Source: Professional Development in Education, Volume 40, Issue 4, 2014, pages 597-609
This article describes an aspect of reflective practice referred to as situated reflective practice.
The overarching theory is derived from social theories of structuration and reflexivity. In particular, from Giddens’ theory of structuration, which sees social life as an interplay of agency and structure. Discussion of the research reported here centres on the nature of such situated reflection, considers related literature and presents the data collected in a recent small-scale study.
The original goal of the research was to explore the perceptions of corporate trainers on a course for Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector. As a result of this research, the concept of situated reflective practice was generated. It is argued that there exist some situations where a person will find themselves in a position over which they have little control, avoidance or veto. This study's major conclusion was that key interview themes enabled the delineation of a series of five characteristics representing increasing structural distance in space and time between the reflective practitioner and the professional situation in which they work.