 Week 1 - Theories, concepts and models of reflective practice and reflexivity

 Discussion Forum 1 - 'Let's get to know each other' Weekly Reading: Week 1 - Theories,
concepts and models of reflective practice and reflexivity
 Video: Reflexive and Reflective Learning
 Discussion Forum 2 - 'Reflecting on your Practices' Sunday End of Week 1 11:59 (23:59
hours) UTC Time

Theories, concepts, and models of reflective practice and reflexivity and their importance in
Education.

1. Introduction

The module started by saying you have to give yourself a time to grasp the information or
reflection, because if it is not the case then it’s a waste. Also, besides being reflective, it is
important to keep learning something new to avoid SELF-DECEPTION which led to make false
assumptions or conclusions and stagnation.

2. What is Reflective Practice

 Reflective practice: First point is about active learning which is about analyze, evaluate
and understand what you can learn from it (they call that situation experience).
 There is a structured thinking about self-practice, how when you do a task, think about
how you did it, the action, and decision. All of that to improve future practice.
 Also, it says that our actions reveal who we are, and even how we treat ourselves
reflected on how other perceive us.
 To improve ourselves, we need to reflect our ideas, theories, mental process. That will
help you out to figure what action or behavior work and what did not work through
analyzing outcomes, and keep changing to get your benefits will allow for continuous
improvement.

3. Similarities of Constructivism and Reflective Practice

Its talking about ideas and actions are integral and interconnected.

 Constructivism practice: Emphasize that learners build knowledge through their own
experiences and interactions.
 Reflective Practice: emphasizes learning through reflection on experiences.
 Effective learning hugely depends on the Pedagogical strategies in terms of
administration programs like engaging the learner; exploring personal beliefs,
knowledge, and experience; challenging ideas and facilitating reconceptualization; and
providing opportunities for experimentation and assessment.
 Reflection is evident in mindful introspection, dialogues with peers about relevant and
critical issues. Systematic and rigorous participation in action research.
4. What is Reflexivity

 Three fundamental aspects of reflexivity (Comprehend and make choices in life, self-
critical approach, manage emotions).
 The reflexive researcher should acknowledge and address the bias, or influences. This
could overcome the limitation.
 we make changes for better this is reflexivity that came from internal dialogue and
thinking about past experience that is reflection
 in Education: it leads to changes in educational practices, expectations, and beliefs.
 reflexivity makes us question assumptions in the research process, such as assumptions
about the research topic, concepts and theories which may be themselves created
through systems of power and privilege
 Being honest in all aspects of your research
 Thinking about the topic of the research, theories to ensure nothing affect the
objectivity of the research by particular power structures or social privileges
 In Reflexivity, and on reflexivity: in is about adjusting your activity while you are doing it.,
On-Reflexivity is about thinking and evaluating to make room for improving.
 Be conscious and aware that our ideas, beliefs affect our research and how we lead
people. Learning and doing research are affected by the environment

5. Reflective and Reflexive Theories Compared

 Reflection: thinking about the task you have did, things you have learned to get deep
learning.
 Reflexivity: Thinking about the thing you are doing, how others affect you and how you
affect others.
 Reflection is related with critical thinking in terms of deep analysis.
 Critical thinking is for solving and analysis the problems, while reflective is about
learning from the past experience or decision to have improvement in the future.
 Reflexive: Continuous self-monitoring their own knowledge, claims and others who
engaged with their in social interactions, and micro-practices.
 Critical Reflection: Creates theories based on one specific event that can apply to other
similar situations.
 Reflexivity: Focuses more on understanding and adjusting one's own actions and
thoughts in the moment, rather than creating general theories
 In the second variation of reflexivity: This means that the insights gained are meant to
address the current moment and the immediate context the practitioner is in.
 critical reflection, there is no expectation that these insights will apply to other
situations in the future.

What it means to be-becoming our authentic self?

People in high studies feels that they became different. For two reasons: They now belongs to
new community, and acquiring new identities.
Maybe the target of this example is to say they became more of themselves as they express who
they are through the work they are doing

6. Bloom’s Taxonomy

 Is about your identity, and location of self in the education, helps me to develop my skills
whether as a teacher or student
 There is model that encourage you to learn, and thinking:

Remember: recall basic information

Understand: Ability to explain
Apply: use the approach in the new situation
Analyze: deconstruct question
Evaluate: be critique by making judgment
Create: putting elements to create a whole

New dimensions in Bloom’s taxonmoney

1. Factual: Knowing facts, and details.
2. Conceptual: explain how facts and ideas are related (grasping)
3. Procedural: steps and plans to achieve what you want
4. Metacognitive: evaluating your mental activity.
Forum 1:
My name is Amal, and I hold a master’s degree in engineering. Alongside my studies, I have had
the opportunity to mentor and guide undergraduate students through their coursework and lab
activities. This experience has sparked a strong interest in developing my teaching skills further.
By gaining these skills, I aim to improve my mentoring in my current role and explore
opportunities in academia or educational content development in the future. I am passionate
about making a positive impact on students' learning experiences and believe that this course
will provide the necessary tools to achieve that goal.

Forum 2: Reflective practice plays an invaluable role in the continuous development of my

teaching strategies. It emphasizes being aware and conscious of how knowledge is delivered.
Continuous analysis and evaluation are essential steps in identifying which methods are most
effective in achieving better outcomes.

In my role of teaching undergraduate students in the lab, I focus on how they perform tasks such
as conducting experiments and analyzing results. I assess my performance through student
interactions with my presentations, their responses to questions, and their accuracy in
conducting experiments. For instance, I observed that all groups made a specific mistake during
the final step of sample preparation. Reflecting on this, I realized that my initial explanation
lacked sufficient detail regarding the importance of this step.

Addressing weaknesses identified in each session has significantly improved my teaching

performance. By recognizing these weaknesses, I can make targeted adjustments. For example, if
students struggle with using a particular instrument, I note this in my notebook to provide more
hands-on practice in future sessions. This approach not only resolves immediate issues but also
enhances the overall learning experience for students.

Encouraging open and honest dialogue with students about each session promotes active
learning and supports continuous improvement. Additionally, seeking critical feedback from
colleagues further enhances teaching effectiveness, leading to better student understanding and
increased engagement. Thus, by reflecting on my experiences, I continually enhance my teaching
skills.
Week 2:

 In week 2 the focus is on the Application and critique of theories and models in
educational contexts.
 the theories discussed by John Dewey, Donald Schon, David A. Kolb, and David Boud and
the critique which is based on these.

Reading:

 Start by reading the document Week 2 - Application and critique of theories and models
in educational contexts,
 please read also the material Additional Reading: David Boud, (1998), Promoting
Reflection in Professional Courses: The Challenge of Context

Participate in the forums titled:

 "Discussion Forum 1 - Theories and Models"

 Discussion Forum 2 - 'Critique of Theories and Models'