Reflective Learning in Practice

This book gathers together details of seventeen case studies of learning in practice, after having set the issue of reflective learning in a theoretical context. The cases are drawn from a wide range of situations and discuss both apparent successes and failures. The cases are used as a basis to develop general findings. These general findings are expressed as themes and questions so that, as readers come across new circumstances, they are not limited by prescriptive recipes. Instead they are empowered by having both an open and focused approach: open because the starting point is questions rather than answers, and focused because the questions direct attention to factors that have been found to be influential for effective, reflective learning. The crucial factor is the ability of managers and others to extract quality learning from experience. Reflective Learning in Practice develops an approach that will help this to happen.

Anne Brockbank BSc MA (Econ) Dip Couns MCIPD. Anne is an independent consultant, specializing in learning and development in both public and private sectors. She offers staff development through action learning, mentoring and coaching, to individuals or groups, in universities, local government and the NHS. Anne also works as an associate consultant for The Oxford Group and her ideas about reflective learning are taken up by corporate clients. Ian McGill PhD Ian is a development consultant working with senior managers and staff in government agencies, higher education and the private sector. Ian works with organizations on strategic direction, organizational learning and on personal self-development. He is a leading practitioner of action learning and an advocate of collaborative working. Nic Beech BSc MA MSc PhD MCIPD ILTM Nic is a senior lecturer in human resource management at the university of Strathclyde Business School. He has a background in sociology and philosophy, and his work experience and subsequent doctoral studies were HRM. Nic is a consultant on people and organizational management in the whisky, telecommunications and finance industries, and in the health service.