"Our College is a continually reflecting, changing, improving beast! ...Albeit out of necessity." (Steven Castle, 2017)
Introduction
It used to be that “reflection of practice” for a Tertiary Provider meant running through a mundane NZQA policy list, ticking a few checkboxes...it was reflection of practice at its worst.
However this Audit system of the 1990’s and 2000’s was radically changed in 2014 with the introduction of the NZQA External Evaluation and Review (EER) for Tertiary Providers.
While previously we ticked checkboxes to say “Yes- We use a Quality Management System, Yes - Minutes are taken of our regular monthly management meetings etc..” this new NZQA EER audit system required actual evidence of improvements within teaching, learning practices and all other areas of a Provider. Improvements needed to be made through the review and understanding of real tangible data” with the final stage being the requirement to use the ‘story’ shown in data to implement change and then (at some stage in the future) self-assess the validity of changes made - did they reach the extent and depth of the original plan for improvement?”.
To summarise the introduction to Reflection of Practice through NZQA EER for myself, our team and many other Tertiary Providers was short, sharp, and definitely required a Growth Mindset.
There was little guidance of what data to collect, what trends we should be looking for, how fast improvements needed to be evidenced, or what self-assessment, reflection and review looked like.
With only several NZQA EER audit questions in hand, such as “How well do Learners achieve?” and “What is the value of the teaching and learning?”, we were sent on our way, back into our Colleges, Institutes and Universities to start …reflecting on our practices.
The Process
Through this experience I’ve come to understand that Reflection of Practice requires a Growth Mindset, where one learns through trial and error, where the actual learning is more important than the achievements. It requires persistence where one does not quit from failure rather assesses the areas of failures, modifies practices which led to failure to ensure they do not happen again and continues.
The process of Reflecting on Practice is such a valuable process - more valuable than anything I can actually think within the context of a College or School, at any level.
As McKay (2008, forthcoming) states, it enforces that reflective practice is a bedrock of professionalism within education which should be the professional imperative of every staff member.
Results
While the change maybe hard, the results speak for themselves.
Not only can it personally improve teaching (or in my case managing) practices, the continual nature of reviewing what is happening, deciding if it can be better and implementing the changes can have profound effects on students within their learning.
It can impact whole classrooms and even schools where a management driven collective reflective practice can identify the broader cultural and social issues facing both school, students and communities.
Conclusion
While EER maybe the new “tick box” requirement for Tertiary Providers to ensure they remain NZQA registered and TEC Funded, personally I would without doubt, continue to implement Reflection of Practice throughout all areas of our College despite the requirement to do so, and for that matter any future business - educational or not.
Such is the power of Reflection of Practice in influencing positive, evidence driven continual change.
References
McKay, E.A. (2008, Forthcoming) Reflective practice: doing, being and becoming a reflective practitioner.Skills for Practice in Occupational Therapy. Oxford: Elsevier Ltd.
