Dewey on Reflective Thinking
John Dewey wrote about reflective thinking in 1933, and almost every modern model of reflection still cites him. The chapter walks through the core ideas: reflection as rationality, the meaning-making process behind it, the difference between routine and reflective action, the phases of reflective thought, and how experience and learning fit together in his theory.
Dewey’s definition of reflection as the active, careful consideration of belief in light of supporting grounds
Reflection as a meaning-making process, a rigorous way of thinking, and a set of attitudes; six phases and the inquiry cycle
The difference between unreflective acceptance of school reality and deliberate examination of belief
Suggestions, intellectualisation, hypothesis, mental elaboration, and testing as fluid stages of reflection
How experience and reflection together drive learning, with Dewey’s four modes of thinking
Last updated on • Talha