VERITAS ET MISERICORDIA

CRITICAL THINKING: CRITICAL REFLECTION

AND DEVELOPING THINKING
 CRITICAL REFLECTION AND DEVELOPING
THINKING

A pattern is developed in a specific time and space. It

addresses circumstances and scenarios which may
be beneficial today but may not be tomorrow. This
calls us to pause for a while and re-think our patterns.
This “necessary pause” to rethink our patterns is
what we can call, reflection. In her book Learning to
Think Strategically, Julia Sloan distinguishes three
different kinds of reflections that we can use to
innovate the patterns that we have developed. These
are the following: Content Reflection, Process
Reflection, and Premise Reflection.
 KINDS OF REFLECTIONS
CONTENT REFLECTION
This focuses on the description of the

1 situation. it answers the question “what.” this

gives us more information and details about
the issue at hand.

PROCESS REFLECTION
THIS FOCUSES ON THE WAYS AND

2
METHODS UESD TO ANSWER THE
ISSUE. IT ANSWERS THE QUESTIONS
“how.” iT INVOLVES WHAT ONE DID
IN ORDER TO REACH AT A SOLUTION
TO THE EXISTING PROBLEM.

PREMISE REFLECTION
THIS CHALLENGES THE RELEVANCE OF THE

3 PROBLEM ITSELF. IT ANSWERS THE QUESTION,

“WHY.” ONE MIGHT ASK, WHY IS THE
PROBLEM RELEVANT OR IMPORTANT? THIS
PINS DOWN TO THE BELIEFS AND VALUES THAT
MOTIVATES THE PROBLEM OR ISSUE.
 TYPES OF CRITICAL REFLECTION
Types of Critical Reflection
Content Reflection Process Reflection Premise Reflection
Description Focuses on What Focuses on How Focuses on Why
• Restate problem • Map actions and • Inquire about
• Identify key issues reactions of steps and relevance of problem:
• Summarize major approaches used to “Why is this issue
points implement strategy relevant to what I
• State indicators of • Explore how the do?”
trends and patterns problem • “Is this my concern?”
• Identify factors emerged/grew/shifted • “How else could this
• Confirm data • Map and discuss step- be seen framed (or
• Validate data by-step actions, seen)”
• Verify sources reactions, and • “Is the key concept a
Approaches responses. valid concept?”
• Discuss progression • Challenge
and sequence, assumptions, beliefs,
• Discuss scope, impact, and values underlying
and influence key problem
• Discuss relevance and
reliability of indicators