Reflective practice is a phrase that, despite being commonly used in a variety of contexts, remains somewhat nebulous in definition, and as a result draws criticism for being both overused and vague. At the most simplistic level, reflective practice might be considered intentional thought about the actions one takes in carrying out the duties of a given profession. However, few educators would agree that all thinking about practice is reflective, nor would there be support for the idea that any action can be justified simply because it was deliberate.

Though reflective practice appears in the literature across professions like nursing and social work, this entry discusses how it is defined within the teaching arena. As such, reflective practice can be defined as instructional practices and related ...