ABSTRACT
The chapter briefly outlines the Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT) inter-disciplinary project, Exploring the contribution of reflective practice on the employability of graduate teachers and social workers, that provided the original motivation for this book. Our team aimed to investigate how reflective capabilities impact graduate students’ employability and to develop learning resources to support the acquisition of reflective practice skills in academic, professional, field experience and workplace settings. Details of each stage of the project’s research design is discussed. The first stage sought the views of professionals (including school principals, organisational directors, managers and early career teachers and social workers) and academics to investigate multiple perspectives on reflective practice and how (whether) reflective practice capabilities influenced employment decisions. Published Australian national standards and employment criteria relating to social work and education were also analysed. The second stage, shaped by the stage one findings, began with the development of four multi-modal online modules alongside a series of professional vignettes. The project’s findings and outcomes are briefly documented including the development of a range of case studies, vignettes and professional resources that look at the benefits of professional reflective practice more broadly. This chapter also introduces the key ideas, themes and storylines that are discussed in more detail and elaborated through the book.
