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Presentation at UFHRD 2009
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What does the HR literature tell us about promoting reflective learning to improve performance?Dr Sue GreenerBrighton Business SchoolUniversity of [email protected]
The point•Can educational institutions justify the
hyperbole about promoting reflective practice as a performance improvement tool?
•Do talking about reflection and assessing reflective practice belong more comfortably in HE and professional CPD than in the workplace?
•Searched online and publisher databases for relevant journal articles from 2003-9
The assumptions
“HRD is a field that values reflective
practice .., questioning
assumptions.., and embracing change...”
(Bierema 2005)
Literature search7 had no recent articles on reflective practice in relation to workplace learning
Main domains outside HR: healthcare/clinical practice, project management, small business, marketing
Figure 1. Situating themes in the HR literature on reflective learning for the workplace
E.g. Aims to find practical
recommendations in literature on using reflective tools to develop
innovatory practice
E.g. To establish link
between individual
learning and organisationa
l learning
Eg. How learning is acquired in
specific craft vocational
context (dry stone walling)
E.g. To operation
alise critical
reflection
Theory
Practice
Specific context
Generic context
Aims in non HR literature:• • Development of reflective practitioners in project management• Impact of self-regulated learning theory on reflective practice in
nursing• Presents a model of reflective learning in marketing based on
Kember and Mezirow.• Evaluates effects of innovation programmes in manufacturing
SMEs• Reviews undergraduates’ use of Blackboard™ to reflect online
(public health and social care)• Reviews reflection in action on the job • Reviews faith development in relation to reflective practice• Introduces reflective practice in health promotion• Proposes that reflective practice can and should be taught• Tests reflective practice groups externally facilitated over six
months, healthcare professionals development• Scenarios presented in groups for discussion - initially to help pre-
service teachers develop practical knowledge construction, then used with more experienced teachers to promote deeper reflection
Methodologies in these articles•Small case study or multiple case studies•Literature review
•Frequent reference to feminist research perspectives
•Surveys, stakeholder interviews, focus groups, action research, ethnography
•Most from qualitative, interpretivist paradigm
So were there practical applications to improving workplace performance?
Some advocates of coached reflection using structured questions – avoid self-indulgence
Some advocating longitudinal approaches: logs, diaries – how do they find the time?
Group approaches: action learning/reflective practice groups, network relationships – vulnerability?
Scenario-building/visioning/story-telling to achieve breakthrough thinking – commit to creativity
Mediation through mentor/facilitator – cost?
Focus on positive psychology – appreciative enquiry rather than post-mortem
Conclusions• Few papers to date tackle complexity and time
pressures of the workplace• Much argument for more critical HRD in
workplace, few ways forward• Much case study with little possible
generalisation• HE encourages reflective learning habits but
how sustainable are they into the workplace?• Genuine need for research into practical
strategies for reflective thinking in workplace designed to improve performance