This document discusses critical reflection in education. It defines critical reflection as the careful consideration of beliefs and knowledge in light of evidence. Educators should use critical reflection to improve their teaching practice through transformative learning. The aims of critical reflection are for teachers to self-reflect on their actions to develop supportive practices. Frameworks can guide critical reflection. Barriers include lack of time, motivation, and fear of criticism. Reflecting allows addressing problems and updating teaching styles.

1. Critical Reflection
Hawler Medical University / College Of Nursing
Newroz Khazi Aziz
B.Sc. ,M.Sc.
rose89new@gmail.com

2. Outline
• What is critical reflection?
• Aims of critical reflection.
• Why we need to reflect?
• Rules of critical reflection.
• Barriers of critical reflection.
• Frameworks.
• Example

3. How can I change my own teaching style to
improve nursing student’ outcome?
How can I work with regulation system
(hospitals and university) to improve education
system at college of nursing?

4. Critical reflection
Dewey is acknowledged as one of the first
educationalists to describe the concept of reflection and
he saw it as:
‘the active, persistent and careful consideration of any
belief or supported form of knowledge in the light of
the grounds (justifications) that support it, and the
further consideration to which it tends’.
(Dewey, 1933, p. 6)

5. The terms reflection, critical reflection, reflective
practice, reflective thinking, self-reflection and
reflexivity have similar meanings and application in
educational literature.
(Black & Plowright, 2010)

6. In the context of education, critical thinking has been
perceived as a way of improving professional practice
rather than simply recreating professional knowledge.
(Barnett, 1994)

7. Educators should use critical reflection as a part of
teaching experience to engage in transformative
learning theory.

8. Transformative learning is an educational theory that
states individuals must critically reflect on life events in
order to develop new beliefs, skill and behaviors.
(Meziro, 1997).

9. Aims of Critical reflection
Mezirow (1994) defines self- reflection as a
personal reflection that involves surfacing personal
thought and recording one’s own behaviour,
perception, judgment and reaction in relation to an
issue or practice.

10. self-reflection allows teachers to assess, evaluate and
challenge their action in order to construct new
meaning and develop a supportive practice
environment.
(McKinlay, 2008)

11. Why we need to reflect?
• New teaching subject should be introduced.
• Positive actions need to be acknowledged and shared.
• Negative actions need to be prevented and solved.
• Teachers’ criticism need to be answered by right person.
• Recurrent problems need to be prevented.
• Teachers need to update their teaching style continuously.

12. Rules of critical reflection
• It should be guided by a framework.
• Meaningful and insightful.
• Supported by evidences or logically true.
• Documented.

13. Barriers
• Time consuming
• Challenging task
• Lack of motivation and commitment
• Incompatibility of reflection with action
• Fear from uncovering knowledge deficit
• Fear from criticism and punishment

14. Frameworks
• Gibbs’ framework
• Borton’s framework
• John’s framework
• Holm and Stephenson framework

15. Borton’s framework

17. References
1. Barnett, R. (1994). The limits of competence: Knowledge, higher education, and society.
Philadelphia: Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press.
2. Black, P. E., & Plowright, D. (2010). A multi-dimensional model of reflective learning for
professional development. Reflective Practice, 11(2), 245-258.
doi:10.1080/14623941003665810
3. Dewey, J (1933) How we think. Boston, DC Heath.
4. Mezirow J. Transformative learning: Theory to practice. In: Cranton P, ed. New
Directions for Adult and Continuing Education. Vol 74. San Francisco, Calif: Jossey-
Bass; 1997:5–12.
5. McKinlay, S. (2008). Reflections on teaching. Educating Young Children: Learning and
Teaching in the Early Childhood Years, 14 (2), 10-11.
6. Mezirow, J. (1994). Understanding transformation theory. Adult Education Quarterly, 44
(4), 222-232.