Abstract
This chapter considers the approach of three academic disciplines, Law, Psychology, and Pharmacy, in their use of reflective practices in undergraduate teaching. Each discipline uses portfolios or reflective journals to support their students' transition into employment, by introducing fledgling employability skills and attributes, encouraging self-awareness and an ability to articulate skills and competences, and by supporting students to becoming reflective professionals of the future, whether they pursue their degree as a pathway into their respective professions or as a stepping-stone to another career. By sharing different good practice models, this chapter offers a range of ways that the reader can adapt their own practice to support students to increase their self-awareness, modelling different approaches to reflective practice.
TopIntroduction
The use of reflective practices both in academic and professional life is commonplace, providing opportunities to pause, reflect, evaluate and change behavior. This chapter will examine the approaches taken by different academic disciplines within the University of Reading to reflective practices as an aide to supporting students during their degree programs and beyond as they transition into employment.
The authors of this chapter are all members of the academic staff of the University of Reading, a research-led university in the south of England. The student body is composed of over 23,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students from over 160 countries. A wide range of programs are delivered from pure and applied sciences to languages, humanities, social sciences, business and the arts (University of Reading, n.d.-a).
This chapter will focus upon the disciplines of Law, Psychology and Pharmacy, all courses where academic study has an obvious professional career path, albeit not every student will inevitably pursue that route. In each instance, a portfolio or reflective journal is used to support transition through their program and into employment, whether by introducing fledgling employability skills and attributes to students, encouraging self-awareness and an ability to articulate skills and competences, or by supporting students along the way to becoming the reflective professionals of the future.
Students on these programs originate from across the globe; in the academic year 2021-22, 66-82% were from the United Kingdom (UK), 6-10% were from South East Asia, 8.8% from East Asia, 6-8% from Europe, with the remaining students representing all other regions. In the same year, the average University and College Admissions Service (UCAS) entry tariff for Law students was 125, for Pharmacy was 129, and for Psychology was 138.
Reflective practice has been defined as ‘learning through and from experience towards gaining new insights of self and practice’ (Finlay, 2008, p. 1). Reflection has become increasingly important for registered professions as Continuing Professional Development (CPD) has been introduced and remains a mandatory condition of registration with professional and regulatory bodies. For example, pharmacists registered in Great Britain currently must submit a reflective account once a year as part of their revalidation and registration renewal (General Pharmaceutical Council, 2023).
Becoming a critical reflector is demanding as it requires an individual to take a step back and visualize themselves in a previous context, requiring time, contemplation and exploration of different perspectives (Smith, 2011). In much the same way as students must learn and practice critical thinking, a skill that underpins academic success, the same is true of critical reflection. Students must be taught how to reflect, and given regular opportunities to practice, scaffolding them towards increased self-awareness.
The complex language and terminology used in the teaching of reflection adds a further challenge, which can make it difficult to assimilate into teaching. There are numerous models of reflection, includingJasper’s (2013)ERA cycle,Kolb’s (1984)Experiential Learning Cycle, andGibbs' (1998)Reflective Cycle. Whilst these models have differing levels of complexity, at a basic level they each follow a cyclical approach, starting with an outline of an experience, continuing with an examination of what happened, and culminating in an action, detailing what will be done next, as a result of the experience and reflection. Portfolios and journal activities are frequently used in higher education as a repository for reflective accounts of students’ learning experiences. This facilitates the review and assessment of reflection by academic staff, and e-portfolios are particularly accessible for both students and staff. They can be accessed via an internet connection and staff and students can exchange accounts and comments easily.
For the purposes of this chapter, the following definition of portfolios is used, specifically electronic portfolios (e-portfolios):
Key Terms in this Chapter
Continuing Professional Development (CPD): Professional requirements in a range of sectors, whereby professionals in work are required to undertake ongoing development and training to maintain their professional status. The requirements vary between professions and are typically set by regulatory bodies.
Journal: A contemporaneous record of activities, where they are explored further in a reflective manner by the student or professional.
Reflective Practice: An all-encompassing phrase for a range of approaches to work or study, which requires the individual to focus not only upon what activity they have undertaken, but to think about the implications and how it might impact them in future.
E-Portfolios: An electronic method of recording work, collecting a range of sources into one place and used frequently in professional reflective practice.
Professional Development Plan (PDP): Building upon reflective practice, a student or professional creates a specific action plan for their ongoing professional development.
Portfolios: A more general term for a collection of the student or professional’s work and reflections, for consideration.
Log: A simple record of activities undertaken.
Academic Tutor System: The institutional approach at the University of Reading to support students’ academic, personal and professional development. Variously referred to as personal tutors, academic tutors and coaches across the sector, the system at Reading applies across schools and departments and provides a consistent experience for students.
Academic Tutors: Academic staff tasked with supporting students’ academic, personal and professional development. Each student is allocated an Academic Tutor who is their first port of call during their studies.