Reflective learning Theory

Module#3: Defending Reflective Learning Theory.

According to Schon (1987) reflective practice is a dialogue of thinking and doing through which one becomes more skillful. Therefore one can engage in reflective practice to acquire knowledge. The main thrust of Schon’s reflective learning theory is that human beings know more than they can tell verbally (what he calls tacit knowledge or reflective practice), and more than our behavior consistently show (Argyris and Schon, 1992). When we exhibit knowledge spontaneously in a particular situation and we are asked to describe that particular knowledge after wards most of the time we are unable to do so. According to Schon (1983) it becomes difficult to put the experience explicitly because we cannot recreate the scene and make observation of what took place, what he calls knowing-in-action.

Since we know more than we can say, this knowing more often than not reveals itself in what we do (action). The only way we can account for this tacit knowledge is if we observe and reflect on our action to formulate construction that account for the knowledge we exhibited. Kinsella (2007) uses Schon’s example to amplify how human beings tacit knowledge can be exhibited. She posits that tacit knowledge is displayed when we can know a person’s face that we can recognize that face among a million faces, yet we are unable to tell how we recognized that face. This knowledge cannot be put to words unless one reflects on it. This mode of reflection is called embodied mode of reflection because it arises through the bodily lived experience of a person and it is exhibited in action not in words (Kinsella, 2007).

Reflective learning has implication for education. According to Argyri’s and Schon (1992), tacit knowledge is useful for understanding theories-in-use, which is how we apply theory in our practice. Every educational practitioner develops a theory of practice unique to themselves consciously or subconsciously (what Dr.Stone calls blending). When a theory is developed by a practitioner unconsciously it reveals itself in behavior (practice) and they may be unable to verbalize it. However, the key thing is that when we as educators are able to coin a theory of practice which works for us, then our students benefit by learning what we are teaching them. If on the other hand, the theory is developed consciously, where one knows ones tacit theories (theories-in-use), one is able to freely test their own theory to see what works and what does not. As Kensella (2007) nicely asserts “practitioners make tacit knowledge explicit by examining actions in practice and by becoming aware of these ‘normative templates’ that they place on reality.”(p.407).The ability to know what we know to the extent that we can share with others is growth in our practice and in our discipline (education). Moreover, once practitioners are able to construct the reality of their practice and become aware of the variety of frames available to them, they begin to see the need to reflect-in-action on their previously tacit frame(Schon, 1993).


By reflection practitioners are able to uncover many avenues available to them to be able to understand their practice even better. Reflection facilitates change in us as educators, thus we can be able to criticize the tacit understandings that have grown up around the repetitive experience of our specialized practice ( Kinsella, 2007). Reflection can assist us as practitioners to examine and re-examine the going trends in our practice, hence we can expand the knowledge base of our practice.


References

Argys, C. and chon, D. (1992). Theory in practice: Increasing Professional effectiveness. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass.

Kinsella, E. A. (2007). Embodied reflection and the epistemology of reflective practice. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 41(1), pp. 395-409.

Schon, D. (1983). The Reflective Practitioner. New York, Basic Books.

Schon, D. (1987).Educating the Reflective Practitioner. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass.