This document contrasts single-loop and double-loop learning in the context of youth development work. Single-loop learning is reflection "in the job" that occurs in the moment and is often reactive, finding shallow answers. Double-loop learning involves reflection "on the job" after a situation, asking "why" at a deep personal level to create real change by questioning one's own assumptions and bringing theory and practice in line. An example shows how double-loop reflection could lead to better understanding a disengaged youth.

2. This lecture will focus on the
difference between single- and
double-loop learning and how you
can apply this to youth development
practice.

3. What is single-loop
reasoning?

4. Youth Development
Worker Presented
with a Situation or
Problem
Action is taken in
the moment to
correct problem
Single-loop reasoning is reflection in the job

5. Youth Development
Worker Presented
with a Situation or
Problem
Action is taken in
the moment to
correct problem
It happens in the moment

6. Youth Development
Worker Presented
with a Situation or
Problem
Action is taken in
the moment to
correct problem
And is often reactive

7. Single-loop reasoning
0 Is reflection ‘in the job’
0 It happens in the moment that a youth development
worker (or professional) is presented with a situation
0 It is often reactive

8. Single-loop reasoning
0 Is reflection ‘in the job’
0 It happens in the moment that a youth development
worker (or professional) is presented with a situation
0 It is often reactive
0 As such …
0 It often finds shallow answers to issues which are hard
to change (eg. the young person did not want to engage)
0 It can lead to no change at all or just the same old rules
being followed
0 It ignores asking the question ‘ why did this situation
occur in the first place?’

9. What is double-loop
reasoning?

10. Youth Development
Worker Presented with a
Situation or Problem
Action is taken in the
moment to correct
problem
Further reflection occurs
after the situation to
address own practice,
assumptions and
organisational practice
Double-loop reasoning is reflection on the
job

11. Youth Development
Worker Presented with a
Situation or Problem
Action is taken in the
moment to correct
problem
Further reflection occurs
after the situation to
address own practice,
assumptions and
organisational practice
It often happens after a situation has
occurred

12. Youth Development
Worker Presented with a
Situation or Problem
Action is taken in the
moment to correct
problem
Further reflection occurs
after the situation to
address own practice,
assumptions and
organisational practice
It always involves asking ‘why did this
happen?’ deeply and personally

13. Youth Development
Worker Presented with a
Situation or Problem
Action is taken in the
moment to correct
problem
Further reflection occurs
after the situation to
address own practice,
assumptions and
organisational practice
And… ‘how did my reactions and
assumptions affect this situation?’

14. Youth Development
Worker Presented with a
Situation or Problem
Action is taken in the
moment to correct
problem
Further reflection occurs
after the situation to
address own practice,
assumptions and
organisational practice
It involves four steps:

15. 1. Reflection on the theory you
have about youth development
and whether you actually applied
that theory in the moment
Youth Development
Worker Presented with a
Situation or Problem
Action is taken in the
moment to correct
problem
Further reflection occurs
after the situation to
address own practice,
assumptions and
organisational practice

16. 1. Reflection on the theory you have
about youth development and whether
you actually applied that theory in the
moment
Youth Development
Worker Presented with a
Situation or Problem
2. The creation of a new meaning
(answer) to why a situation occurred
based on your own reflections about
Action is taken in the
your theory in use and the influence of
moment to correct
problem your assumptions on your practice
Further reflection occurs
after the situation to
address own practice,
assumptions and
organisational practice

17. 1. Reflection on the theory you have
about youth development and whether
you actually applied that theory in the
moment
Youth Development
Worker Presented with a
Situation or Problem
2. The creation of a new meaning
(answer) to why a situation occurred
based on your own reflections about
Action is taken in the
your theory in use and the influence of
moment to correct
problem your assumptions on your practice
3. The creation of a new action and
Further reflection occurs
after the situation to
then the application of that action
address own practice,
assumptions and
organisational practice

