The Relevance and Impact of Reflective Learning Research - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

The Relevance and Impact of Reflective Learning Research

Rick HoldenLiverpool Business School

Rick Holden, Liverpool Business School, UFHRD Workshop, October 2012Slide2

Part One: A glimpse of the (fragmented) research landscape

Part Two: HRD and RL Research: a viewpointSlide3

The RL Research Landscape: 3 problematic facets

What is it we are researching ?

“Reflection can mean all things to all people” (Smyth, 1992)

reflective learning; reflective practice; reflexivity (Cunliffe, 2004, 2009 ; Lipp, 2007; Bleakley, 1999)

strategies to develop and enhance or a capability in practice ( Holden and Griggs, 2011; Boud and Hager, 2010)

technical competence or professional artistry (Boud and Hager, 2010; Schon, 1987;)

‘everyday’ reflection v ‘critical’ reflection (Thompson and Pascal, 2012; Bain et al, 1999; Moon, 1999;)

a defining feature of professional practice ?(CIPD, 2012; Schon, 1983)

a process that is integral to work ?(Bradbury, 2010 ; Vince and Reynolds, 2008)a process owned by professional bodies?academics ? communities of practice ? individuals ? (CIPD, 2012; Morrall, 2010; Kotzee, 2010)

Rick Holden, Liverpool Business School, UFHRD Workshop, October 2012Slide4

2. The Formal Teaching

and Learning of Reflective Learning

Understanding the challenge:

context

(e.g curriculum constraints (Valentin, 2007, ) the ‘training’ agenda (Morrall, 2010); cross cultural contexts (Blackburn et al 2012; Richardson, 2004; Turner, 2006;

rationale / purpose (problem solving ? (Schon, 1987); professional practice ?(Bradbury, 2010); personal development ? (Cowan, 1998); emotional orientation ? (Moon, 2004)

engagement

(e.g resistance to writing reflectively (Griggs and Holden, Samkin and Francis, 2008; Grant et al, 2006)

approach and techniques (e.g. progression through levels (Bain et al, 1999; Moon, 1999); a repertoire of reflective activities (Schon, 1983); time and space, (Corley and Eades, 2004)assessment (e.g. appropriate ? (Betts, 2004); faking it ? (Hobbs, 2007)ethics

(e.g confidentiality and privacy (Finlay, 2008); entering the ‘dark side’ (Brookfield, 1994); trust (Brockbank and McGill, 2007)

Rick Holden, Liverpool Business School, UFHRD Workshop, October 2012Slide5

3. Impact

Rick Holden, Liverpool Business School, UFHRD Workshop, October 2012Slide6

3. Impact

Rick Holden, Liverpool Business School, UFHRD Workshop, October 2012Slide7

A bit unfair….?

We do have evidence of successful (?) practice both within HE e.g.

Mann et al, 2007; Stewart et al, 2008; Clegg, 2009; Griggs and Holden, 2010; Callaghan, 2012; Rae and Rowland, 2012

and work e.g.

Brockbank et al 2002; Mann et al, 2007

But generally speaking, in relation to the theory (and purported benefits) of reflective practice and its actual practice, empirical data is in short supply….

At a time when the discourse of evidence based practice holds such sway there is very little in the way of research that robustly demonstrates its effectiveness

(Cole, 2010, London NHS Trust)Rick Holden, Liverpool Business School, UFHRD Workshop, October 2012Slide8

Part Two

A role for HRD research on Reflective Learning and Reflective Practice ?

Rick Holden, Liverpool Business School, UFHRD Workshop, October 2012Slide9

Time to pack our bags!

A waste of time ?Too difficult ?…just what is it we are looking for ?

Chances of useful outcomes limited ?

Research likely to be viewed as unrealistic in today’s harsh working environment… ‘thinking’ just a box to be ticked

CPD as managed by CIPD mechanistic and superficial ?

Other professions have ‘cornered’ the market

Rick Holden, Liverpool Business School, UFHRD Workshop, October 2012Slide10

Rick Holden, Liverpool Business School, UFHRD Workshop, October 2012Slide11

A case for a re-energised role

Rick Holden, Liverpool Business School, UFHRD Workshop, October 2012Slide12

A re-energised role

- utilise the HRD expertise in ‘learning’ - are we not the natural gatekeepers of development and cpd ?

- the criticisms as regards evidence of impact are universal

Rick Holden, Liverpool Business School, UFHRD Workshop, October 2012Slide13

An agenda…

Address the gap between theory and practice in reflective practice within HR/HRDTransfer: a priorityBe collaborative…enhancing credibility Seek to overcome the separation of ‘university’ and ‘work’

Encourage a

critical

engagement from the profession (CIPD)

Explore the HRD role vis other professions

Rick Holden, Liverpool Business School, UFHRD Workshop, October 2012Slide14

References

 Bain, J., Ballantyne

, R., Packer, J. & Mills, C. (1999). Using journal writing to enhance student teachers’ reflectivity during field experience placements.

Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice

, 5(1), 51-74

Betts, J (2004), Theology, therapy or picket line? What’s the good of reflective practice in management education?,

Reflective Practice, 5(2)Blackburn, M., Holden, R. and Burrell, C., 20102, Teaching critical reflection in sub-

saharan

Africa: business as usual ? 13th International Conference on HRD Research and Practice Across Europe,

Universidade Lusiada de Vila Nova de Familicao, May, 2012 Bleakley, A., 1999, From reflective practice to holistic reflectivity, Studies in Higher Education, 24: 3

Boud

, D. and Hager, P. (2010) Conceptualising continuing professional development: compliance, pedestrianism and

decontextualisation

of richer notions of learning and practice? Paper presented to the Fourth Professional Lifelong Learning conference, 11 January, University of Leeds

Bradbury. H., Frost, N.,

Kilminster

, S. and

Zukas

, M. (

eds

) (2010) Beyond Reflective Practice: new approaches to professional lifelong learning Abingdon,

Routledge

Brockbank

, A. and McGill, I., (2007), Facilitating reflective learning in higher education, London, Sage Publications

Brookfield, S., 1994, Tales from the dark side: a

phenomenography

of adult critical reflection, International Journal of Lifelong Education, 13: 3

Callaghan,J

., 2012, The Courageous Resistance Project, 13th International Conference on HRD Research and Practice Across Europe,

Universidade

Lusiada

de Vila Nova de

Familicao

, May, 2012

Chartered Institute for Personnel Development, What is Reflective Learning?

http://www.cipd.co.uk/cpd/aboutcpd/reflectlearn.htm

Chartered Institute for Personnel Development, What is CPD?

http://www.cipd.co.uk/cpd/aboutcpd/whatiscpd.htm

Chartered Institute for Personnel Development, The Thinking Performer concept,

http://www.cipd.co.uk/about/profstands/thinkingperformer.htm

Clegg, S. Reflecting on Reflective Practice:

The experience of using journals with research awards supervisors

Cole, M., Rescuing reflection from Reflective Practice: defining the key skills in reflexivity for health care professionals, Paper presented to the Fourth Professional Lifelong Learning conference, 11 January, University of LeedsCorley, A. and Eades, E., (2004), Becoming critically reflective practitioners: academics and students’ reflections on the issues involved, Human Resource Development International, 7(1)Cowan, J. (1998), On Becoming an Innovative University Teacher, Oxford University PressCunliffe, A. and Easterby-Smith, 2004, From reflection to practical reflexivity: experiential learning as lived experience, in Reynolds, M and Vince, R. Organizing Reflection, AshgateCunliffe, A. (2003)`Reflexive enquiry in Organisational Research: Questions and Possibilities’, Human Relations, 56, (8), pp. 983-1003Finlay, L., 2008, Reflecting on ‘Reflective practice’, PBPL paper 52A discussion paper prepared for PBPL CETL (www.open.ac.uk/pbpl.Francis, H. and Cowan, J. 2008,. Fostering an action-reflection dynamic amongst student practitioners. Journal of European Industrial Training, 32, no. 5: 336-346Grant, A., Kinnersley,P., Metcalf, E., Pill, R. and Houston, H. (2006), Students’ views of reflective learning techniques: an efficacy study at a UK medical school, Medical Education, 40Griggs, V. and Holden, R. (2010) “Not another learning log”, A research enquiry into the teaching of reflective learning within a professional human resource management programme, University Forum for Human Resource Development, Available from <http://www.ufhrd.co.uk/wordpress/?p=2432>

Rick Holden, Liverpool Business School, UFHRD Workshop, University of Portsmouth, October 2012Slide15

Hobbs, V., (2007) Faking it or hating it: can reflective practice be forced?,

Reflective Practice, 8(3)

Holden, R. and Griggs, V. (2011), Not more learning logs! A research based perspective on teaching reflective learning within HR professional education,

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Kotzee

, B., 2010, Private Practice: Schon and the missing social dimension, Paper presented to the Fourth Professional Lifelong Learning conference, 11 January, University of Leeds

Lipp

, A. 2007 Developing the Reflexive Dimension of Reflection: A framework for debate

International Journal of Multiple Research Approaches, 1 (1)Mann, K., Gordon, J. and MacLeod, A., 2007, Reflection and reflective practice in health professions: a systematic review, Advances in Health Science Education, 14, 595 - 621 Moon, J. 1999, Reflection in Learning and Prtofressional Development,

Kogan

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Moon, J. (2004), A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning,

Routledge

Morrall

, P. (2010) Liberating Thinking in Professional Learning; Paper presented to the Fourth Professional Lifelong Learning conference, 11 January, University of Leeds

Rae, J. and Rowland, H. 2012, Using the Arts in Teaching Reflective Practice: A case study, 13th International Conference on HRD Research and Practice Across Europe,

Universidade

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de Vila Nova de

Familicao

, May, 2012

Richardson, P., (2004) Possible influences of Arabic-Islamic culture on the reflective practices proposed for an education degree at the Higher Colleges of Technology in the United Arab Emirates, International Journal of Educational Development, 24 (4)-

Samkin

, G. and Francis, G., 2008, Introducing a learning portfolio in an undergraduate financial accounting course,

Accounting Education

, 17 (3)

Schön

D (1983) The reflective practitioner, Basic Books: New York

Schon

, D., 1987, Educating the Reflective Practitioner,

Josey

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Smyth, J. (1992) Teachers’ work and the politics of reflection. American Educational Research Journal,

29, 267-300.

Stewart,J

., Keegan, A. and

Stevens,P

., (2008) Postgraduate education to support organisation change: a reflection on reflection, Journal of European Industrial Training, 32 (5)

Thompson, N. and

Pascall

, J. 2012, Developing critically reflective practice, Reflective Practice, 13: 2

Turner, Y., (2006), Chinese students in a UK Business School: hearing the student voice in reflective teaching and learning practice, Higher Education Quarterly, 60 (1)

Valentin, C., (2006) How can I teach critical management in this place ? A critical pedagogy for HRD: possibilities, contradictions and compromises, in Rigg, R., Stewart., and Trehan,K. (eds) Critical Human Resource Development: beyond orthodoxy, Prentice HallVince, R., & Reynolds, M. (2008). Organizing Reflective Practice Organization Learning, Knowledge and Capabilities Conference (April 28 – 30 ) Rick Holden, Liverpool Business School, UFHRD Workshop, October 2012