Framework Of Schon’s Reflective Model – Guide & Examples 

Reflection is an important skill that students and researchers must possess for both personal and professional development, especially in education, social work, research, and healthcare. This skill not only increases self-awareness but also helps you make better, informed decisions. Among the many models of reflection, Donald Schon’s Reflective Model stands out as one of the best frameworks that guides a person in skillfully analysing their actions and improving their professional abilities. 

This framework offers a flexible and easy approach that suits the practical nature of many jobs, where certain aspects are unpredictable and individuals have to quickly adapt to the changes. In this blog, we will explain what Schon’s reflective model is, the components of this framework, and how to apply this model to real-life experience with examples so that you can ace your college assignments. 

Who Was Donald Schon? 

Donald Schon was an American philosopher and professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and focused on organisational learning and the reflective abilities of professionals. Using his seminal works, named as The Reflective Practitioner (1983) and Educating the Reflective Practitioner (1987), Donald introduced the idea that professionals learn and grow through reflective practices, especially when they face uncomfortable, complex, or pressured situations.  

He also proposed that knowledge and information can not be gained just from books, but professionals often encounter cases that require on-the-spot thinking, analysis, and adaptation. This gave rise to the framework of Schon’s Reflective Model, which includes Reflection-in-Action and Reflection-on-Action.  

What Is Schon’s Reflective Model? 

The Schon’s Reflective Model is an academic framework that is used to highlight the importance of reflection in learning and skill development. This model is helpful for assignment writing, which is important in education.  It comprises two main kinds of reflection and was initially developed by Donald A. Schon in 1983. Let us look at the two aspects to understand what this model is: 

How Does Schon’s Reflective Model Work? 

Understanding how Schon’s Model works in real life is necessary to perform your reflections in the right manner. Let us look at the main features of Schon’s Reflective model: 

Action-Focused 

The framework of Schon’s Reflective model revolves around real-life actions and experiences. It does not focus only on theory and planning, but on what you actually do during a situation (Reflection-in-action) and what you think after the action (Reflection-on-action). 

This feature makes it strongly practical for students, professionals, and healthcare workers who need to make quick decisions in the moment. An example is a doctor changing the prescribed medicine as a response to an unexpected patient health complication.   

Situation-Based Model 

Rather than applying all solutions or theories to every situation, Schon’s approach includes analysing the uniqueness of every case. It encourages professionals to reflect, keeping the environment, people, and challenges in mind, and avoiding relying on just general theories. 

For instance, a social worker might approach two similar situations in a different way because each family has different needs and dynamics.  

Professional Development 

Schon’s Reflective Model also supports continuous learning for individuals who reflect on their experiences. It focuses on learning and identifying what worked and what did not, and how it can be improved in the future. For example, a new engineer can reflect on project delays and learn how to manage time more effectively. 

These reflections can build better professional skills, judgment abilities, and analytical expertise. 

Flexible Model 

Most models like Gibbs’ Reflective Model are structured and non-flexible, which do not allow individuals to adapt to the changes. However, Schon’s Model does not follow a step-by-step format, is flexible and open-ended. This means that you can respond to a situation in an easy manner and jump to any reflection at any point, depending on the needs and demands of the circumstances. 

Tacit Knowledge 

Donald stresses that not all knowledge is gained through books or learnt consciously. Professionals can learn knowledge through practice and experience that comes from facing different situations. This is known as “tacit knowledge”. 

For example, a firefighter with deep expertise might know when a structure is unsafe even if he can not immediately explain why. This is knowledge that is gained through repeated reflection and practice. 

Comparison Between Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle and Schon’s Reflective Model 

Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle and Schon’s Reflective Model are both widely used for reflection in professional and academic life. However, they both differ in structure, application, and focus. Let us understand their differences by comparing the two: 

Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle: This model was developed by Graham Gibbs in 1988, and follows a step-by-step structure that includes 6 stages: Description, Feelings, Evaluation, Analysis, Conclusion, and Action Plan. It encourages individuals to thoroughly explore their experiences, emotions, and outcomes in a systematic manner. 

Schon’s Reflective Model: This model was introduced by Donald Schon, who followed a flexible and fluid approach to reflection. It includes two aspects of reflection: Reflection-in-action (thinking during action) and Reflection-on-action (thinking after the event).

It also focuses on a learner’s ability to adapt to changing situations. 

Here is a detailed comparison table of the two models of reflection: 

In short, Gibbs is best for structured reflection after an event and Schon’s framework suits professionals that need to reflect and respond to a situation in real-time. 

Advantages of Using Schon’s Reflective Model 

Before we learn how to use Schon’s Reflective model in everyday life applications, we need to understand the benefits of this framework. Let us look at the advantages of Schon’s reflective model: 

• Schon’s reflective model allows students and professionals to enjoy continuous learning and development by helping them respond to new challenges and improve their thinking abilities. Students can craft well-written case studies using this model. 

• It also improves problem-solving skills. When students and learners face a challenging situation, they automatically learn to make better decisions, which supports critical thinking and problem-solving skills. 

• Schon’s reflective model helps in improving learning. Professionals and students can pinpoint areas of career improvement by reflection.  

