Thesis (M.Ed. (Curriculum Studies)) --University of Limpopo, 2013 / This dissertation investigated the the practice of self-reflection by primary school teachers in the Mankweng Circuit, Capricorn District. The aim of the research was to investigate the practice of self-reflection by primary school teachers, in order to suggest and encourage them to use reflective models that will help them improve their practice. The literature revealed that the use reflective models can help teachers to realize their mistakes and improve their practice. Furthermore, the literature revealed that if teachers are exposed to multiple reflective models, they will be able to choose the best model that is appropriate to their practice. The study also focused on the theory of Henderson‟s Ethical Model on Enquiry on Reflective Practice. The theory discusses what characterizes reflective practitioner. This theory explains that reflective teachers are experts who know their subject matter and are able to teach it well. This study was conducted in order to gain a greater insight and comprehensive understanding of the research problem, that is, Self-reflection is expected to all teachers but is seldom enforced. In policy documents, self-reflection is stipulated but there are no formalised templates that guide, monitor and evaluate how teachers reflect on their own practice. This may also result in teachers not reflecting on their work at all and not regarding self-reflection as part of the teaching process; and treat it as a separate issue. The methodology used in this study was qualitative approach. Phenomenological research design was adopted; and in terms of data collection tools, open-ended questionnaires and interviews were used. The findings of this study revealed that teachers in primary schools of Mankweng Circuit do not reflect on their practice because of the heavy work-load that they have. The study further revealed that teachers must be trained to use reflective models to improve their practice. Lastly, the study has recommended a new reflective model for a rural primary school context. The model is titled Big four reflective model: critical thinker; resource allocator, problem solver and practice developer. The model is recommended to be used in teaching in primary schools.

Reflective practice, though ill-defined, has become an accepted educational concept within many health care disciplines particularly in nursing. Subsequently it has become benchmarked within Paramedic Sciences as a professional requirement for continuing education and clinical practice. However, despite the vast literature in nursing and the increasing growth of reflective practice in paramedic curricula it is unclear how it influences the students’ learning in preparation for graduate practice as future reflective practitioners. This research explored ‘to what extent does reflective practice in the paramedic curriculum influence the students’ academic and clinical learning leading to graduate practice’? A mixed methods approach with cohort samples of undergraduate health care students comprised four studies including surveys and non-participant observations of clinical simulation that were conducted in a university learning environment. The results showed overall that Paramedic students believed that they understood reflective practice and perceived it to be useful for their academic studies and clinical practice; although this is probably influenced more by formal teaching rather than the result of their own views. Students were able to describe reflective practice in ideal theoretical terms and were positive towards it regardless of their individual learning styles. However, in a clinical context, they applied it differently with significant emphasis on technical reflection. Evidence of the nature of reflective practice as it occurred during and after clinical simulation scenarios highlights a need for revised approaches to existing learning/teaching strategies with paramedic students. An extended understanding and refinement of reflective practice concepts including a new pedagogic framework to promote enhanced reflectivity are proposed. This theoretical framework is designed to accommodate reflective learning for both personal and collaborative learning related to curriculum outcomes. The use of clinical simulation for the development of reflective practice in the paramedic curriculum is supported with recommendations for further studies in academic and clinical settings.