Professional Learning Series: Reflect
Elevate your teaching and foster student success by embracing reflection and continuous learning.
What do we mean by reflect?
Reflective practice is essential for effective teaching and professional development. Grounded in our TeachWell Framework, it serves as both a core and extended capability for staff, fostering personal growth and enriching the educational experience.
By engaging in reflection, you can enhance your teaching effectiveness and contribute to a culture of continuous improvement.
How TeachWell Framework defines ‘contribute’ capabilities
Core capability
Core capability describes what is considered reasonable for all university teachers to be able to achieve.
“Engaging with evidence and professional learning opportunities to improve teaching.” (p. 5, TeachWell Framework, Version 2.0, 2024).
Extended capability
Extended capabilities define the University’s aspiration for teaching excellence.
“Systematically analysing direct (formative and summative assessment responses) and indirect (e.g., SET, peer reviews of teaching) evidence of learning to identify priorities for innovating and better supporting student learning;
Proactively seeking and listening to student voice, and responding appropriately;
Engaging with the scholarly literature about practices most likely to improve learning;
Proactively pursuing own learning about teaching and learning;
Articulating a clear sense of purpose for teaching and learning as transformative experiences for teacher and student.” (p. 6).
Discover how the framework can help with reflection, goal setting and the ADPR process for teaching teams, department, and schools on page 8 of the document.
What is reflective practice?
Reflective practice involves the deliberate and structured process of critically examining your teaching methods, decisions, and outcomes. It is about looking back on your actions and experiences to gain insights, challenge assumptions, and improve future practices. This process is essential for adapting to the dynamic educational environment and fostering continuous improvement1
Why reflect?
Enhance your teaching effectiveness
Identify what works and what needs improvement.2
Challenge norms and innovate
Question established practices to promote innovation.3
Increase student engagement
Understand student experiences to create supportive environments.3
Support your professional growth
Develop new skills and set meaningful goals.
Aligning with Signature Pedagogical Practices
Reflective practice is integral to implementing our Signature Pedagogical Practices effectively:
- Relational learning – to foster meaningful connections with students through reflective practices
- Assessment for learning – to evaluate how assessments support ongoing learning and skill development
- Technology-enhanced learning – to critically reflect on technology use to ensure it meets pedagogical needs
Practical steps for reflective practice
Self-reflective exercises
1. Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ)
What it is: A tool to gather feedback from students about their learning experiences.
Where to find it: Stephen Brookfield’s website (5-min read).
How to use it: Ask students questions like “What was the most engaging moment?” to understand their perspectives and adjust your teaching accordingly.
2. Teaching Perspectives Inventory (TPI)
What it is: An inventory developed by John B. Collins and Daniel D. Pratt to understand your teaching philosophy and style.6
Where to find it: TPI website.
How to use it: Complete the TPI online to get a profile of your teaching perspectives and reflect on how your results align with your discipline’s signature pedagogies.
3. Kolb’s Learning Cycle
What it is: A model created in 1981 by educational theorist David Kolb that identifies different stages in the learning process, including concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation, and active experimentation.
Where to find it: Resources like Simply Psychology and Learning Theories websites. University of Leicester’s resource on David Kolb’s Learning Styles (includes practical examples and applications in HE).
How to use it: Use Kolb’s Learning Cycle to reflect on your own learning experiences and adapt your teaching methods accordingly. This helps you understand and support the diverse ways your students learn.
4. Brookfield’s four lenses on practice
What it is: A method to reflect on your teaching from four perspectives: self, student, peer, and literature.
Where to find it: Western Sydney University’s guide (10-min read). Introductory video on YouTube (6-mins). Brookfield’s book Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher, available from UoA library (available in print and online editions).
How to use it: Regularly seek feedback from students, discuss your teaching with colleagues, read relevant literature, and reflect on your own experiences.
Integrating reflective practice into your routine enhances your teaching effectiveness and supports professional growth. By regularly reflecting on your methods, you can identify strengths, improve skills, and align approaches with career goals like promotion.
Resources for further exploration
“Action Research as Evidence-based Practice (PDF)” by Crawford (2022) highlights the role of collegial peer observation in reflective practice.
“Conceptualizing the Complexity of Reflective Practice in Education” article by Mohamed et al. (2022) aims to provide a revised, more holistic view of reflective practice.
“Reflection as Teachers: Our Critical Developments” (2022) publication gives insights into how critical reflection can shape teaching practices and enhance teacher development and resilience.
“Towards a Theory of the Ecology of Reflection” by Harvey et al. (2016) offers a theoretical framework for reflective practice in experiential learning.
Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher by Stephen Brookfield (2017) is a seminal work on critical reflection in pedagogy.
TeachThought – educator and blogger Terry Heick’s site with concise posts for enhancing reflective practice in education.
Stay up-to-date with TeachWell Digital
Subscribe to the TeachWell Digital newsletter and Learning Futures newsletter for the latest announcements, and engage with our community. Finally, don’t forget to check TeachWell Digital as we frequently share new ideas and resources for developing and sharing one’s teaching practice.
Page updated 15/10/2024 (page added)
- Brookfield, Stephen D. Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2017. ↩
- Schön, Donald A. The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. New York, NY: Basic Books, 1983. ↩
- Brookfield, Stephen D. Teaching for Critical Thinking: Tools and Techniques to Help Students Question Their Assumptions. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2012. ↩
- Rolfe, Gary, Dawn Freshwater, and Melanie Jasper. Critical Reflection in Nursing and the Helping Professions: A User’s Guide. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. 2001. ↩
- Bolton, Gary. Reflective Practice, Writing and Professional Development. London: Paul Chapman Publishing Ltd., 2001. ↩
- Collins, John B., and Daniel D. Pratt. ”The Teaching Perspectives Inventory.” Adult Education Quarterly, 61, no. 4 (2011): 358-375. ↩