Reflection is an important and complex notion that has, because of its popularity and requirement as a standard of proficiency in certain professions, gained an assumed knowledge base. That is, it has become common practice to assume to know what reflection is and as a result reflection has been couched as evaluation with a purpose of improving self or practice. This issue of improvement reduces the person to reflecting as already not good enough, and propels students into at times focusing on experiences that are negative or that have generated significant feelings, so the experience therefore warrants reflecting on. This does a disservice to what reflection is, it ignores the theoretical underpinnings, pushes students into focusing on either only negative experiences or significant events, missing out the minutia experiences in life, and creates an unhealthy relationship with the reflective process. Therefore let us not continue this practice but, let us become informed in our own practice of teaching and supporting reflection and let us model behaviour and be the best version of ourselves by becoming an effective reflective practitioner. Â
An ALDinHE CoP on Reflection is being established – drawing together all those who are also interested in reflection, and in discussing and researching this further.
For those interested in joining a ALDinHE CoP for Reflection please email me at – nicola.clarke@bcu.ac.uk