The journey from reflection towards reflexivity

Main ideas / lessons conveyed

• Social workers (and students) should understand a developmental progression in reflective practice:
  1. Reflection
  2. Critical reflection
  3. Reflexivity / reflexive practice
• The video emphasizes revisiting these concepts and mapping how a practitioner moves from one stage to the next.
• Key themes:
  • Reflection is ongoing thinking.
  • Critical reflection adds power/socio-political analysis.
  • Reflexivity deepens “use of self,” systems thinking, and emotional intelligence.

Concepts explained (in order)

1) Reflection (baseline reflective practice)

• Reflection is described as thinking that happens all the time, not only after an event.
• It includes:
  • Reflection in the moment
    • “What’s coming next?”
    • “What have I just done?”
    • “What’s working?”
    • “What isn’t working?”
  • Reflection on action / in action / ahead (thinking ahead)
  • Exploring feelings and emotions
    • What feelings are present?
    • What feelings are invoked in you?
  • Connecting thoughts with emotions
  • Understanding values and their implications
    • How your values affect your practice as a social worker
  • Understanding what is actually happening
  • Analyzing information
    • Breaking down what information means
    • Examining what it signifies in context

Examples illustrating reflection

• At home: pausing TV and speculating about what characters did next.
• In a café: observing others and building a “backstory” about what may be happening for them (still reflective, not necessarily critical/reflexive).

2) Critical reflection (reflection becomes “critical”)

Critical reflection becomes “critical” when it includes two key aspects:

• Depth that supports transformative change
  • Not only “What will I do differently next time?”
  • But also: how practice can change at a bigger scale
  • And how it can improve people’s experiences
• Analysis of power
  • Based on power dynamics
  • Aims to equalize power imbalances
  • Works to maximize democratic relations

Clarification

• “Critical” does not simply mean “being self-critical” (though that can be a misunderstanding).
• The focus is on power dynamics and their implications.

3) Reflexivity / reflexive practice (reflection + self + systems + emotion)

• Reflexivity is framed as the stage after reflection and critical reflection, explained through the word “reflexivity”:
  • “re-” / “re”: do it again; keep reviewing and make it ongoing—while staying focused on what you’re examining.
  • “reflex”: an automatic response (like a reflex)
    • Reflexivity asks: where does this automatic response come from?
    • It explores cause-and-effect: what triggered it, and what effect it had.
  • “flex”: power and how it moves/flows
    • Reflexivity includes awareness of power as fluid in social work situations.
  • “flexi” / flexibility: openness to change; adapting practice in the moment.
  • “-it y” / “doing” (practice): understanding isn’t enough—reflexivity is about what you do with understanding.

Professional analogy: reflexology

• Reflexologists map connections between parts of the body and the whole system.
• This conveys interconnectivity in social work:
  • Social workers are not the expert on the person.
  • The person is the expert on themselves.
  • Social workers’ expertise lies in connectivity and systemic understanding.

Methodology / “instructions” presented (explicit steps)

The video presents an approach that functions like a learning methodology for practitioners:

• Create and follow a “journey” from reflection → critical reflection → reflexivity
• Revisit and distinguish definitions
  • Pause and reflect on your own understanding of the differences between the three.
• Practice reflection continuously
  • Notice what’s happening:
    • in the moment,
    • in your own actions,
    • and in future thinking.
  • Explore:
    • emotions,
    • values,
    • what meaning information has,
    • what’s actually happening.
• Advance to critical reflection
  • Add power analysis:
    • identify power dynamics,
    • consider how power is distributed,
    • aim to reduce/mitigate power imbalances,
    • consider socio-political implications.
  • Ensure reflection goes deep enough to enable transformative change (not only personal adjustment).
• Move toward reflexivity
  • Keep reflexive focus on:
    • use of self (how you impact the situation and how it impacts you)
    • circularity of self-awareness (self-aware reflection on your central role)
  • Adopt a systems approach:
    • connect the individual with internal and external environmental factors
    • understand people in context
  • Connect emotional intelligence with reflection:
    • consider emotions of the individual and the other person
    • use emotions to understand relationships and connections
  • Implement change flexibly in the moment using the understanding gained.

Framework metaphor: “treasure map” and “X”

• The video uses a “map” metaphor to represent moving toward reflexivity:
  • Words are connected around an X.
  • The “treasure” at X is interpreted as:
    • Emotional Intelligence (E + I) linked to reflection.
• Meaning of the letters:
  • I = individual (internal factors)
  • E = environment (external factors)
• Treasure = understanding the person in context, linking internal and external factors to guide collaborative practice goals.

Summary (as stated/condensed from the video)

• Reflection: active, persistent thinking; exploring thoughts, insights, and feelings; not only hindsight.
• Critical reflection: reflection plus power and socio-political context, deep enough to enable meaningful change.
• Reflexivity: adds use of self, focus on how you impact and are impacted; includes systemic thinking and emotional intelligence; centers the “individual-in-environment” view.

Speakers / sources featured

• Speaker / instructor: An unnamed presenter/lecturer (the narrator who gives definitions, asks viewers to pause/consider words, and provides examples).
• Source referenced: Department of Health and Social Care (England), adult social work supervision post-qualifying standards (including a referenced glossary defining reflection vs critical reflection and related concepts).