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1. Critical Reflection Ann Jones July 2019 WWW.YORKSJ.AC.UK

3. We will cover: • What reflection is and what is it’s value to you as a student teacher and beyond? • How to reflect. • Reflection throughout the course. • Reflection in academic writing.

4. With a partner write a list of 5 binary pairs e.g. Horse and cart Grass and green Sad and happy Fish and chips Black and white

5. The value of reflection: Posner (1996) states that more learning is derived from reflecting on an experience than from the experience itself. Taggart and Wilson (2005) It makes the difference between 20 years of experience and merely one year of experience repeated 20 times. Beaty (1997) cited in Bolton (2014) Reflective practice is a state of mind, an on-going attitude to life and work – not a separate curriculum element. Bolton (2014)

6. Reflection • Will be ongoing throughout your career as everyday you will strive to achieve the best learning outcomes for your pupils. Within the PGCE • You will be expected to reflect throughout the course; • on your experience and practise in the classroom – formal, electronic • on your taught sessions and independent study – personal • You will write a critical reflective essay for one module assignment.

7. What is reflection – thinking and writing? Reflective writing is evidence of reflective thinking. In an academic context, reflective thinking usually involves: • Looking back at something (often an event, i.e. something that happened, but it could also be an idea or object). • Analysing the event or idea (thinking in depth and from different perspectives, and trying to explain, often with reference to a model or theory from your subject). • Thinking carefully about what the event or idea means for you and your ongoing progress as a learner and/or practising professional. It normally (but not always) includes: • Short description • Interpretation • Outcome

8. Reflection or Refraction? Reflection Refraction Phil Race

9. Schon talks about two types of reflection: Reflection in action Acting in the moment Reflection on action After the event This increases the effectiveness of reflection in action

10. What to reflect upon • Not everything • Choose significant events – critical incidents • Events – large or small – that have a significant impact on your learning/ understanding • e.g. an apple falling on Issac Newton’s head

11. Critical Incident – draw Anne of Cleves The concept of ‘reach’.

12. Think and discuss Has there been a critical incident in your time in school? Has there been an event, large or small, that has impacted upon your understanding? As a practice (in your own time) have a go at writing this up as a short (200 words) piece of critical reflective writing.

13. How to reflect • Short description • Interpretation • Outcome • There are numerous theories • There are numerous recipes But: Reflection should be grounded in and spring from individual practice. Individuals must develop own strategies for reflection. Bolton (2014)

14. How to reflect - write Reflective practitioners write for self-illumination and exploration – not to create a product. Reflective writing distances, but also creates closer contact with emotions, thoughts and experiences. Writing precedes thinking. We write to explore, express, examine and question – the writing is the reflection. Bolton (2014)

15. How to reflect You will need to write reflectively for your assignments. However, this can be harmful to the reflective process – students see it as a waste of time with no real meaning for themselves. You should reflect in the ‘raw’ and use the reflections within assignments and portfolios.

16. How to reflect - journaling You will need to write reflection (reflective learning journal) as part of the course. As reflection should be individual it is also a good idea to keep a personal reflective learning journal to use with all aspects of the course. • Short description • Interpretation • Outcome

17. Ways of Reflecting - metaphors Transfer of meaning from one object to another based on a perceived similarity. • it’s value in reflection is to frame or reframe a situation • it is a strategy used to make sense of anything difficult to communicate • Short description • Interpretation • Outcome

18. Ways of Reflecting – metaphors can: • Aid in self-exploration of values and beliefs • Assist in simplifying and clarifying problems • Help to summarise thoughts • Help to develop alternative ways of looking at things • Assist in communication of abstract ideas • Demonstrate underlying connections

19. Binary pairs – metaphor activity • Use the list of binary pairs you wrote earlier. • Assign one of the pair to teacher and one to pupil. • Explain. Did this activity give you any new perspectives? e.g. a therapist and client Horse and cart – she takes the lead and I follow on Grass and green – she’s growing and I reflect her colour Sad and happy – I carry her tears as she learns to smile

20. Other ways of finding different perspectives: • Write about an event from the point of view of an inanimate observer – e.g. your coffee mug, a pencil • Share writing with a peer – can open up fresh understandings for both of you. Can also support deeper reflection and wider perspectives • Sharing writing can take courage – choose partnerships carefully, treat everything confidentially and set ground rules • Write lists – pros and cons of a dilemma • Unsent letters – writing fictional letters or playscripts can help towards insight and empathy

21. Dewey (1933) recommends three attitudes to enhance reflective thinking: • Open- mindedness - intellectual receptiveness to alternatives • Wholeheartedness – mental, emotional and physical commitment to solve problems • Intellectual responsibility – towards taking the solutions forward Cited in Taggart and Wilson (2005)

22. Other reflection tips Teachers think about lessons in terms of whether it went well or badly. Reflecting critically and analytically can promote deep learning about your professional practice. • Do not adopt a deficit model – look for good as well as weaknesses • Reflection on small aspects will yield greater benefits Ewens (2014)

23. Short description • Interpretation • Outcome Reflective Writing for assignments: Reflective writing asks you to consider connections between: • theoretical aspects of your course and your experiences in practical situations or; • what you have already experienced and what you are in the process of learning. • This process helps you to turn abstract theoretical ideas into more meaningful ones using your own knowledge and experiences to bring them to life. • The reverse is also true: reflective writing helps you to interpret real-life events and practical situations using relevant theories from your area of study.

24. Journal Reflective Essay First person: ‘I’ + 3rd person But only a brief summary Succinct identification of emotion, and reflection on triggers and sources. Structured Awareness of different perspectives Formal academic style Theoretical and critical • First person: ‘I’ • Description of events • Emotion • Personal thoughts • Stream of consciousness • Speculation about others’ views and feelings • Informal language

25. Reflective writing frame

26. Cowan (2014) suggests a structure for reflective writing • Selectively describing the issue or problem • Identify and explicitly summarise the salient facts • Examining it from multiple perspectives • Identify connections, patterns, inconsistencies • Self-challenging and being open to new insights • ‘Heartfelt puzzlement’ • Forward planning, considering alternative views and future actions • Metacognitive self-review

28. Critical reflection

29. Have a look at the four examples of reflective writing.Which are effective pieces of critical reflection do you think?Why?

30. Further information • Cottrell, S. (2011) Critical Thinking Skills. 2ndedn.Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. • Kolb. D A. (1984) Experiential Learning: experience as the source of learning and development. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. • Study Development team: • Factsheets online • Follow @YSJStudyDev on Twitter • 1:1 tutorials • Study skills workshops Ask at the Student Advice Desk in Holgate

31. References Bolton, G. (2014) Reflective Practice. London: Sage Cowan, J. (2014) ‘Noteworthy matters for attention in reflective journal writing’, Active Learning in Higher Education, 15(1) pp. 53-64 Ewens, T. (2014) Reflective Primary Teaching. Northwich: Critical Publishing ltd Taggart, G. and Wilson, A. (2005) Promoting Reflective Thinking in Teachers. London: Sage