ABSTRACT
Chapter 2 is about the role of reflection in professional practice. First, it explores the origins and legacy of the concept of reflective practice; second, it connects this to the nature of practice itself and the role of reflective thinking in professional life through the voices of professional practitioners. We begin by revisiting Donald Schön’s ideas about reflective practice and their subsequent impact on professional development. Some key foundational concepts are reviewed followed by his original characterisations of reflection in and on action, his challenge to ‘technical rationality’ with the artistry of reflective practice. The springboard is Schön’s profound contribution to our understanding of the way professional knowledge operates and evolves through reflective practice. The impact of these ideas on a diverse range of professional fields continues to be felt today in the design of curricula for professional development. The second half of the chapter presents examples of practitioner perspectives from the front line of professional practice. The voices of practitioners in medicine, social work, law and architecture provide glimpses into the intimate world of practice and give us invaluable insights into reflective thinking.
