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ORIENTATIONS TOWARDS REFLECTION

 

An analysis of different orientations towards reflection.

There are a range of responses to the term ‘reflection’, some of which have been coloured by the way it has been treated in higher and professional education in the advent of competence-based curricula.

You have probably heard some of the following:

“Reflection is a load of rubbish! A load of naval gazing and yet more tick boxes!”

“I am struggling with the demands of the system and my workload. It was suggested that I look at this module – as if I haven’t got enough to do!”

“We all do reflection, don’t we? What’s the point in writing it down?”

“I am interested in reflection as a learning tool; I think it could help trainees in their shortened working week.”

If asked to reflect on areas with which we feel less comfortable, we may find reflection conflicts with our values. It may therefore help to know where our orientation preferences lie.

If you engage in reflection of some sort, your orientation can be determined by your answers to two questions:

  • How do you view the role of education?
  • How do you see the relationship between individuals and society?

Is your view of education one of maintaining the status quo and helping people to fit into a system or is it a view of liberating people to effect change and to challenge the norm?

Would you say that you prefer to focus on systems and how they work and can be improved, or on people and how they function and can develop?

See your reflection orientation as a result of your answers:

View of education

Preferred focus

Reflection Orientation

Domesticating

Systems focus

Technical

Domesticating

People focus

Deliberative

Liberating

Systems focus

Dialectal

Liberating

People focus

Transpersonal

 

Technically orientated reflectors tend to build structures and to employ methodologies designed to efficiently and effectively achieve predetermined ends. They are likely to accept institutionally determined content and ends and ask questions such as, ‘How can I achieve my goals for patients most efficiently? What are the most efficient and effective techniques to use to care for my patients?’ Above all they are concerned with efficiency and effectiveness of the work context.

Deliberatively oriented reflectors tend to create environments and employ methods to help others to find meaning and success within the existing system. They are likely to accept institutional goals but may negotiation for changes in detail to suit the individuals with whom they work (patients and/or colleagues.) They ask questions such as ‘how can I make this better for the patient within the current organisational context?’ Their focus is on people within the work context.

Dialectically oriented reflectors are outer directed, with a view to building coalitions which promote political empowerment and social equity. They are likely to focus on political and social issues and to question the ways in which institutions replicate the status quo. They often want to redesign organisations to be more democratic and wish to free people from cultural oppression in the workplace. Their focus is on empowerment of the individual leading to change in the work context.

Transpersonally oriented reflectors are by contrast inner directed. They promote the personal and holistic development of individuals in a context that extends beyond the workplace. They are likely to question things from a personal, inner perspective and ask questions such as ‘how can I integrate my personal growth with my vocation? They focus on the integration of the individual’s subjective experiences beyond the workplace.