Facilitating reflection: a review and synthesis of the factors enabling effective facilitation of reflective practice

Reflective practice is an inherently personal and relational process, occurring privately within people, publicly, between people. Consequently, given it positively impacts on professional practice, has become a requirement for bodies accrediting practitioners. This literature synthesis aims to consolidate understanding around the factors facilitating reflection by generating insights from variety of publications across contexts. The analytical process involved initial coding focussed wherein article text was fragmented, sorted, integrated develop thematic structure. Analysis resulted in two higher order themes: Factors reflection; Facilitator tasks. Results highlighted value supportive environments facilitate open enquiry alongside formal dialogues peers, more experienced colleagues, facilitators enrich knowledge, perspectives, insights, relationships. Further, begin reflective practitioners novice learners benefit support deconstructing concept reflection. Ideally, this would be facilitated facilitator who values towards complexity, difference, emotive responses. requires safe, supportive, blame-free where encourage dialogue while modelling qualities such as congruence, acceptance, empathy.