Understanding and Defining Reflective Practice

Reflective practice is exactly what it sounds like-it’s the act of thinking about what you did, analyzing what happened when you did it, and using the insights you gain to inform how you’ll behave in the future. The concept originated with education reformer John Dewey, who defined reflective thinking as thinking about your experience and learning from the outcome (Dewey, 1910). Dewey wrote that reflection is thinking about what you’ve done or experienced, taking stock of the outcomes, and basing what to do in the future based on what you learned. We all engage in this process frequently.  Sometimes, it’s the result of a consequence. I got a speeding ticket while driving down a country road. Now, I am more conscious of my speed in general and always make sure to check my speed when going down that road and on a certain hill because that’s where I got pulled over. My past experiences taught me that if I drive too fast, I may get a ticket, which has unpleasant consequences. Often we learn from reflecting on less significant experiences. When we bake, and it doesn’t turn out quite how we wanted, we may alter the spice measurements or substitute shortening for butter. Then we make notes in the margins of the recipe so that we remember to make the changes next time.

Not all learning by doing is unpleasant, though. Think about the babies we work with that will make a sound like “da” or mimic something their grownup does. The grownup then gets excited and engages in a positive social interaction with the baby. The baby then learns that when they make certain sounds or gestures, they are met with an interaction they liked, so they continue to do whatever they did to get the reaction they enjoyed.

Formalized reflective practice made it into teaching and healthcare (including occupational therapy and social work) as a means to improve patients’ and student outcomes in the 1980s (Schön, 1983). Academic research supports the efficacy of reflective practice as a professional development model in special education (Nagro, 2013) and early intervention (Dunst & Trivette, 2009; Childress, et al., 2021; Bateman et. al., 2024; Rush & Sheldon, 2011).  Reflective practice has also been found to have a positive impact on educators’ implementation of culturally responsive practices (Whitford & Emerson, 2019).