ABSTRACT
The importance of a reflective approach to practice has been emphasized in many professions in recent years. Donald Schon' s The Reflective Practitioner (1983) drew attention to the fact that professional competence involves more than the application of technical expertise; not a new idea but one which had, up till then, little apparent influence on the design of university courses for the professions. Since the early 1980s there has been a great deal of discussion about educating reflective practitioners particularly in professions such as teaching, nursing and social work where field experience and academic course work need to be closely integrated (Schon 1987; Zeichner and Liston 1987; Korthagen 1988; Clift, Houston and Prignach 1990; Palmer, Bums and Bulman 1994; Smith and Hatton 1993). Such discussion has emphasized the importance of focusing on the artistry of practice and, within courses, of creating opportunities for students to engage in activities which promote reflective practice.