• It also boosts adaptability and allows you to make quick and critical changes to changing situations that can be helpful in stressful environments. When students and learners interact with one another, it enhances their communication skills.

Disadvantages of Using Schon’s Reflective Model 

Just like advantages, every model of reflection has disadvantages or drawbacks as well. Let us take a look at them: 

• Working on Schon’s model of reflection can be time-consuming. This is because the process of reflection takes a lot of time and has to be studied from its roots. 

• Some individuals or learners can reflect excessively, getting lost in detail, which can confuse them and mislead them from the actual purpose of reflection.  

• Effective reflection requires working with resources, such as facilitation, training, and time. To support this, individuals need to be ready to make the right investments for these resources. 

• A healthy environment is required to participate in reflective methods. If such an environment or culture is absent, then an open discussion is not possible. 

How To Use Schon’s Reflective Model – Step-by-Step Guide 

You can easily use Schon’s Reflective model without getting worried. Since this model is famous for its flexibility, you can use it for a wide range of environments, like healthcare, technology, social work, and teaching. Keeping in mind the two aspects of Schon’s reflective model: Reflection-in-action (thinking during action) and Reflection-on-action (thinking after the event), here is how you can apply it in different practices: 

Step 1: Define the Situation 

The first step is to recognise the situation and the task involved. You need to define whether the situation you are in requires reflection during the action or after the event. Then, you need to ask yourself the following questions: 

1. Is this going according to my expectations? 
2. Are there any signs that something is wrong or unfavorable? 
3. What can be done right now to improve the situation? 
4. How much time should I give to analyse my decisions? 

This questioning allows you to change your approach at once, based on your observations, emotions, and outcomes. This is a flexible and right approach to follow while using the Schon’s model of reflection. 

Step 2: Adapt to the Changes 

After assessing the situation, you need to start making adjustments. This means abandoning your real or original plan and adapting it according to your latest observations and results. You can act as both participant and observer while adjusting your strategies to meet the needs of the moment. 

Example 1: A nurse may change her tone or offer comfort when a patient appears stressed or anxious. 

Example 2: A manager may stop giving direct instructions and shift to open-ended questions during a difficult meeting. 

Step 3: Review the Experience 

After the event is over, you need to step back and critically analyse what has happened. You need to assess your response, your strategies, outcomes, and what could have been done differently. Additionally, it is necessary to pick key insights for next time. 

Step 4: Craft the Process 

Students and professionals can document this process in a supervision session, journal, essay, or even a group report. This encourages learning and provides an effective way to present your points in an engaging manner. 

Examples of Applications of Schon’s Reflective Model 

Example 1: Teaching (Reflection-in-action) 

During a math lesson, a school teacher notices students looking confused. Instead of continuing the plan, she changes her teaching methodology to visual explanations using graphs and simpler language. 

Later, she reflects that using visual representation helped students understand the concepts better. She decides to include such unique teaching strategies in her lesson plan for the future. 

Example 2: Nursing Scenario (Reflection-in-action) 

A nurse notices a patient become pale and distressed upon giving blood. She stops, explains the steps to the patient, and casually chats to ease the tension. 

Afterwards, she records the interaction and reflects on how important it is to observe the body language of patients. She decides to apply the same strategy to other nervous patients as well. 

If you are a nursing student who is looking to create critical evaluations of patients for your essays or assignments, then you must know how to write a nursing essay assignment that effectively conveys your results. 

Final Thoughts 

Schon’s model is the best way to stay present and reflect on situations that are stressful and require critical evaluation. Professionals and learners can use this model for circumstances that require sudden adaptations and changes. When it comes to academic writing, students can use Schon’s model of reflection and critically analyse events, introduce their experience, and describe their thoughts in an efficient manner. Moreover, they can also discuss future learning points and implications. Students can also get help from expert assignment writing services to write their reflections in a compelling manner. 

By responding to new challenges, you can continuously grow and develop your problem-solving skills. Another way to reflect is using technology such as voice notes, apps, and digital journals to save your daily reflections. Hence, this model allows you to become more reflective, conscious, and effective in your roles. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What are the benefits of using Schon’s Reflective Model?

Schon’s model of reflection is useful for teachers, professionals, students, and other researchers as it helps boost decision-making skills and problem-solving abilities. It also builds better relationships and helps improve critical-thinking practices among students. 

Q2: Can I use Schon’s Reflective Model in other fields besides nursing?

Yes, of course! You can use Schon’s model of reflection for other fields like education, technology, and engineering as it is flexible and adaptable and can be used for a variety of circumstances and case studies. You can choose from any of the two main aspects of the framework depending on your situation. 

Q3: What is the difference between Reflection-on-action and Reflection-in-Action?

Let us look at the main difference between the two kinds of reflection: reflection in action and reflection-on-action: 

• The reflection-in-action happens when an individual thinks during the action and analyses what is happening in the present. You need to make immediate changes and respond to the circumstances in a timely manner. 

• The reflection-on-action takes place when the situation is complete or over. It involves analysing what changes have happened, their impact on the environment, and what can be learnt from it.