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Engaging the Reflexive
Self: The Role of Reflective
Practice for Supporting
Professional Identity
Development in Graduate
Students
Toupey Luft and Robert Roughley
Abstract
Reflective practice can enhance the professional identity develop-
ment (PID) of graduate students. Struggling with one’s self-awareness and
SUPPORTING THE SUCCESS OF ADULT AND ONLINE STUDENTS
54 55
Literature Review
Researchers have studied how reflective practice affects students’
professional identity development in the fields of medicine (Goldie, 2012;
Sharpless, Baldwin, Cook, Kofman, Morley-Fletcher, Slotkin, & Wald, 2015),
nursing (Bulman & Schutz, 2013), teacher education (Roffey-Barentsen &
Malthouse, 2013; West, 2012), and social work (Wilson, 2013). Counsellor
educators have analyzed PID’s link to reflective practices, citing the impor-
tance of transformative experiences for counsellor development (Shuler
& Keller-Dupree, 2015), the need for reflective learning within a counsel-
lor training curricula (Tobin, Willow, Bastow, & Ratkowski, 2009), and the
need for reflective practice to encourage self-awareness and competent
practice (Rosin, 2015). Counsellor education in Canada is often underrep-
resented in the literature, but foundational work by Collins, Arthur, and
Wong-Wylie (2010) has drawn scholar-practitioners’ attention to the util-
ity of reflective applications for training counsellors in multicultural com-
petencies and how certain activities in graduate school can contribute to
one’s development as a counsellor (Chang, 2011).
Some educators have written about the necessity of including emo-
tional growth and awareness as part of professional training programs
(Pompeo & Levitt, 2014). Educators also acknowledge that encouraging
emotional growth without ethical guidelines and emotional safety can be
detrimental to students. In their observations about teachers-in-training,
Ronfeldt and Grossman (2008) indicated that these students often felt in-
secure, lonely, and disillusioned about their profession before even finish-
ing their field experiences and linked this to poor student retention. They
proposed that students in certain professional fields—including teaching,
the clergy, and psychology—be given opportunities to practice their skills
in facilitative environments with structured feedback from both peers and
instructors (Ronfeldt & Grossman, 2008).
Instructors who teach reflection must model genuineness, reflexiv-
ity, and emotional awareness in their teaching and professional practice
(Matteson, Taylor, Valle, Fehr, Jacob, & Jones, 2011; Ronfeldt & Grossman,
2008). Quiros et al. (2012) highlighted the necessity of students, instructors,
and field supervisors co-creating a sense of emotional safety so that stu-
dents may learn the nuances of their chosen professions. Matteson et al.
(2011) indicated that faculty must be willing to model the qualities they are
attempting to draw out in students to enhance student retention. Lastly,
related academic assignments are part of a necessary process for ensur-
ing student success as developing professionals. Yet, there are many salient
barriers that can interfere with graduate students undertaking this process.
Graduate students need to have the opportunity to engage in a reflective
process, but they also require emotional safety to take the risks required.
Appropriate faculty involvement and modeling of desired qualities is also
fundamental. Strategies are suggested to address student needs.
Overview
If professionals do not take the time to reflect upon significant mo-
ments in development, did learning take place? The reflective practices
engaged in throughout the graduate career are consistent with Bolton’s
(2014) definition: “an in-depth review of events, either alone—say, in a
journal—or with critical support with a supervisor or group” (p. 7). These
practices include reflective journal assignments, papers that outline per-
sonal understanding and cultural contexts, and reviews of developing
theoretical models and case conceptualization ideas with the feedback of
peers and supervisors.
