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Book part
Publication date: 8 August 2017

Jolene M. Miller

Library administration is a balancing act: leading and managing the library and its employees while simultaneously responding to initiatives and demands of institutional leaders…

Abstract

Library administration is a balancing act: leading and managing the library and its employees while simultaneously responding to initiatives and demands of institutional leaders and/or trustees. This chapter provides an overview of emotional self-regulation, its importance to library administrators, and the roles that intentional reflective practice and mindfulness play in adaptive emotional self-regulation. There were few articles exploring the impact of intentional reflective practice or mindfulness in libraries, particularly with respect to emotional self-regulation. Much of the reviewed literature was from other disciplines; however, there was much to be applied to library administrators. There are a variety of techniques for intentional reflective practice that library administrators can use to improve emotional self-regulation (as well as improve other aspects of performance). There are fewer techniques to increase mindfulness, though there is stronger evidence of the benefits of mindfulness meditation on emotional self-regulation. This chapter is the first review applying intentional reflective practice and mindfulness on the emotional self-regulation of library administrators.

Details

Emotion in the Library Workplace
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78743-083-9

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 October 2020

Lisa Rowe, Neil Moore and Paul McKie

This paper explores the challenges, issues and benefits of reflective practice faced by work-based practitioners undertaking negotiated experiential learning. The study focuses…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper explores the challenges, issues and benefits of reflective practice faced by work-based practitioners undertaking negotiated experiential learning. The study focuses upon the case of a ground-breaking UK-based Senior Leader Master's Degree Apprenticeship (SLMDA) programme which requires learners to develop and apply reflective practice skills through comprehensive work-based learning and research activities. Degree apprenticeships represent a significant opportunity for providers and employers to become more closely aligned in the joint development and promotion of innovative learning opportunities, yet the efficacy of individually negotiated, experiential learning and reflective practice for senior leaders within a challenging healthcare environment remains relatively unexplored from a tripartite perspective. This paper investigates the role of reflective practice within a leading degree apprenticeship programme which embraces this pedagogic approach and considers the potential barriers and benefits for learners and their organisations.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper begins by discussing the nature of reflective practice in the workplace and explores the growing importance of this activity in contemporary organisations. Theoretical and conceptual foundations relating to experiential learning and reflective practice are analysed and discussed. The SLMDA programme and NHS case organisation are described in detail. Qualitative data drawn from semi-structured interviews undertaken with learners, employers and personal academic tutors (PATs) are then analysed to identify the key issues and challenges encountered.

Findings

The study identifies the benefits of reflective practice, explores the challenges and issues that act as barriers to reflective practice and highlights the importance of the role of the personal academic tutor (PAT) and that of employers in supporting and developing reflective practice in one of the first SLMDA programmes to launch within the UK.

Originality/value

Although reflective practice and work-based research have attracted considerable scholarly activity, investigations have overwhelmingly been focused upon professions such as teaching and nursing and have explored challenges and issues from the perspective of the provider. This study explores reflective practice from the viewpoint of learners, employers and PATs and thereby seeks to complement and expand current understanding by developing a more holistic approach. This work will inform future programme design, practitioner skills development and employer support procedures as learners plan and prepare to facilitate work-based research projects within their organisations.

Article
Publication date: 4 September 2017

Juhani Ukko, Sanna Hildén, Minna Saunila and Kati Tikkamäki

The purpose of the study is to investigate how organizations can exploit performance management through reflective practice to foster innovativeness and performance.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to investigate how organizations can exploit performance management through reflective practice to foster innovativeness and performance.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual framework has been designed to link the studied concepts and to explicitly indicate current research gaps in the area. Moreover, the authors have conducted interventionist case studies to understand the interconnections between theory and practice.

Findings

This study showed that there are many possibilities with which to exploit performance management through reflective practice to foster innovativeness and performance. The study has three main implications. First, reflective practice can be learned and developed. Second, reflective practice is connected to innovativeness and performance. Third, performance management through performance measurement systems can assist in targeting the reflective practice.

Originality/value

New forms of performance measurement and management are receiving increasingly amount of attention, because the traditional forms of managing organizations do not fulfill the needs of rapidly changing environment. Prior studies maintain that a performance measurement and management supports the periodic execution of the same routines in organizations where changes are small or non-existent. In these forms, the role of reflection as an individual, collective or organizational practice is emphasized.

