Schön's Reflection-in-Action and Reflection-on-Action
Schön's Reflection-in-Action and Reflection-on-Action is a model of reflective
practice developed by Donald Schön that explains how professionals learn from
experience before, during and after practice. Schön argued that practitioners
often work in complex, uncertain and unpredictable situations where there is no
single correct answer. Rather than relying solely on technical knowledge or
procedures, professionals use reflection to think critically about their actions,
adapt to changing circumstances and improve future practice. Within social
work, Schön's model underpins reflective practice, professional judgement,
ethical decision making and reflective supervision. It enables practitioners to
integrate theory, research, legislation and experience when working with
children, adults and families (Schön, 1983).
Schön introduced his theory in The Reflective Practitioner (1983), challenging the
view that professional practice simply involves applying technical knowledge to
solve problems. He argued that professions such as social work, nursing,
teaching and medicine require practitioners to navigate ambiguity, uncertainty
and competing values. Reflection therefore becomes a central element of
professional expertise because it enables practitioners to learn continuously from
experience rather than relying solely on predetermined procedures.
Schön identified two primary forms of reflection.
Reflection-in-action refers to thinking critically while an event is taking place.
Practitioners monitor the situation, evaluate what is happening and adapt their
actions in real time.
This process involves:
Recognising that something unexpected has occurred.
Thinking critically during the interaction.
Adjusting communication or interventions immediately.
Responding flexibly to changing circumstances.
Drawing upon professional knowledge and experience.
Reflection-in-action is particularly important in situations where practitioners
cannot pause to consult guidance but must make immediate professional
judgements.
, For example, during a home visit, a social worker may notice that a parent
becomes increasingly distressed when discussing their child's behaviour. Rather
than continuing with planned assessment questions, the practitioner recognises
the parent's emotional state, adapts their communication, slows the
conversation and prioritises emotional support before returning to the
assessment. This represents reflection-in-action because the practitioner
modifies their approach while the interaction is occurring.
Reflection-on-action occurs after an event has taken place. Practitioners review
the experience, evaluate their decisions and identify learning that can improve
future practice.
Reflection-on-action typically involves considering:
What happened?
Why did events unfold as they did?
What influenced my decisions?
What theories, legislation or evidence apply?
What could I do differently next time?
What have I learned?
This reflective process often occurs during supervision, team discussions, written
reflections or continuing professional development activities.
For example, following a safeguarding enquiry, a social worker may reflect on
whether they balanced autonomy and protection appropriately, whether
communication was effective and how legislation such as the Care Act 2014 or
Mental Capacity Act 2005 influenced decision making. This analysis informs
future practice.
Reflection-for-Action
Although not originally proposed explicitly by Schön, many contemporary
authors also refer to reflection-for-action, developed from his work. Reflection-
for-action involves using learning from previous experiences to plan future
practice proactively.
It focuses on questions such as:
What will I do differently next time?
How can I improve my practice?
Schön's Reflection-in-Action and Reflection-on-Action is a model of reflective
practice developed by Donald Schön that explains how professionals learn from
experience before, during and after practice. Schön argued that practitioners
often work in complex, uncertain and unpredictable situations where there is no
single correct answer. Rather than relying solely on technical knowledge or
procedures, professionals use reflection to think critically about their actions,
adapt to changing circumstances and improve future practice. Within social
work, Schön's model underpins reflective practice, professional judgement,
ethical decision making and reflective supervision. It enables practitioners to
integrate theory, research, legislation and experience when working with
children, adults and families (Schön, 1983).
Schön introduced his theory in The Reflective Practitioner (1983), challenging the
view that professional practice simply involves applying technical knowledge to
solve problems. He argued that professions such as social work, nursing,
teaching and medicine require practitioners to navigate ambiguity, uncertainty
and competing values. Reflection therefore becomes a central element of
professional expertise because it enables practitioners to learn continuously from
experience rather than relying solely on predetermined procedures.
Schön identified two primary forms of reflection.
Reflection-in-action refers to thinking critically while an event is taking place.
Practitioners monitor the situation, evaluate what is happening and adapt their
actions in real time.
This process involves:
Recognising that something unexpected has occurred.
Thinking critically during the interaction.
Adjusting communication or interventions immediately.
Responding flexibly to changing circumstances.
Drawing upon professional knowledge and experience.
Reflection-in-action is particularly important in situations where practitioners
cannot pause to consult guidance but must make immediate professional
judgements.
, For example, during a home visit, a social worker may notice that a parent
becomes increasingly distressed when discussing their child's behaviour. Rather
than continuing with planned assessment questions, the practitioner recognises
the parent's emotional state, adapts their communication, slows the
conversation and prioritises emotional support before returning to the
assessment. This represents reflection-in-action because the practitioner
modifies their approach while the interaction is occurring.
Reflection-on-action occurs after an event has taken place. Practitioners review
the experience, evaluate their decisions and identify learning that can improve
future practice.
Reflection-on-action typically involves considering:
What happened?
Why did events unfold as they did?
What influenced my decisions?
What theories, legislation or evidence apply?
What could I do differently next time?
What have I learned?
This reflective process often occurs during supervision, team discussions, written
reflections or continuing professional development activities.
For example, following a safeguarding enquiry, a social worker may reflect on
whether they balanced autonomy and protection appropriately, whether
communication was effective and how legislation such as the Care Act 2014 or
Mental Capacity Act 2005 influenced decision making. This analysis informs
future practice.
Reflection-for-Action
Although not originally proposed explicitly by Schön, many contemporary
authors also refer to reflection-for-action, developed from his work. Reflection-
for-action involves using learning from previous experiences to plan future
practice proactively.
It focuses on questions such as:
What will I do differently next time?
How can I improve my practice?
