Assignment No.

Reflection and Inquiry Skills

Submitted to: Submitted by: Class: Date:

Dr. Naveed Akhter Ejaz Rasool Dar MBA (D)-1 (1325102) 24-10-2013

Reflection Skills: Reflection skills essentially give us the mental time and space to consider what we have been doing, value it, place it in context and make mature decisions about what to do next. It does not necessarily involve change, although it may lead to development or change.

Learning through reflection

Reflection is an active process whereby the professional can gain an understanding of how historical, social, cultural and personal experiences have contributed to professional knowledge and practice (Wilkinson, 1996). Duffy (2007) believes that reflective practice is an active deliberate process of critically examining practice where an individual is challenged and enabled to undertake the process of self-enquiry to empower the practitioner to realize desirable and effective practice within a reflexive spiral of personal transformation. Learning is derived from experience but it doesnt just happen. For it to take place we not only need to engage in reflection we must also record it. By thinking about what we are doing and why we are doing it is what turns our experiences into meaningful learning. If we are to become a reflective practitioner we have to use that learning to increase our professional knowledge and skills to the benefit of not only our self but also to your patients / clients. Why Reflect Reflection is really a process that begins with looking back on a situation, pondering over it, learning from it and then using the new knowledge to help us in future similar situations. Reflection, which is learning through experience, is not a new concept. As humans, we naturally reflect on our surroundings and experiences. However, the conscious, deliberate and ordered process of using reflection as a learning tool in our professional practice is much more challenging. It is a complex activity that requires the individual to develop a set of skills required for problem solving (Moon, 1999). Reflection, therefore, encourages us to become aware of our thoughts (intellectual) and feelings (affective) which relate to a particular learning experience or area of our practice.

Reflection as a learning tool Reflection is the process that we consciously undertake to gain further understanding and add meaning to our daily lives. Reflection is associated with learning that has occurred through experience and is an activity that helps you make sense of and learn from situations. Reflection therefore is a means of assisting us to think, to explore our thoughts and feelings and to work through an experience, in an attempt to gain new understandings, fresh insights and self-awareness. It is the active consideration of, and learning from our thoughts and actions, together with the further use of these thoughts and actions as a means of developing reflective thinking.

Reflection Model Stage one: Description of the event Describe in detail the event you are reflecting on. Stage two: Feelings At this stage try to recall and explore the things that were going on inside your head, Stage three: Evaluation Try to evaluate or make a judgment about what has happened. Stage four: Analysis Break the event down into its component parts, so they can be explored separately Stage five: Conclusion You now have a lot of information on which to base your judgment. Stage six: Action plan what you would do if you encountered the event again.

Possible Barriers to Reflection Such barriers might be: Assumptions about what is/is not possible Assumptions about how to learn Confidence/self confidence Previous (negative) experiences Expectations of others - expectations of self Inadequate preparation Environment

 Lack of space/time What are the skills and qualities needed to be reflective? Reflection requires an approach which is: Tolerant of diversity of ideas - not everyone will think the way we do, not everyone interprets or understands the world in the way we do. Curious - there has to be a willingness to ask questions, to want to find out. Patient (not jumping to conclusions) - just as there are no simple answers, there are no instant answers either and our ideas and understanding may well change over time Open - to absorb what is happening Honest We need to be honest with our self and this includes being honest about doubts and uncertainty or lack of knowledge. Learning can't take place if we pretend to know what we don't understand. Inquiry: Inquiry learning is an approach that provides learners opportunities to actively develop skills that enable them to locate, gather, analyse, critique and apply information in a wide range of contexts as they develop understanding. Inquiry is a dynamic process of being open to wonder and puzzlement and coming to know and understand the world. As such, it is a stance that pervades all aspects of life and is essential to the way in which knowledge is created. Inquiry is based on the belief that understanding is constructed in the process of people working and conversing together as they pose and solve the problems, make discoveries and rigorously testing the discoveries that arise in the course of shared activity. Inquiry-based learning is a constructivist approach, in which students have ownership of their learning. It starts with exploration and questioning and leads to investigation into a worthy question, issue, problem or idea. It involves asking questions, gathering and analysing information, generating solutions, making decisions, justifying conclusions and taking action. Through the process of inquiry, individuals construct much of their understanding of the natural and human-designed worlds.

Why Inquiry? Inquiry-based learning approaches when correctly implemented can help develop higher-order, information literacy and critical thinking skills. They can also develop problem-solving abilities and develop skills for lifelong learning. My experience has shown this approach to engage and motivate students. Students in my classes worked co-operatively and collaboratively to solve problems and I found the depth of understanding to be greater than with other teaching approaches. Teacher's Role The teacher's role in inquiry-based learning is one of 'Guide on the side' rather than 'Sage on the stage". The teacher scaffolds learning for students, gradually removing the scaffolding as students develop their skills. With young children or students new to inquiry it is usually necessary to use a form of guided inquiry.