A practitioner review of reflective practices in programmes for new academic staff

1
A practitioner review of reflective practices
in programmes for new academic staff

• Dr Peter Kahn
• University of Manchester
• Dr Richard Young
• University of Newcastle

2
Context for review

• Indications that there is a widespread use of
  reflective practices in programmes for new
  academics
• Professional standards set to incorporate the
  notion of reflective practice
• Drive towards evidence based practice in HE,
  although this has proved difficult to effect
• Acceptance of practitioner-based research

3
Outline of review

• Focus on reflective practices
• to cover what practices are used and any evidence
  of their impact
• Review process
• process derived from systematic reviews, a
  practitioner focus, and the need for
  collaboration.
• a concurrent evaluation will look at the review
  process

4
Theory and practice

• Origins of action research
• experiments in the field
• direct application of theory within practice
• New perspectives
• theory alone has little power to change practice
• experience from dissemination and modern theories
  of learning
• need for a mediating discourse between theory and
  practice (Gustavsen, 2001)

5
Mediating discourse

• Change in practice is generated by the density
  and richness of social relationships
• this affects the capacity for developing ideas
• Role for communities of practice, supported by
  reified practices
• An agreed process for carrying out some practice
  can provide the basis for exchanges between
  colleagues, and critical collaborations

6
Characteristics of the review

• Review process derived in part from systematic
  reviews
• Practitioner focus
• coverage of review involvement of practitioners
  appraisal of studies incorporates scope for
  influencing practice
• Community of practice
• collaboration based on sub-reviews online
  collaborative work environment peripheral
  participation

7
Further reading

• Gustavsen B (2001) Theory and Practice the
  mediating discourse, in Reason P and Bradbury H
  (eds) Handbook of Action Research, Sage
  Publications, London, pp17-26
• Kahn P E and Macdonald R (2005) A systematic
  approach for staff and educational developers who
  would like evidence to inform their practice,
  Educational Developments, 6(2), pp17-20
• Kahn P E and Walsh L (in press, 2006) Developing
  your Teaching, RoutlegeFalmer, London
• Saunders M (2000) Beginning an evaluation with
  RUFDATA theorising an approach to evaluation
  planning, Evaluation, 6(1) pp 7-21 Online,
  accessed August 2005, http//www.lancs.ac.uk/fss/
  projects/edres/ltsn-eval/docs.htm
• Wenger E (2002) Cultivating communities of
  practice, Harvard Business School Press, Boston,
  Mass