Reflection allows one to get a broader understanding of an experience by placing it in a larger context.   Reflective thinking transforms one’s experiences into valuable insights.   (John Maxwell).

Reflection encompasses various interpretations among individuals. However, it is widely acknowledged that it is a highly esteemed form of thinking. Reflection has been widely adopted in higher education, especially in social work schools, as a beneficial method to help students develop the habit of deriving significance from their (intercultural) experiences.   Reflection is particularly beneficial for students during their practical placements, whether they are in their home country or abroad. It allows them to mindfully examine their role, actions, and duties, and critically evaluate and comprehend the observations and tasks they are engaged in (and connect them to theoretical knowledge).   Reflection is presented as a crucial tool for students to learn from the numerous paradoxes and intricate complexity they encounter in today’s social landscape.   The primary objective is to cultivate transferable talents that are applicable throughout one’s life and not limited to specific contexts, enabling individuals to perform more efficiently in challenging professional circumstances.   Reflective practice is deeply ingrained in the social work field and is becoming more prevalent in other caring professions including teaching.

The majority of perspectives on reflection in education are derived from the contributions of John Dewey (1910), an American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer who is frequently acknowledged as the progenitor of reflective practice.   He expressed the idea that our learning does not come directly from experience, but rather from the process of reflecting on our experiences.   Reflection typically encompasses various components, such as interpreting an experience, revisiting a (critical) incident multiple times, adopting a more objective stance to gain a clearer viewpoint, seeking a deeper comprehension, striving for increased candour, evaluating both positive and negative aspects, and making impartial assessments.

Finlay provides a succinct overview of reflective practice, stating that it is often regarded as the process of acquiring new insights about oneself and/or one’s activity through learning from and reflecting on past experiences.   This frequently entails scrutinizing the underlying assumptions of common routines.   Furthermore, it typically requires the individual practitioner to engage in self-reflection and carefully assess their own reactions to practice scenarios.   The objective is to reflect on practical experiences and analyze them in a critical manner in order to acquire new insights and enhance future performance.   This is commonly recognized as an integral aspect of the ongoing process of acquiring knowledge and skills during one’s entire life. The source cited is Finlay (2008).

Interactions between different cultures and the resulting complexities often create chances for introspection.   In the contemporary era, it is unnecessary to travel outside one’s own nation in order to encounter circumstances that challenge one’s intercultural sensitivity.   The increasing interconnectedness of individuals across borders has led to a growing recognition of the need to cultivate a capacity for comprehending diverse cultures, which is now being acknowledged in several domains of society.   There is a growing recognition among individuals that having knowledge and skills related to different cultures and the ability to interact effectively across cultures are essential in the modern globalized and interconnected society.

Acquiring intercultural competences cannot be achieved through a solitary course.   Acquiring the attitudes, knowledge, and skills necessary to effectively interact, collaborate, and learn from individuals of different cultural backgrounds requires a significant investment of time and effort.   Utilizing arts-based and action-oriented methods is a valuable and captivating approach in this regard.   These inclusive approaches promote interpersonal communication, allowing individuals to engage in collaborative and organized endeavours with individuals from diverse backgrounds or various regions of Europe or the globe.   Engaging in lively, dynamic activities (such as dancing) or artistic pursuits (such as photography or music creation) within small, diverse groups allows individuals to interact with others in a welcoming and all-encompassing manner.   Several of these methodologies have already been employed in diverse environments to foster a sense of ease and familiarity among individuals in a novel group, context, or team, serving as effective means to initiate social interaction.   Similarly, they can be effectively utilized in cross-cultural environments.

When creating stimulating activities for a varied group, a facilitator must consider how each individual is expected to respond. Will participants feel at ease and comfortable? Will they perceive the activity as suitable and valuable? Will they feel encouraged to participate? Will the activity promote fairness, such as by forming a circle?   While it is necessary to create programs that involve arts and action, it is even more crucial to engage in reflection on these experiences.   Merely having experience does not automatically result in learning; individuals acquire knowledge via thoughtful contemplation of their experiences, which is where the true worth of the action is formed.   Often, a straightforward approach involves conducting a basic “check-out” or posing an open-ended question, such as: What will be your main takeaway from this intercultural activity?   May already elicit useful introspective insights from the individual participants (and question their initial assumptions).

In addition, the act of collectively discussing these introspective thoughts within an international group environment has the potential to be even more valuable, as it can result in more meaningful and impactful exchanges.   As a component of a broader initiative, a sequence of these activities, which combine artistic elements and proactive approaches, continuously culminate with thought-provoking inquiries and introspective instances. This can foster and empower participants to embrace a more contemplative mindset and improve their ability to engage in reflection.   Indeed, it has the potential to facilitate contemplation regarding forthcoming intercultural interactions (or cooperation), so fostering intercultural skills.

References:

Dewey, J. (1910) How we think. E-book on Project Gutenberg.

Finlay, L. (2008) Reflecting on reflective practice. PBPL paper 52 ; A discussion paper prepared for PBPL CETL (www.open.ac.uk/pbpl).

Anja Stofberg (2018). Reflecting on intercultural experiences. Rotterdam University of Applied Science. Retrieved from https://epale.ec.europa.eu/en/blog/reflecting-intercultural-experiences.