ABSTRACT
Critical reflection is seen as the cornerstone of teachers' professional practice; however, there is much debate as to what critical reflection is, how it is enacted, and what it achieves. The emotional dimension of critical reflection is acknowledged in initiating the critical reflective process resulting in possible changes in the 'emotional schemas through which we perceive ourselves and relate to the world'. Reflection draws on existential phenomenology and critical theory to inform self-and social awareness, and critical thinking. Which draws on scepticism and critical theory focusing on identifying and challenging assumptions about oneself and about the context in order to imagine and explore alternatives. At the individual level, critical reflection may be affected by a learner's cognitive ability, willingness to engage in the reflective process. Also orientation to change, commitment to self-enquiry and readiness to change practice, and self-awareness.
