaging with a serious of questions that help you to
explore and reconsider your motivation or rationale for your actions (Surgenor, 2011). This
framework for reflection uses five cue questions which are then broken down further to
promote detailed reflection.

Figure 2 - Bortons Model of Reflective Practice

Figure 3 - John's Model for Reflective Practice

These models are effective for reflection. It would be the authors intention to use
Brookfields four lenses and Gibbs framework for reflection during upcoming teaching
practice.

3. LIST OF REFERENCES

Bibliography
Academics Anonymous: student feedback is a waste of everyone's time. (2014, May 9).
Retrieved from the guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/higher-educationnetwork/blog/2014/may/09/student-feedback-waste-of-time
Brookfield, S. D. (1995). Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher. San Francisco: JosseyBass.
Charles Darwin University. (2016, September 16). Nursing Guide: Reflective Practice.
Retrieved from Charles Darwin University:
http://libguides.cdu.edu.au/c.php?g=167925&p=3151822
Davis , V. (2015, July 21). 3 Ways of Getting Student Feedback to Improve Your Teaching.
Retrieved from edutopia: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/student-feedbackimproves-your-teaching-vicki-davis
First Steps for Health Care Assistants . (n.d.). Reflection in Action . Retrieved from First
Steps for Health Care Assistants : http://rcnhca.org.uk/personal-and-peopledevelopment/reflection/reflection-in-action/
Gibbs Reflective Cycle. (n.d.). Retrieved from Glow Scotland:
https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/glowblogs/uodsseportfolio/2015/10/25/gibbsreflective-cycle/
Johns Model of Reflection . (n.d.). Retrieved from Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/118571402665703675/
Metropolitan State University . (n.d.). The Importance of Critical Reflection. Retrieved
from Metropolitan State University :
http://www.metrostate.edu/applications/drep/files/KeyPart_CriticalReflection.pdf
Oxford Brookes University. (n.d.). Reflective writing: About Gibbs reflective cycle.
Retrieved from Oxford Brookes University:
https://www.brookes.ac.uk/students/upgrade/study-skills/reflective-writing-gibbs/
Surgenor, P. (2011, May). Reflective Practice. Retrieved from University College Dublin:
http://www.ucd.ie/t4cms/Reflective%20Practice.pdf
The University of Tennessee. (n.d.). Critical Reflection . Retrieved from The University of
Tennessee: http://www.utc.edu/think-achieve/critical-reflection.php