Abstract:

In an university college in Belgium reflection assignments –among others- are used to support students who follow a curriculum with at least 30 % workplace learning. However, it seems for students not obvious to reach a critical level in their reflections.

In four studies (with student teachers) it is investigated:
1) to what extent participants reflect critically, and
2) if learner control has impact on critical reflection, this for two approaches to stimulate reflection: a non-linear and a linear structured one.

The first study is an explorative study. In a field experiment (with a within subjects design) the impact of learner control on the degree of critical reflection is investigated. As an example of a linear structured approach to reflection a learning journal, according to the ALACT model is used; and as an example of a non-linear approach digital storytelling according to the guidelines of Lambert is used. Participants were third-year students.

In the second study the results of the first study were checked in a more controlled setting, with first-year students. An online experiment with a pretest-posttest design was done.

In the third and fourth study (with first-year students) the extent to which an approach to reflection is linearly structured, was varied within respectively digital storytelling and a learning journal. In the third study a pretest-posttest and in the fourth study a posttest-only design was used.

Across all studies results reveal that reflections – irrespective of the different conditions – contained few elements of critical reflection. The results of the first study reveal a main effect of learner control and approach to reflection on the degree of critical reflection. Ample learner control and a linear structured approach to reflection lead to a higher score on the degree of critical reflection. The second study did not reveal a significant impact of approach to reflection and learner control on the degree of critical reflection.The third study shows a main effect of learner control. With ample learner control the participants reflect more critically than with less learner control. The fourth study reveals a main effect of approach to reflection. When participants reflect with a linear structured learning journal, they obtain a higher score on the degree of critical reflection than with a non-linear structured learning journal.

A second analysis of the data of these four studies, reveals a growth path (to a critical level) in the reflections students wrote. A growt path with the following consecutive accents/focus: a technical dimension, a subjective theoretical view, emotional dimension, professional selfunderstanding, and finally a political and moral dimension.

In conclusion, guidelines to implement reflections assignment as support for workplace learning based on the results of these four studies are discussed.

Keywords:

Workplace learning, critical reflection, ALACT model, digital storytelling.