The reflective practitioner

1
The reflective practitioner

• Lin Norton
• Liverpool Hope University
• Associate specialist co-ordinator
• (pedagogical research in psychology teaching)
• HEA Psychology Network

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Outline of presentation

• Part One some background
• Reflective practice
• Action research
• Part Two turning your learning and teaching
  issues into research

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Why is it important for Psychology lecturers to
be reflective practitioners?

• The demands of the Psychology profession (BPS
  requirements for Continuing Professional
  Development and the goals of the Division for
  Teachers and Researchers in Psychology)
• The government agenda (widening participation and
  the professionalisation of university teachers)
• Personal satisfaction

4
The Government Agenda on widening participation

• Continue to increase participation of 18-30yr
  olds to 50
• Meet economy's need for higher level skills
• Raise participation for students from
  non-traditional backgrounds and lower income
  families
• Establish stronger links with business and
  economy
• (DfES, 2003).   

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Aims of the BPS Division for Teachers
Researchers in Psychology

• To promote the highest standards of excellence in
  both teaching and research
• To ensure that the essential mutual relationship
  between teaching and research, which is so
  special in psychological science, is sustained
  wherever psychologists are engaged in teaching
• To promote the application of psychological
  knowledge in the teaching of psychology

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Taking account of the student experience

• Q. How many of these statements do you agree
  with?
• First year Psychology students.
• Read widely
• Are numerate computerate
• Find it easy to write (essays, lab reports, exam
  answers)
• Enjoy group work and team working and
  presentations
• Have a conception of learning that is active and
  transformational
• Believe that knowledge is neither certain nor
  stable
• Tend to take a deep approach to their studies
• Expect that they will be autonomous learners
• Enjoy opportunities to carry out self and peer
  assessment
• Enjoy problem-based learning approaches

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The effects of diversity

• Gibbs Simpson (2003) identify some of our
  mistaken assumptions
• Sophistication of knowledge background (basic
  misconceptions)
• Study skills (writing and reading can be at a
  low level)
• Conceptions of learning (passive/incremental
  rather than active transformational)
• Conception of knowledge (knowledge is stable
  certain)
• Expectations of higher education (dislike
  activities, presentations, group work peer
  assessment)

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What does being a reflective practitioner mean?

• The term reflective practitioner used by Donald
  SchÖn (1983) owes much to the philosophies of
• John Dewey (1930s) and
• Jurgen Habermas (1970s)

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John Deweys conception of reflection

• Concerned with reflective thinking being caused
  by some difficulty, uncertainty or doubt
• Reflective activity should include some form of
  testing out ideas derived from reflective
  thinking
• Emphasis on evidence and rationality

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Habermas conception of reflection

• Habermas more concerned with the processes
  involved in developing knowledge
• Of particular interest to us as Psychologists
  because he challenges empirical analytical
  enquiry
• Emphasis on self-understanding and realising how
  the self can distort so called objective methods
  of data collection and analysis

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Donald SchÖn (1983) The reflective practitioner

• Work of SchÖns thinking developed from earlier
  work with Argyris on the distinction between
• Espoused theories and Theories in use
• ReferenceArgyris, C SchÖn, D. (1974) Theory
  into practice. San Francisco Jossey Bass

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Espoused theories and theories in use in HE
context
Espoused theories are supposed to characterise
the profession Q What are the espoused theories
of teaching degree level psychology in your HEI?
(What are your beliefs about teaching Psychology
at university? Where have they come
from?) Theories in use are what characterises
day to day work of the professional Q What are
your theories in use? Do they differ from your
espoused theories and if so, why?
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Practical suggestions for being a reflective
practitioner

• Challenge your own assumptions and values by
  engaging with SOTL research PRHE conference
  flyer
• Engage in CPD through
• HEA Psychology Subject Network
• HEA
• BPS- Division for teachers and researchers in
  Psychology
• Carry out your own research into teaching and
  learning

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Pedagogical action research

• Subject research
• Pedagogical research
• Theoretical
• Applied
• Action research
• Pedagogical Action Research

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What are the characteristics of action research?

• Concerned with social practice
• Aimed towards improvement
• A cyclical process
• Pursued by systematic enquiry
• A reflective process
• Participative
• Determined by the practitioners
• ReferenceKember (2000) Action learning and
  action research. Improving the quality of
  teaching and learning LondonKogan Page

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Questions to ask ourselves to promote reflective
teaching (Brown, 1999)

• What kinds of things do we want our students to
  learn?
• What learning opportunities do we provide?
• What feedback do we provide?
• What assessment tasks do we set?
• What methods of assessment do we use?
• What do the students learn?
• HOW DO WE KNOW?.

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How do we know???

• Through assessment? strategic students,
  declarative rather than functioning knowledge
  (Biggs 2002)
• Through course evaluation? influenced by
  student characteristics and lecture charisma (Dr
  FOX)
• Through pedagogical research generic
  (scholarship of teaching and learning) and
  subject specific (R2P)
• Through carrying out our own action research
  where the aim is to modify practice

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The case for Action Research
The primary aim of action research is to solve a
problem within the process of the research. In
the context of teaching psychology, it
contributes both to pedagogical knowledge and to
the subsequent modification of our teaching
practice. It is a cyclical process of planning,
action, and investigating the state of affairs
after action has occurred Lindsay, Breen
Jenkins (2002)
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How to turn a learning/teaching issue into a
research project

• ITDEM
• Identifying a problem/paradox/ issue/difficulty
  
• Thinking of ways to tackle the problem
• Doing it
• Evaluating it
• Modifying future teaching. Norton
  (2001)

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Trying out the ITDEM process

• Identifying the issue the lottery exercise
• Thinking of ways of tackling it pool our
  suggestions
• Doing it if a real project
• Evaluating it pool our suggestions
• Modifying future practice if a real project

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So what does ped. action research mean for us and
our teaching Psychology? 1

• Pedagogical publications will help
  professionalise the role of the Psychology
  teacher in higher education.
• The knowledge that we get from researching our
  own teaching can be put to immediate practical
  use, unlike some more theoretical or abstract
  research.
• Researching our own teaching encourages us to
  learn from the wider pedagogical research
  literature.
• Pedagogical research is increasingly being
  recognised as RAE research output.

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So what does ped. action research mean for us and
our teaching Psychology? 2

• Researching our teaching practice plugs us into a
  fellowship of psychology lecturers who have
  similar interests, concerns and commitments PLAT
  2006 conference.
• Can lead to research collaborations and the
  opportunity to bid for funding to further develop
  our learning and teaching initiatives.
• HEA Psychology network is the very best source of
  support for this fellowship .
• Please also consider the benefits of joining the
  BPS Division for Teachers and Researchers in
  Psychology and contributing articles to
  Psychology Teaching Review