18. 1. Reflection on the theory you have
about youth development and whether
you actually applied that theory in the
moment
Youth Development
Worker Presented with a
Situation or Problem
2. The creation of a new meaning
(answer) to why a situation occurred
based on your own reflections about
Action is taken in the
your theory in use and the influence of
moment to correct
problem your assumptions on your practice
3. The creation of a new action and
Further reflection occurs
after the situation to
then the application of that action
address own practice,
4. Further reflection (often in
assumptions and
organisational practice
professional conversation) and if
positive change has occurred, a
change in your professional
behaviour

19. Double-loop reasoning
0 Is reflection ‘on the job’
0 It happens after a situation has occurred
0 It involves asking ‘why’ at a very deep and personal level

20. Double-loop reasoning
0 Is reflection ‘on the job’
0 It happens after a situation has occurred
0 It involves asking ‘why’ at a very deep and personal level
0 As such …
0 It often finds that the theory you hold about youth
development may not necessarily be what you do in
action
0 It does involve you questioning your own assumptions
and behaviours
0 Its focus is on bringing about real change in the way you
apply theory to practice

21. Getting Reflective

22. Getting Reflective

23. So … growing up …
Think about the following key big picture ideas and write
down the key messages (family mottos/sayings)you
would have had as a child growing up.
For example, in my (Fiona’s) family, I learnt in my family
that ‘poverty’ (a big picture idea) was not a big issue in
New Zealand. Unlike other countries we have a welfare
system and if people actually got ‘off them bums’ and
worked then no-one would be poor. This was a key
message for me – and I had to question it later on….

24. So … growing up …
0 How did your family define/talk about success and how
can you have a successful life?

25. So … growing up …
0 How did your family define/talk about success and how
can you have a successful life?
0 What did you learn about the value of school/
education/tertiary education?

26. So … growing up …
0 How did your family define/talk about success and how
can you have a successful life?
0 What did you learn about the value of school/
education/tertiary education?
0 How about the causes of poverty – how did your family
talk about poverty?

27. So … growing up …
0 How did your family define/talk about success and how
can you have a successful life?
0 What did you learn about the value of school/
education/tertiary education?
0 How about the causes of poverty – how did your family
talk about poverty?
0 Te Tiriti o Waitangi – When it came to the Treaty, even
Waitangi day, what messages did you hear about New
Zealand’s past, present and future?

28. So … growing up …
0 How did your family define/talk about success and how
can you have a successful life?
0 What did you learn about the value of school/
education/tertiary education?
0 How about the causes of poverty – how did your family
talk about poverty?
0 Te Tiriti o Waitangi – When it came to the Treaty, even
Waitangi day, what messages did you hear about New
Zealand’s past, present and future?

29. These messages, unexamined,
will…
0 Influence how your own principles of positive youth
development will be put into practice
0 Unintentionally affect how you put theory, even
PYD theory, into practice

30. For example
0 If you were raised to believe that working hard will lead
to success, you might find yourself reacting to young
people in social disadvantage with the same messages

31. For example
0 If you were raised to believe that working hard will lead
to success, you might find yourself reacting to young
people in social disadvantage with the same messages
0 Then …. when the young person fails to respond you
might use words like ‘choice’ and ‘disengagement’ to
see the behaviour as a fault of the youth

32. For example
0 If you were raised to believe that working hard will lead
to success, you might find yourself reacting to young
people in social disadvantage with the same messages
0 Then …. when the young person fails to respond you
might use words like ‘choice’ and ‘disengagement’ to
see the behaviour as a fault of the youth
0 While some of this might have some truth … it means
that you will find it hard to make a difference because
you will not be addressing the wider social issues that
lead to disadvantage

33. An example …

34. Trying to give a voice to youth
Adrian has been working in a youth centre for a year. He
has been using Photovoice as a PYD approach to engage
youth in storytelling. Joe, a 16 year old, has refused to
engage in the project and sits to the side in most
meetings.
Adrian has put Joe’s behaviour and disengagement
down to the facts that Joe is living with a local gang and
spends most of her time huffing (sniffing petrol). Adrian
believes Joe is out-of-it most of the time so simply can’t
engage.

