Knowledge Development through Reflective Practice

This paper examines the development of knowledge through reflective practice and more specifically the development of the author’s knowledge as a result of engaging in reflection on an issue in the field of the author’s research interest. The author commences by consulting and analysing existing published research on reflective practice. The paper sets out the theory of reflective practice as documented by eminent authors in the field. The author addresses the concept of action learning and frames this process within Kolb’s (1976) experiential learning model, in an attempt to formulate a framework whereby his own research focus can be developed. The authors own understanding of reflective practice is addressed in the context of a documented reflective response to a professional issue in his current role as a lecturer in the School of Real Estate and Construction Economics, in Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT). Although this issue is not necessarily applicable to the author’s research interest for his doctoral study this experience including a detailed literature review on reflective practice, assisted the author in outlining and developing a focus to his research topic through reflection. The author’s research topic (whole life cycle costing) emerged from reflecting on the time consuming calculations and methodologies that are required to be implemented for whole life cycle costing on construction projects. Through the process of documented reflection the author was able to identify an issue in whole life cycle costing that will be the focus of his preliminary literature review for his doctoral research.