Bolton (2014) asserted that reflective practice, done well, can lead to a
greater understanding of events and integration of theoretical knowledge
with professional practice. However, these practices ask a great deal of the
developing professional as part of the aim is to question previously held
assumptions about oneself and to develop previously underdeveloped
skills. Educators often assume that individuals know how to reflect and
have the necessary self-awareness to do so, but this assumption can be
problematic. Further, if some sense of group safety is not embedded into
the process, reflection can feel too risky to students, and they experience
resistance and can emotionally distance themselves from the learning ex-
perience (Quiros, Kay, & Montijo, 2012). The risk required in engaging in
professional development reflection coupled with the lack of clear guide-
lines for a safe environment will not lead professionals-in-training toward
success. Instead, these practices may result in students being stalled in
their professional development or not engaging with the material. The
outcome of this may be that a student lacks the essential bedrock for mak-
ing ethical decisions that are an integral part of their professional develop-
ment (Bolton, 2014).
SUPPORTING THE SUCCESS OF ADULT AND ONLINE STUDENTS
56 57
classroom and related activities. Questions such as: What do you as a
learner, within the context of this classroom learning community, require to
feel safe and respected by all members? Students also need to develop their
self-awareness and self-regulation skills so they may feel empowered to
take the risks required for reflective learning. Again, in an ideal university
community, the process of reflective practice is best introduced during ini-
tial coursework and encouraged throughout and beyond degree comple-
tion. By integrating these ideas into the graduate student experience, we
will be able to better support student success in engaging in reflective
development.
Proven Practices, Examples, and Results
Wong-Wylie (2007) described five elements that are facilitative of re-
flective practices. From these five, her research indicates that three show
up most often in students’ recollections of critical moments in their gradu-
ate professional education: engaging in reflective tasks, having self-trust/
risking, and interacting with supportive academic personnel. These can
be integrated into educational programs, and as an example, they have
been integrated into the Master of Counselling program at City University
of Seattle in Calgary, Alberta.
Engaging in Reflective Tasks
Students can be taught to engage in self-reflection from start to finish.
In their applications, students write a personal response paper that invites
them to engage actively in self-awareness and write about why they want
to be in the program. Once admitted, during New Student Orientation,
students create a self-care plan for the duration of their studies as gradu-
ate students. Faculty can further creatively infuse reflective practice into
all domains of a curriculum by
• modeling the message—actively engage in reflective practice;
• sharing initial experiences with reflective practice—as a graduate
student or beginning professional;
Cox, Zhu, Lynch, and Adams (2012) highlighted that mentors (who may or
may not be faculty or supervisors) can provide emotional support to grad-
uate students who are going through professional training programs and
improve retention.
Educators can build safety into reflective practices with the intention
to support students in making connections in the cognitive, affective,
and behavioral domains, both inside and outside the classroom learning
experience.
Integration into the Student Experience
One constant remains within the scholarship of teaching and learn-
ing—the fundamental need for learners to situate their PID within
their curriculum of study (Hart & Montague, 2015; Tan, Van der Molen,
& Schmidt, 2016). Often absent from discussions is the fact that each
student has unique narratives to bring to the inclusive classroom learn-
ing environment. Certain aspects of reflective pedagogy can be admin-
istered either in online, face-to-face, and blended graduate training
formats (Langley & Brown, 2010; Murdock, Williams, Becker, Bruce, &
Young, 2012). However, completing reflective assignments such as jour-
nals or self-reflective papers are not enough to enhance students’ PID
and are necessary but not sufficient to encourage their success as begin-
ning professionals.
An emotionally safe classroom with well-defined guidelines (Quiros et
al., 2012) and the ability to observe and absorb the professional qualities
of an instructor, supervisor, or role model must also be present for stu-
dents to have an enhancing learning experience (Matteson et al., 2011).
These last two components are best integrated into the student experi-
ence as face-to-face components. It may be difficult to create an emotion-
ally safe climate in online environments, as it is difficult for instructors to
assess the feel or tone of a “room,” particularly when asynchronous online
discussions are occurring. Although emotional learning can occur online
(Rowe, 2005), it may be a challenge for the instructor to judge if and when
emotional “shutdowns” may be occurring.