35. Trying to give a voice to youth
Adrian has been working in a youth centre for a year. He
has been using Photovoice as a PYD approach to engage
youth in storytelling. Joe, a 16 year old, has refused to
engage in the project and sits to the side in most
meetings.
Adrian has put Joe’s behaviour and disengagement
down to the facts that Joe is living with a local gang and
spends most of her time huffing (sniffing petrol). Adrian
believes Joe is out-of-it most of the time so simply can’t
engage.

36. Okay enough of that…

37. Adrian has put Joe’s behaviour
and disengagement down to the
facts that Joe is living with a local
gang and spends most of her time
huffing (sniffing petrol). Adrian
believes Joe is out-of-it most of the
time so simply can’t engage.

38. Adrian has put Joe’s behaviour
and disengagement down to the
facts that Joe is living with a local
gang and spends most of her time
huffing (sniffing petrol). Adrian
believes Joe is out-of-it most of the
time so simply can’t engage.
0 The reflection is very much in the moment
and is quite reactive – ie Adrian is just
justifying why something is not working

39. Adrian has put Joe’s behaviour
and disengagement down to the
facts that Joe is living with a local
gang and spends most of her time
huffing (sniffing petrol). Adrian
believes Joe is out-of-it most of the
time so simply can’t engage.
0 The reflection is very much in the moment
and is quite reactive – ie Adrian is just
justifying why something is not working
0 The reflection is not internal to Adrian – it is
not asking ‘why’ of ‘me’ but only of the
situation

40. Adrian has put Joe’s behaviour
and disengagement down to the
facts that Joe is living with a local
gang and spends most of her time
huffing (sniffing petrol). Adrian
believes Joe is out-of-it most of the
time so simply can’t engage.
0 The reflection is very much in the moment
and is quite reactive – ie Adrian is just
justifying why something is not working
0 The reflection is not internal to Adrian – it is
not asking ‘why’ of ‘me’ but only of the
situation
0 The reflection would ultimately not lead to
change

41. To make it double-loop
0 Adrian would need to ask why he initially reflected in
the way that he did:

42. To make it double-loop
0 Adrian would need to ask why he initially reflected in
the way that he did:
0 Was putting the reflection back on Joe and her
engagement actually PYD practice?

43. To make it double-loop
0 Adrian would need to ask why he initially reflected in
the way that he did:
0 Was putting the reflection back on Joe and her
engagement actually PYD practice?
0 What assumptions and underlying theories outside of
PYD really did influence Adrian’s reflection?

44. To make it double-loop
0 Adrian would need to ask why he initially reflected in
the way that he did:
0 Was putting the reflection back on Joe and her
engagement actually PYD practice?
0 What assumptions and underlying theories outside of
PYD really did influence Adrian’s reflection?
0 What would have been an alternative
response/reflection which would allow Adrian to
question his assumptions?

45. This is a true story…

46. In this case …
Adrian did give it a go. He was right that Joe had been huffing
but in talking to Joe about the stories being told (not Joe’s
huffing behaviour), Adrian found that Joe actually disagreed
with the youth in the group.
Most youth felt that gangs were bad, but Joe had found
acceptance in a gang family. She felt that the Adrian and the
young people would not like to hear her view because ‘it was
wrong.’
Adrian was then able to change the methodology so that
Joe’s perspective came through.
Adrian also found himself learning more about the reality of
Joe’s life and disadvantage in her community.

47. In conclusion
0 Double-loop reasoning can be hugely challenging for
youth workers simply because it involves being
critical about:
0 Yourself and your practice
0 The personal beliefs and assumptions you have about
society and youth development

48. In conclusion
0 Double-loop reasoning can be hugely challenging for
youth workers simply because it involves being
critical about:
0 Yourself and your practice
0 The personal beliefs and assumptions you have about
society and youth development
0 And, challenging yourself to engage in double-loop
reasoning can lead to transformation in both your
practice and the lives of young people