Details

Journal of Accounting & Organizational Change, vol. 13 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1832-5912

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Article
Publication date: 29 June 2020

Adebayo Serge Francois Koukpaki and Kweku Adams

The purpose of this paper is to explore ways in which learning and development (L&D) professionals use reflective practice to promote the function of L&D and their own…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore ways in which learning and development (L&D) professionals use reflective practice to promote the function of L&D and their own professional growth. The claim that L&D practitioners need to develop their reflective ability to make sense of their own practice is well-argued in the literature, but few studies focus on an in-depth individual self-reflection and its impact on professional growth.

Design/methodology/approach

An autoethnography and reflective practice design was deployed. The data was collected by sending a semi-structured, pre-set question as a ‘reflective conversation’ to an L&D manager and a 10-hour tape recording of personal reflection over three months.[AQ1] Data was sanitised, transcribed and edited, and a narrative data analysis method was used to analyse the data developed into reflective narratives.

Findings

The authors find that reflective practice emerges through gradual reflective patterns that define the circumstances surrounding the reflection, the content, exploration and interpretation and confirming the fulfilling of the reflection.

Originality/value

This paper offers the journey of an L&D manager working in the hotel industry in India. Through a set of reflective practices, including introspection and reflexivity, the manager considers the changes she has experienced. The paper contributes to the literature on reflective practice based on promoting the L&D function as an essential part of the horizontal integration of human resource management in organisations. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Details

European Journal of Training and Development, vol. 44 no. 8/9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-9012

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Article
Publication date: 6 November 2023

Esther Asiedu, Ebenezer Malcalm, Afia Nyarko Boakye and Cornelius Kwarkoh Kwarkoh Amoah

The purpose of this study is to examine the moderating effect of the reflective practice of business students on how it helps to develop their employability skills through various…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the moderating effect of the reflective practice of business students on how it helps to develop their employability skills through various university strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employed a simple random sample to select undergraduate level 400 students from the Universities under study (the University of Ghana, University of Professional Studies Ghana, Lancaster University Ghana and Webster University Ghana). Only final-year students with an informed judgement on the reflective practice and various institutional practices to acquire graduate employability skills were participated. The independent variables of the study are institutional strategies (curriculum design, extra curriculum, work-integrated learning, career development centre, university collaboration with the industry, student engagement, internship job placement), the moderator is the reflective practice and the dependent variable of the study is graduate employability.

Findings

The study found that the moderation role of reflective practice had a significant effect on institutional strategies (extracurriculum, career development centre, university collaboration with the industry, student engagement and internship job placement) and graduate employability.

Research limitations/implications

The study was limited to only undergraduate business students from four universities ignoring other disciplines and postgraduate students.

Practical implications

The practical implication is that reflective practice must be an integral tool for various universities if they want students to use their strategies to sharpen their employability skills.

Social implications

The social implications of the study emphasise the reflective practice of graduate students in universities. This implies that firms and other institutions must consider reflective practice for the maximum output of their employees.

Originality/value

The concept of employability is a bit complex as it concerns many stakeholders of the educational process; the students, academic staff, employers, policymakers and higher education; the private sector; and the government. Although examining students' employability development skills is of great importance, students' reflective practice tends to be overlooked in most studies. Therefore, the focus of this study examines how the reflective practice of graduate students promotes employability through the various university strategies, which had not been considered.

Details

Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-3896

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Article
Publication date: 16 November 2015

Minna Saunila and Juhani Ukko

The purpose of this paper is to examine the outcomes of reflective practices in services. The paper contributes to the current understanding of the relationship between reflective

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the outcomes of reflective practices in services. The paper contributes to the current understanding of the relationship between reflective practice and outcomes by presenting a description of the internal (i.e. what kind of reflection is required to attain the desired outcomes) and external (i.e. under what kind of circumstances does reflection result in the desired outcomes) factors of reflective practices.

Design/methodology/approach

The results of this investigation are based on a mixed-method research approach that utilises both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods.

Findings

According to the results, reflective practices are indeed connected to outcomes. Reflective practices foster better outcomes when they are more explicit and targeted through different organisational levels. The role of performance management and measurement is important in connecting the reflective practices with performance. Performance management must be considered as a communication and social system that allows the employees to discuss the learning and development process as a part of the results.

Practical implications

As a practical contribution, the results of the research may help professionals begin to understand that leveraging reflective practices may aid an organisation in achieving its desired outcomes.

Originality/value

Hitherto, studies that discuss the interphase of reflective practices and outcomes have mainly been theoretical considerations or surveys that lack an in-depth understanding of how the different methods operate in a real-life context. When focusing on the previous research, it is clear that in-depth empirical studies are needed to achieve a deeper understanding of the mechanisms and arrangements that connect reflective practice and outcomes. This research addresses this research gap by examining the outcomes of reflective practices in services.

