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  2. Guide to the NQF
  3. Section 3: National Quality Standard and Assessment and Rating
  4. Quality Area 1: Educational program and practice
  5. Standard 1.3: Assessment and planning
  6. Element 1.3.2: Critical reflection

Table of contents

Element 1.3.2: Critical reflection

Critical reflection on children’s learning and development, both as individuals and in groups, drives program planning and implementation.

What Element 1.3.2 aims to achieve

Reflective practice is a form of ongoing learning that involves educators intentionally thinking about all aspects of the program, the vision and principles that guide them, the practices they use and the learning outcomes for children. It drives educators’ program planning and implementation to support children’s learning, development and wellbeing. Educational leaders support educators to become increasingly thoughtful about their work, to analyse their actions objectively and motivate them to reflect and explore new ideas and approaches as part of daily practice.

Reflective practice is an ongoing, dynamic process that supports educators to think honestly and critically about all aspects of professional practice, including whether all children and families are included. Reflective practice guides educators to gather information from different perspectives to gain insights that will support, inform and enrich their decision-making about each child’s learning.

Critical reflection is a meaning-making process that involves closely examining all aspects of events and experiences from diverse perspectives, including philosophy, theory, contemporary knowledge, ethics and practice, with a focus on implications for equity, social justice, inclusion and diversity (adapted from the Early Years Learning Framework and the Framework for School Age Care).

Critical reflection takes reflective practice to a deeper level of thinking and evaluation and includes educators, individually and with each other, analysing or diagnosing what happened and why. For example:

  • why educators may have responded in the way they did
  • how educators felt
  • why educators made certain decisions
  • what may have influenced educators’ actions
  • which theoretical perspectives educators draw on in their decision-making (whether deliberately or subconsciously).

Critical reflection helps educators to build on their knowledge and skills, identifying practice that can be continued as well as what might need to be improved or changed. It also helps educators to identify ways to improve opportunities for children’s participation, learning, development and wellbeing.

Educational leaders support educators to consider questions such as:

  • How do we currently examine our practices and decision-making, and identify improvements as well as successes?
  • Have we considered which children may be advantaged and whether any child is disadvantaged, excluded or silenced when we work in particular ways?
  • How do we use the approved learning framework/s to help us critically reflect?
  • How are we creating opportunities for conversations, debates, and collaborative inquiries as a team, ensuring that all voices are heard, considered and responded to with respect?
  • What questions do I have about my work? What am I challenged by? What am I curious about? What am I confronted by in relation to my own biases?
  • What strategies do I use to demonstrate that I value diversity in all its forms, and promote equitable and genuine participation and inclusion for all children in all aspects of the program? (adapted from the Early Years Learning Framework and the Framework for School Age Care).

Assessment guide for meeting Element 1.3.2 (for all services)

Critical reflection

Assessors may observe educators:

 

  • working collaboratively with children to document and reflect on their experiences and learning
  • using a variety of methods, such as jottings, children’s comments and conversations, photographs and examples of children’s work, to assist their reflection on children’s experiences, thinking and learning
  • focusing on adapting the program to include all children rather than adapting a child’s routine or requirements to fit the program
  • reflecting-in-action by changing or altering experiences which are not engaging children
  • speaking briefly to one another throughout the day about aspects of practice that they have changed or need to change
  • making brief notes when appropriate so that they can recall an aspect of practice that may be challenging them, or that they may have questions about, to guide critical reflection.

Assessors may discuss:

 

  • how reflective practice, including critical reflection, is used as part of an ongoing process and cycle of review in the service
  • how the educational leader supports educators to engage in reflective practice that is in line with current recognised approaches, theories and/or research evidence
  • how educators use critical reflection to inform future planning and decision-making and make changes to their program and practice
  • the opportunities available for educators to reflect on the events of each day, including thinking about what happened and why, identifying successes and achievements and exploring what can be extended or changed
  • how educators reflect on whether the program is an inclusive learning environment and supports each child to participate fully or if there are barriers to learning and participation, including attitudinal and practical barriers
  • how children’s comments about their experiences of the program are actively sought, recorded and considered as part of the reflection process
  • whether information gathered provides insights about curriculum decision-making that supports and extends children’s learning, development and wellbeing
  • how the educational leader promotes a culture of professional enquiry and critical reflection, where current practices are examined, outcomes of those practices evaluated and new ideas generated, tried and tested.

Assessors may sight:

 

  • documentation that shows evidence of critical reflection, such as reflection journals or diaries
  • documentation that reflects on all aspects of the program and may include jottings about:
    • the effectiveness of arrivals/departures,
    • interactions, responsiveness and relationships with particular children
    • transitions, routines and rituals
    • planned experiences and unplanned/spontaneous child directed learning
    • incidental and planned group times
    • the environment and experiences provided
    • intentional teaching strategies, such as asking questions, explaining, modelling, speculating, inquiring and demonstrating
    • conversations with colleagues, children and families
    • any other aspects of practice to prompt further thinking and discussion
    • the effectiveness of resources and equipment used
    • experiences and learning outcomes achieved
    • review of curriculum content and pedagogy
  • if the service has a Strategic Inclusion Plan, how the service reflects on adaptations made to reduce barriers to participation.