“Reflection is vital process in teaching,” she says. “University educators use it on a daily basis, to work out obstacles to effective teaching, to respond to changes in learning environments, and to better engage with students.”
To examine the process of reflection, Dr Trundle worked with colleagues in La Trobe’s School of Psychology and Public Health to undertake a series of reflective exercises and writing activities.
“We wanted to create a space for regular supportive reflection and to understand what best supports that in an Australian context.”
Dr Trundle’s study found that that authentic, robust and safe collaborative reflection relies upon six key qualities.
“These include being non-hierarchical, non-evaluative, flexible and informal, being unhurried and iterative, being welcoming of complex emotionality, showing vulnerability, and acknowledging discomforting moments in teaching and reflecting. It was also important to be able to explore and acknowledge the wider structural forces and constraints impacting teaching.”
“Careful collaborative reflection is challenging in contemporary universities, which are fast-paced, performance-driven, hierarchical, competitive and metric-focused,” Dr Trundle adds. “Leadership is therefore essential in supporting staff to establish norms where robust reflection can become commonplace.”
To put these insights into practice, the team has launched a monthly writing group for academics. The group provides a collaborative, supportive space for reflection, aiming to foster excellence in reflective practice.