Details

International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, vol. 7 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-669X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2001

Stephen Hackett

Looks initially at the theoretical foundations of both competency‐based training (CBT) and reflective practice, then at current approaches to CBT and reflective practice. The…

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Abstract

Looks initially at the theoretical foundations of both competency‐based training (CBT) and reflective practice, then at current approaches to CBT and reflective practice. The compatibility of these two in educational practice, and the extent to which they might be combined in an educational or training context is discussed. CBT and reflective practice are not regarded as having a mutual equivalence in adult education and training. Rather, it is argued that they constitute two approaches within this educational field which function at different levels of teaching and learning and, as such, there exists at least the potential for them to be designed and developed so as to be complementary.

Details

Journal of Workplace Learning, vol. 13 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-5626

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 3 February 2015

Susan Main

This chapter explores the benefits of reflective practice in learning environments and discusses the conditions that can impede and facilitate reflection for teachers and teaching…

Abstract

This chapter explores the benefits of reflective practice in learning environments and discusses the conditions that can impede and facilitate reflection for teachers and teaching assistants. Various strategies and tools to support teaching teams to reflect collaboratively are discussed and recommendations about how to introduce reflective practice are outlined.

Details

Working with Teaching Assistants and Other Support Staff for Inclusive Education
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78441-611-9

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 August 2021

Milad Sheikhbanooie and Majid Farahian

Since reflectivity has a crucial role in education, it has attracted researchers’ attention in the last decades. As such, the present study aimed to construct and validate a…

Abstract

Purpose

Since reflectivity has a crucial role in education, it has attracted researchers’ attention in the last decades. As such, the present study aimed to construct and validate a questionnaire to assess the barriers to reflective practices of Iranian ESP (English for Specific Purposes) instructors. Furthermore, this study aimed to investigate the reliability of the scale.

Design/methodology/approach

To attain the purpose of the study, the researchers developed the first item pool of the questionnaire which included 67 items. Then, 4 experts were asked to pass their judgments on the items. Accordingly, 37 items were excluded and the next draft of the questionnaire that included 30 items remained. After their feedback, the revised scale was piloted with 10 ESP instructors to check the clarity of items. Then, the scale was administered to 210 ESP instructors. At the next stage, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was run to assess the construct validity of the questionnaire. Based on the results, three items were removed. To investigate the internal consistency of the scale, a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was employed.

Findings

The final version of the scale included 27 items with three subscales, namely, learners, instructors and institutions’ issues. The results revealed that the questionnaire enjoyed an acceptable level of validity and reliability.

Originality/value

Apart from a few studies, no other study has scrutinized barriers to EFL teachers’ reflectivity. In addition, in the realm of ESP, no study has developed a scale to measure barriers to ESP teachers’ reflective practice.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. 14 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 November 2015

Sanna Pekkola, Sanna Hildén and Johanna Rämö

This study aims to examine how to measure and evaluate the level at which the management control system of the organisation supports reflective practices. Though the literature on…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine how to measure and evaluate the level at which the management control system of the organisation supports reflective practices. Though the literature on management control has recently recognised the value of reflection as a tool for organisational learning, there are few practical means of analysing the management control system alongside reflective activity. To improve and develop reflective practices for more comprehensive and systematic utilisation, the management control system has to support these practices.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on the current literature on reflection, reflective practices and management control and the pulling together of these three areas to determine how the evaluation and measurement of reflective practices should be organised. Based on that, the maturity model for measuring how the management control system supports reflective practices is elaborated. The empirical data testing the maturity model was collected from three case organisations.

Findings

As its main contribution, the study composes a maturity model for evaluating the stage of reflective practices within organisations/an organisation. The existing literature does not present models or frameworks for evaluating the maturity of this kind of competence development activity. The presented model has many advantages that make it useful for pragmatic assessment and facilitation of competence development processes.

Practical implications

As a practical tool, the maturity model helps to prioritise development actions when there is a need to enforce creative thinking (transformative learning) and sense-making within the organisation. Because an organisation cannot implement all the best practices in one phase, the maturity model can be used to introduce them in stages.

Originality/value

The study advances one way of defining measures for reflective practices such that they are led from the literature on such practices. In addition, the study composes a maturity model for evaluating an organisation’s stage of reflective practice. Before an organisation can develop and manage its reflective practices or identify necessary changes, the current state of its reflective practices should be analysed.

Details

Measuring Business Excellence, vol. 19 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1368-3047

Keywords

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