Reflective Practice and Evaluation

Understanding Reflective Practice

Reflective Practice: This is a process where you stop and think about your practice, consciously analysing your decision making and drawing on theory as well as personal experience.
Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle: Gibbs’ cycle encourages you to think systematically about the phases of an experience or activity. The cycle includes description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion, and action plan.
Schön’s Reflective Model: Donald Schön proposed two types of reflection: reflection-on-action (after the experience) and reflection-in-action (during the experience).

Self-awareness: Reflective practice enhances self-awareness of one’s own strengths and areas for improvement, contributing towards continuous personal and professional growth.
Improved Quality of Service: Reflective practice can lead to improvements in service provision by helping to identify gaps in care delivery or areas that need improvement.
Knowledge Application: Reflective practice connects practical experiences with theoretical learning, helping to improve understanding and application of knowledge.

Documentation: Reflection can be documented in a reflective journal or diary. Writing reflective accounts can help solidify thoughts and feelings about experiences.
Honesty: A key part of reflective practice is being honest about feelings, thoughts and actions. This can sometimes be uncomfortable, but it is necessary for growth and development.
Feedback: Seek feedback from others to gain different perspectives and to challenge your own assumptions.

Formative Evaluation: Use reflective practice in formative evaluation to continuously check whether the service provision or care is meeting its intended goals.
Summative Evaluation: Reflective practice can be used in summative evaluations to judge the quality and effectiveness of a program, intervention, or service.
Action Plan: Based on the reflections and evaluations, formulate a clear action plan to bring about change where necessary.

Time Management: One of the major barriers to reflective practice is time. Ensure you set aside regular time slots for reflection.
Emotional Challenges: Reflection may bring up uncomfortable feelings or thoughts. Acknowledge these emotions and use them productively to drive changes.
Professional Support: Discuss reflections with colleagues or mentors. They can often provide additional insight or suggest alternative approaches to handling issues.