Rethinking reflective education: What would Dewey have done?

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Philosophy of Practice
• Healthcare Education

Background:

• Reflective practice in nursing has not met its potential for critical analysis of technical rationality.
• Current applications by managers, theorists, educators, and practitioners have led to misunderstanding and misapplication.
• The evidence-based, technical-rational approach dominates nursing practice and education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To re-evaluate the concept of reflective practice in nursing.
• To argue for a return to the radical origins of reflective practice.
• To propose a more effective model of reflective practice for nursing.

Main Methods:

• Critical analysis of the historical development and application of reflective practice.
• Re-examination of the foundational works of John Dewey and Donald Schön.
• Conceptual development of 'reflection-in-action' as a core component.

Main Results:

• The failure of reflective practice stems from its misinterpretation, not its core idea.
• Nurses must move beyond 'reflection-on-action' to embrace 'reflection-in-action'.
• This approach involves on-the-spot experimentation and hypothesis testing by practitioners.

Conclusions:

• A radical reinterpretation of reflective practice, grounded in Dewey and Schön, is necessary.
• This revised approach offers a credible alternative to current technical-rational models in nursing.
• Implications for nursing practice, education, and scholarship include addressing complex 'wicked problems'.