Professors' Conceptions of Reflective Learning: A Phenomenographic Study

• In Event: Understanding Faculty Beliefs and Responsibilities Across the Disciplines

Abstract

Developing students’ reflective skills is widely accepted as the main task of higher education. However, what reflective learning entails and how it can be developed has not been studied from the perspectives of professors. This study examined professors’ conceptions of reflective learning in the context of education courses. Semi-structured interviews were employed to collect data from 10 professors who consented to participate. The interviews were transcribed, segmented, coded and compared. Our analysis resulted in four types of conceptions of reflective learning: content understanding, tracking changes, relating to real-life situations and challenging assumptions/structures. The study has implications for faculty development and research in reflective learning.
Key words: reflective learning, conceptions, phenomenography

Authors

• Addisu Leyew Bailie, Simon Fraser University

• Engida Hailye Gebre, Simon Fraser University