What is a reflexivity?
What is a reflexivity?
Reflexivity generally refers to the examination of one’s own beliefs, judgments and practices during the research process and how these may have influenced the research. If positionality refers to what we know and believe then reflexivity is about what we do with this knowledge.
Reflexivity involves questioning one’s own taken for granted assumptions. Essentially, it involves drawing attention to the researcher as opposed to ‘brushing her or him under the carpet’ and pretending that she or he did not have an impact or influence. It requires openness and an acceptance that the researcher is part of the research (Finlay 1998).
Let us break the word down
Reflexivity - redo - in respect of / keep it focused
Reflexivity - review, look again, keep it constant
Reflexivity - Exploring cause and affect where does that automatic response come from? Why did you respond like that?
Reflexivity - flex/cable (electric power) understanding of power and fluid within the experience or situation.
Reflexivity - Being able to change, open to change, flexible in the moment, being able to change your practice in the moment.
Suffix part of the word is
Reflexivity -creativity, activity, productivity - means doing- what are you going to do in your practice, not enough just to understand.
The Difference between Reflective and Reflexive Practice
The Difference between Reflective and Reflexive Practice
Reflective Practice is where a person reflects on what they have learned and how they can apply it or learn from it. Reflexive Practice is where a person reflects on what they have learned and considers how the implications of their learnings can impact the broader context they work in.
Reflective practice is an important part of our professional development. It means we look at what went well, what didn’t and this allows us to tweak and amend our approach in the future. Although this practice is necessary, it is quite passive and is done after the event.
Reflexive practice, however, is much more transformational because it is often done in the moment and takes our level of understanding much deeper. Reflexive practitioners have a higher level of self-awareness because they are not only able to assess a situation as it is happening and tweak things as they go, but they also have the ability to look at why things are the way that they are and consider the role they are playing in the current outcome.
A reflective thinker will analyse what has happened. However, a reflexive thinker will automatically self-assess and react to the circumstances as they are happening. They will know themselves well and will look inwardly as well as outwardly.
What is a reflexivity in counselling and psychotheapy?
What is a reflexivity in counselling and psychotheapy?
Reflexivity in counselling practice incorporates the therapist’s experience, thoughtfully using the therapist’s relationship with themselves and their experiences to inform their responses in the therapeutic relationship.
Reflexive practice in counselling and psychotherapy is a proactive and dynamic process whereby the counsellor uses their thoughts, feelings and reflections on the therapeutic work as a basis for action.
Put simply, when a therapist’s contribution to the work is influenced in a thoughtful and responsive way by what is happening in the relationship, they are practicing reflexively.
Reflexivity is about putting your reflections of your practice into action.
Reflexivity is about putting your reflections of your practice into action.
Below are some practical ways to achieve this.
Below are some practical ways to achieve this.
1. Use supervision to explore ways of putting your reflection of practice into action.
2. Be clear on your goals and how you will measure achievement.
3. Don’t be complacent. Consider if the way you are working with a client could be improved.
4. Consider what CPD activities would enhance your ability to better serve your clients.
5. Act on self-care reflections by putting thoughts into action. (If you reflect that it would be nice to go swimming more often, then make a point of doing that!)
What is a reflexivity in teaching?
What is a reflexivity in teaching?
In an Early Years setting there are a million and one things to consider at any given point. A reflective practioner will set up the room and at the end of the day they will assess how the children interacted, how engaging the resources provided were and how they could possibly set the room up differently the next day to get a better outcome. However, the reflexive practioner would tweak things as they went along and would also run with the direction that the children were going in, even if it wasn’t a part of the plan. They would also be able to look at how they have impacted on the efficacy of the present situation:
With reflexive practice there is a level of responsibility that doesn’t get reached with reflective practice. This all sounds very deep. However, there are no greater teachers in life than children. We have all been moulded throughout our own childhood and look at the world through a lens that is influenced by the experiences and beliefs that we have acquired throughout our early years. Sometimes our own blueprint serve us well. Other times not so much. If we can identify why we are the way that we are, why we think the way that we think and why we react the way that we do, we can have a better understanding of how the current situation is, at times, a reflection of this. Self-awareness is the foundation to happiness and success. We focus on developing it in children. However, it is imperative that we take the time to develop it in ourselves if we are going to become the best that we can be.
What is a reflexive statement?
What is a reflexive statement?
One little trick can help you gain more accurate research results, improve personal relationships, and avoid professional pitfalls. All it takes is answering questions you inherently know the answer to and then taking a few steps to make those answers useful.
How do you see the world? What paradigms structure your life? How are you influenced by the people and places around you? And vice versa?
How do you see the world? What paradigms structure your life? How are you influenced by the people and places around you? And vice versa?
These questions are part of what are answered with a reflexivity statement. They are crucial to understanding yourself and your place in the world around you. In research, best practices mandate that you write a reflexivity statement before penning a proposal or stepping into a community. You must understand why you are asking particular research questions, how your perspective may be limited, and how you may be prone to bias. Though knowing your inner workings does not prevent them from playing a role in research outcomes or conclusions, it does help to limit their influence and gives you the power to correct for your own shortcomings.
For example,
For example,
"I recently wrote a grant that would fund work with a local community to improve their multi-use urban trail. I made a case for my methods, which included inclusive planning and design that gave meaningful decision making power to a diverse group of stakeholders.
My reflexivity statement included a look at myself in the context of this research. I wrote about how I came from a middle-class family in a suburban, middle-class, predominately white area and how that compared to the community I was entering and the people I would be working with. In some ways it was both an advantage and disadvantage.
I included information about my athletic and recreational involvement and how that offered ways to connect with the trail-building community while also biasing me to see the potential for this trail in optimistic terms. I also contemplated my role as a female, young adult, doctoral student entering the community, and how my positions of power (or lack there of) might influence community decisions."
Benefits include strengthened potential for positive social and professional relationships, greater self- and situational understanding, and heightened ability to foresee potential downfalls (at least those caused by personal blind spots and shortcomings). All it takes is a bit of time, some starting place tools (provided below), and a willingness to take a critical look at yourself.
Arcticles to support you writing a statement.
Arcticles to support you writing a statement.
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