I have always found the idea of reflexive thinking a slippery concept to pin down. 

I am unsure if it is because reflection is relatively straightforward and familiar to me, but I often have to reconnect with the meaning of reflexive thinking.

In this article, we look at reflection vs reflexive thinking practices, so you can start using them more effectively.

What is reflection, and what is reflexive thinking?

Reflection focuses on your thoughts, feelings, and actions. It involves looking back on your teaching practice and examining what you did well, where you might improve. It’s an introspective process, too, in which you look inward—it’s about thinking “on” yourself.

On the other hand, reflexive thinking is a way of being in the world that involves noticing patterns in your experience. You look at patterns and influences that affect your actions as a whole—it’s about noticing how you change and grow.

One of the ways that have helped me to think about it is that reflexivity is about folding back onto or into yourself your reflections.

“Reflexive” means to turn back on oneself or in grammar. It describes a sentence that has the same subject in both the nominative and objective cases (e.g. The learner caught herself daydreaming).

Burner 2007

Reflexivity is a self-referential loop of seeing and changing because we see, a constant inquiry into how we interpret the world and how this, in turn, changes the world.

Reflexivity is a state of thinking and being in which we strive to understand ‘the ways in which one’s own presence and perspective influence the knowledge and actions which are created’

Fook in Bolton 2009: 14

Benefits of reflective thinking practices for teachers

Reflection helps teachers recognise the impact of their actions, thoughts, and feelings on students.

It also encourages consideration of your values as a teacher. This is important because it allows you to resolve an ethical dilemma if one arises in your classroom or school community by asking yourself: “What would be most important/valuable for me here?”

Other benefits of reflection include:

• more self-insight
• increased confidence
• improved self-awareness
• reduced stress and rumination
• increased understanding about our practice

Benefits of reflexive thinking

Reflexivity allows us to explore power dynamics within social interactions, such as between student and teacher relationships.

Remember, reflexive thinking is to zoom out further and consider how your presence and perspective change your experience. It is about the cause and effect, influence and consequence of your participation.

The benefits of reflexive thinking for teachers include:

• refined regulation skills
• flexibility to change or adapt
• a deeper level of self-awareness
• awareness of our impact and influence
• better relationships with students, parents, staff

How reflection and reflexive thinking help us learn and grow

Reflection and reflexive thinking encourage us to take a step back, consider our thoughts, feelings, actions within the context of other essential perspectives (the needs of students).

Critically they are modes of thinking that force us to pause and slow down. We need the cognitive space to zoom out and see our impact or review our choices and consider what lies on the horizon.

Slower thinking runs counter to the pace-setting of running a classroom or leading a team. The number of decisions teachers make in a single day is enormous.

Teachers make about 1,500 decisions per day, which can lead to decision fatigue, a situation in which the brain is so exhausted and overloaded with decisions that it either looks for shortcuts or stops working altogether.

Battling Decision Fatigue – Gravity Goldberg and Renee Houser

By slowing down, teachers can make better decisions because reflection and reflexive thinking provide the time to process, consider, plan for what is next.

When we slow down, it is also possible to notice our feelings, emotions or beliefs without being overwhelmed by them. You can acknowledge how you feel and find a sense of balance about the situation at hand.

Reflecting on our practice and considering classroom dynamics provides essential feedback about how we are doing about those around us (e.g., students, peers).

Questions to Prompt Reflexive Thinking

You know that a good question can provoke a precise response. Designing questions is a great starting point when you are looking for practical ways to take action.

Here is a range of questions designed to encourage and prompt reflexive thinking.

1. What do I stand for?
2. What are some of the biases I have about my teaching?
3. Who helps me to stay grounded and realistic?
4. What do other people think about me and the way I teach? How does this affect me?
5. How am I responding to the reflection in my students’ work? What do this feedback and their responses show me about myself, my teaching, and my students?
6. What is the reflection in my work telling me about myself as a teacher and learner?
7. How do my actions and reflection impact students?
8. How do I want to build my learning community with other teachers in the school? How might this be different from my other communities?
9. Do reflection and reflexive thinking practice have anything to do with each other?
10. What skills are required to develop reflexive thinking practices effectively as an individual and as part of a group (or learning network)?

Recap on reflective vs reflexive thinking practices

In this article, we have explored reflection vs reflexive thinking practices.

The whole truth of the matter is that effective teachers aren’t born with “it.” The “it” of an effective teacher is developed through the reflection process over a period of time.

Monteiro 2013

Reflexivity helps you manage the social dynamics within your school environment by strengthening your emotional intelligence (EI). It’s another way to learn how best to support others by building solid relationships both inside & outside the classroom environment.

Reflective thinking practices are about becoming more aware of your thoughts, while reflexivity enables the reflection process to be deeper and richer.

Remember, reflection and reflexivity is not self-indulgence! We mustn’t confuse the two – especially when considering our impact on others in the classroom environment. When trying out reflective practices, remember that it doesn’t have to be perfect, and it doesn’t need to take long.

Your Talking Points

There is plenty to explore about reflective and reflexive practice. In summary, I encourage you to consider these critical insights and talking points:

• To access the benefits protect the time, space and energy for deep reflection.
• Recognise habits of reflection take practice, so be patient with your process.
• Reflective thinking practices are about becoming more aware of your own thought processes.
• Reflexive thinking focuses on the impact we have on others in the teaching and learning environment, but also on how the knowledge and understanding we create.