An optimal way to create emotional safety to support reflective prac-
tice is to involve students in the creation of guidelines for the face-to-face
SUPPORTING THE SUCCESS OF ADULT AND ONLINE STUDENTS
58 59
Lessons Learned, Tips for Success, and
Recommendations
The scholarship of teaching and learning has consistently demon-
strated that learners are more engaged and easier to retain when they
feel acknowledged and supported. It should be a priority to be both visi-
ble and accessible to learners via office hours, Skype, and before and after
classes. It is important that educators create and maintain professional
boundaries with learners, as there is always a possible danger of engag-
ing in a duality of relationship. Students should be provided with exter-
nal resources to engage in self-care. By being proactive, faculty members
not only model professionalism but also demonstrate that they care
about a student’s well-being through the provision of external resources.
Wong-Wylie’s (2007) elements of supportive collegial interactions with
students, in relation to reflective practice, are the basis for the following
suggestions:
• Demonstrate interest in the lived experience of learners
• Create and nurture an environment of curiosity and reflection
• Share campus/community resources should a student re-
quire additional assistance based on their reflections or the
process (i.e., campus counselling centre)—know when to refer
students
• Foster a compassionate approach to supporting learners in their
development of self-awareness as it relates to their PID, specifical-
ly acknowledging that it can be a risky endeavor and that students
can be at different levels with this
• Model healthy boundaries and communication skills when resolv-
ing conflict with students or colleagues
References
Bolton, G. (2014). Reflective practice: Writing and professional development
(4th ed.). London, United Kingdom: Sage Publications.
Bulman, C., & Schutz, S. (2013). Reflective practice in nursing (5th ed.).
Oxford, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell.
• identifying the cost/benefits of reflective practice to the learning
experience;
• discussing the bigger picture and inform students what’s in it for
them;
• creating a template or an example to help students get started; and
• explaining that engaging in reflective practice is a challenging
process and that faculty is there to support students.
Having Self-Trust/Risking
Engaging in self-reflection represents an intrapersonal and vulner-
able endeavor. The creation of a safe learning environment presents an
essential first step in establishing a climate for engaging in collaborative
sharing of learning and insights. As reflective practitioners, personal learn-
ing experiences (especially those that were lacking in safety) have offered
significant insights into “better ways” of engaging in inclusive practice. The
following suggested strategies should be considered:
• Actively engage each climate as a learning culture within itself
• Create and maintain community norms and agreements to sup-
port and nurture safety
• Adopt the teaching philosophy that “if uncomfortable, one is
learning,” taking note that there is a fundamental difference be-
tween uncomfortable and unsafe
• Encourage learners to self-monitor and manage their reflections as
possible new insights and transformative opportunities for growth
• Instill a culture of confidentiality (identifying limits of confiden-
tiality based on the requirements of regulatory bodies) where
students feel safe sharing ideas with the instructor and other
members of the classroom culture
• Engage in ongoing discussions surrounding self-reflection as a pro-
cess orientation, rather than a completed product (i.e., journal or blog)
• Infuse an assignment that requests students to “reflect on reflecting”
• Discuss and have students summarize essential counsellor dispo-
sitions such as being aware of biases, and being open to feedback
and their implications.
SUPPORTING THE SUCCESS OF ADULT AND ONLINE STUDENTS
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Author Biographies
Toupey Luft is an Associate Professor and Internship Coordinator at
City University of Seattle, Calgary campus. Her scholarship has centered
around human development, with a focus on adolescent girls. She holds a
BA (honours) in psychology, an MSc in educational psychology, and a PhD
in applied psychology, each from the University of Calgary. Dr. Luft is cur-
rently a registered psychologist in the province of Alberta.
Robert A. Roughley is a Professor and Associate Program Director for
the Counselling program at City University of Seattle, Calgary campus. Dr.
Roughley has been actively engaged in the scholarship of teaching and
learning for fifteen years. His scholarship has focused on human sexuality,
culture-infused counselling, counsellor identity development, and best
practice in teaching. He holds a BA in music, a BEd and a MEd in educa-
tional studies from Queen’s University, a BAEd in adult education from
Brock University, and an MC and a PhD in counselling psychology from
the University of Calgary. Dr. Roughley is currently a provisional registered
psychologist in the province of Alberta.
