Embedding employability
Know Thyself:
Reflection for Employment
Price Waterhouse Coopers
Sunday Times - last October – degree
classification no longer significant criterion for
recruitment.
New approach: ‘What challenges did you face and
how did you stay focused? What have you learnt
about yourself?’
Grimston, J. and Gourlay, C.(2010) ‘Employers sideline ‘devalued’ degrees’,
Sunday Times. 10 October, p18.
Reflection in Practice
Final year module in Disability Studies at
Liverpool Hope

This module looks at evolving understandings of
reflective practice and its relationship to
theoretical concepts. You will be encouraged to
give profound and critical consideration to the
essential involvement of human relationships in
professional practice. Your analysis of this topic
will inform your future practice, personal
development and interpersonal relationships.
(Reflection in Practice Handbook)
Reflective Practice
Donald Schon (1930 – 1997)
His Doctoral dissertation in 1955 was on
Dewey’s theory of inquiry.
 He trained as a philosopher, but it was his
concern with the development of reflective
practice and learning systems within
organisations and communities for which
he is remembered.


Significantly, he was also an accomplished
pianist and clarinettist – playing in both
jazz and chamber groups. This interest in
improvisation and structure was mirrored
in his academic writing, most notably in his
exploration of professional’s ability to ‘think
on their feet’.
http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-schon.htm
What is reflexivity?
Nightingale and Cromby (1999) suggest that:
Reflexivity requires an awareness of the researcher's
contribution to the construction of meanings throughout
the research process, and an acknowledgment of the
impossibility of remaining 'outside of' one's subject
matter while conducting research.
Reflexivity then, urges us to explore the ways in which a
researcher's involvement with a particular study
influences, acts upon and informs such research. (p.228)
Nightingale, D. & Cromby, J. (Eds) (1999). Social constructionist psychology,
Buckingham: Open University Press.
Student task on social constructivism:
In groups of five….
 give each subgroup a slip of paper
(privately) that names a profession to
which they belong during the exercise.
The subgroup's task is to describe the
room in which we are working from the
standpoint of their profession…

Assessment: 100% weighting
5,000 words
submission 8th April 2011

You will critically evaluate your personal
and academic development throughout
your degree course, demonstrating an
understanding of reflective practice,
disability issues and a high level of selfawareness.
Guidance

This should be a highly reflective
piece, assessing your own
development, including personal
challenges and the strengths (and
limitations) you feel you will bring to
professional practice. Reading and
learning from throughout your degree
course should be referred to.
Reflective Portfolio

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
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The value of reflection/reflective practice (Donald Schon;
John Dewey; David Kolb; Jenny Moon; Gillie Bolton)
Personal self-awareness / reflexivity
Relation of personal values to professional practice
Personal understanding of disability issues –
development of thinking in that area. (lots of refs)
Relationship of that understanding to professional
practice
Moments of growth….
Conclusions – reflecting on reflecting
Theory
Colleagues
Unexamined assumptions
Autobiography
Practice
JOHARI WINDOW
others
Known to
self and
others
self
Known to others
B
A
___________________
Known to self
Hidden /
unconscious
C
Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham (1970)
D
A-ideal
B-bull-in-achina-shop
C-interviewer
D-turtle
Hanson1973
The ability to recognise, and respond
appropriately to, one’s emotions and
those of other people.
•Interpersonal skills
•Intrapersonal skills
…. Emotional literacy
Listening, and responding, with
empathy:

Phenomenology?
Feelings:
How do you respond if you are with
someone who is;
1. Angry
2.
Sad
3.
Rude to others
Personal feelings:

Avoidance depletes energy…
values
What constitutes our personal values?
Where do they come from?
Do they change?
experiences
Upbringing
Life experiences
Studies
Community and wider world
beliefs
Spirituality
Religion
Personal convictions (overlap with values)
Political commitments and social identities
Political allegiance
Culture
Class group
Reflect:
What are the influences on your life?
Reflect:
What can you learn from those influences
that you might use in future encounters?
Reframing:

Thinking on our feet without bypassing our
brain
Problem solving
(embedded why’s )
Thompson, N. & Thompson, S. (2008) The Critically Reflective Practitioner London.
Russell House
Why is the fridge so disgusting?
Because no one in the flat cleans it.
Why does no one in the flat clean it?
Because they all hope someone else will.
Why do they hope someone else will?
Because no one likes doing it.
Why does no one like doing it?
Because we’re lazy – and it’s messy – and it’s not all one person’s food.
Why is it not all one person’s?
Because we share the fridge.
Then share the cleaning tasks…
Reflection-on-action

What?

So what?

Now what?
Prompts:

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Good/bad – what went well; what didn’t?
Erase/Rewind – if I could do it again…
Why did I do that – HHH – what drove me?
Humble Pie – was I challenged? Did I learn?
Making a difference – did it promote change?
for better or worse?
Extract from student essay

Self awareness involves recognising that we are
not perfect and that we will make mistakes from
time to time. It also involves a degree of humility
and the recognition of the dangers of being too
self-assured or over confident (Thompson and
Thompson, 2008:157-8). In order to be a
reflective practitioner, it is essential to know your
feelings, attitudes and values and to be aware of
the effect you have on others (Burnard
1992:126). (CT 2011, unpublished)
So, how does reflective practice embed
employability?
‘Through writing this piece I can now see
aspects of my life which I didn’t know
existed and therefore understand myself
more, so will be able to fully reflect.’
 ‘This new level of academic confidence
has given me the determination to achieve
all I can during my time at university and in
my future career’


(KMW 2011 unpublished)
‘While undergoing my personal reflection I
have learnt more about myself than I
previously did, which is why I think I found
the essay so hard.’
 ‘Reflection is a key tool, not only for
professionals but for everyone, as we can
all learn about ourselves and our choices
through reflecting. It enables us to be most
efficient at what we choose to do’

References
Bolton, G. (2010) Reflective Practice London. Sage
Gardner, H (1999) Intelligence Reframed New York Basic Books
Hanson, P. (1973) ‘The Johari Window – a model for soliciting and
giving feedback’ in Jones, J and Pfeifer, J (eds) The 1973 Handbook
for Group Facilitators p114 – 119 Pfeifer and Co.
Hough, M (2006) Counselling skills and theory Abingdon Hodder
Arnold
Johnson, D (1993) Reaching Out: Interpersonal effectiveness and selfactualisation MA Allyn & Bacon
Mortiboys, A (2002) The Emotionally Intelligent Lecturer Birmingham
SEDA
Nightingale, D. & Cromby, J. (Eds) (1999). Social constructionist
psychology, Buckingham: Open University Press.
Palmer, P.J.(1997) The courage to teach San Francisco Jossey Bass
Thompson, N. and Thompson, S. (2008) The Critically Reflective
Practitioner London. Russell House
Socrates
Know thyself:
The unexamined life is not worth living