The Future of Reflective Practice
Reflective practice’s history
Invented in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Used worldwide for decades. The world changed after the early 1990s.
Donald Schon’s books
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1963 | Displacement of Concepts |
| 1974 | Theory in Practice (with Argyris) |
| 1983 | The Reflective Practitioner |
| 1987 | Educating the Reflective Practitioner |
| 1994 | Frame Reflection (with Rein) |
What changed after 1994
| Change | Effect |
|---|---|
| The World Wide Web | New communication platform, new collaborative software, new business processes |
| Cell phones and internet calling | Communication faster and cheaper |
| Rise of China and India in global markets | Economy changed; teachers operate in a different environment |
Reflective practice as a named discipline was developed in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Donald Schon’s books from 1963 to 1994 set most of its foundations. The world changed after the early 1990s. The article looks at what has changed since 1994 and what those changes mean for the practice.
A short history
Reflective practice is something that was invented in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. It has been used worldwide for the past several decades. Many things have changed after 1994.
One name recurs through the development of the field: Donald Schon. His books mark the milestones.
- Donald Schon, Displacement of Concepts, 1963
- Chris Argyris and Donald Schon, Theory in Practice, 1974
- Donald Schon, The Reflective Practitioner, 1983
- Donald Schon, Educating the Reflective Practitioner, 1987
- Donald Schon and Martin Rein, Frame Reflection, 1994
By 1994, Schon and his collaborators had developed most of the conceptual foundations for what reflective practice is. The decades since have produced refinements, applications, and critiques, but the basic shape of the field was set.
What changed after 1994
Several things have happened to quicken the pace at which reflective practice is done. These will continue to influence the way reflective practitioners reflect on practice.
The World Wide Web
The World Wide Web spread worldwide. A new communication platform was implanted. New collaborative software was developed. New business and educational processes emerged.
For reflective practice, this changes the conditions of the work. A teacher in 1990 reflecting on a problem had access to a small library of books, the colleagues in their school, and whatever conferences they could attend. A teacher in 2026 reflecting on the same problem has access to thousands of articles, blog posts, and discussion threads, plus the ability to find practitioners with similar concerns anywhere in the world.
This widens the empirics pattern of knowing in Carper’s framework. The literature a teacher can draw on is much larger. The challenge is selecting what is good among the abundance, rather than finding any material at all.
Cell phones and internet communication
Cell phones have spread worldwide. Internet communication tools (Skype and similar) are spreading even faster.
For reflective practice, this changes the social conditions. A teacher who wants to reflect with a peer no longer needs the peer to be in the same school or even the same country. Critical friend conversations can happen by video call. Mentor relationships can be maintained across geography.
Pakistani teachers can now access mentors and peer groups from around the world. In earlier decades, this kind of cross-border professional dialogue was rare for an ordinary teacher.
Global economic shifts
China and India have entered the global market with highly dynamic economies. The world economy has shifted in ways that affect what schools are preparing students for.
This changes the content of reflective practice without changing its form. A reflective teacher in 2026 is reflecting on how to prepare students for a different world from the one their training prepared them to teach. The reflection itself is the same kind of work; the topics are different.
What this means for the conditions of the work
The three post-1994 changes work together. The web widens access to the literature. Internet communication widens access to peers and mentors. Global economic shifts widen the territory the teacher is preparing students for.
Each one changes a different dimension of reflective practice. None of them changes the basic moves of reflection. A teacher still has to describe a difficult lesson, examine their own contribution, find theory that explains what happened, and decide what to do next. The moves are the same. The conditions in which the moves are done are different.
A reflective practitioner who is aware of these changes can take advantage of them. A reflective practitioner who is not aware tends to work as if the conditions of 1990 still hold.
The World Wide Web, cell phones and internet communication, and the shift in the global economy
The web widens the literature a teacher can draw on. Internet communication widens the peers and mentors a teacher can reach. The shift in the global economy widens the world that students are being prepared for. None of the three changes the moves of reflection; all three change the conditions in which the moves are done.
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