A scenario for change: reflective practice for post-ordination professional development

Abstract

The continuing professional development of ordained ministers is an important concept given the ever-changing nature of ministry and society as a whole. Within such a context, professional development needs to cope with continuous change through reflective practice in order to challenge and renew expertise. The proposed scenario for change seeks to embed reflective practice as the central method for the professional development of ordained ministers, thereby extending reflective practice from training and into the mode of lifelong learning. Components of this approach will include:

•	Intentional reflective practice as the central methodology.
•	Communities of practice as the central location for reflective practice.
•	Facilitation as the central mechanism for reflective practice.

Keywords:

• Christian ministry
• professional development
• reflective practice
• facilitation
• communities of practice

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank these staff members at the Higher Education Development Center, University of Otago: Dr Vijay Mallan and Dr Russell Butson for supervising this research project and Dr Clinton Golding for helping with educational theory and thought-encouraging questions.

Notes

1. Comments by participants have also been positive, such as: ‘Personal growth through developing confidence via peer group contact and tutorial advice’; ‘Good speakers and targeted topics have helped me engage with other areas of ministry and translate that into on the ground action’, ‘Gained confidence to deal with a variety of situations’.

2. The educational theory that undergirds learning through reflective practice is ‘constructivism’, meaning how learners construct new knowledge through building on previous knowledge and experience (Harland, 2012, pp. 62–64). Constructivism includes concepts such as the ‘Zone of Proximal Development’ (ZPD) for understanding how development occurs, and ‘scaffolding’ to describe the method by which the teacher/facilitator supports learning. The ZPD is the central paradigm of the sociocultural approach to human development by Lev Vygotsky, where the construction of knowledge involves the interdependence of social and individual processes. The ZPD is therefore defined as: ‘…the distance between the actual development level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers’. Independent problem-solving defines the learners ‘Zone of Current Development’ (ZCD) which can be reached based on knowledge and skills. However, with the help of more capable peers the outer edge of the ‘Zone of Proximal Development’ can be reached, which after such help now defines the new ZCD and the process continues (Harland, 2003, p. 265; Wass & Golding, 2014).

3. Reflective practice within a community of practice is supported by constructivism, since embedded in Vygotsky’s social constructionist view of development is the concept that collaborative problem-solving leads to learning. The continual extension of the ZPD provides a model for lifelong learning, which is an ideal scenario for peer-assessment and reflective practice (Biggs & Tang, 2011, p. 266; Harland, 2003).

4. Closely aligned with constructionism is the concept of ‘scaffolding’ which helps people apply new skills and strategies and reach their potential through the appropriate assistant or support by which, ‘a learner can attain a goal or engage in a practice otherwise out of reach’. Scaffolding is also applied to group settings such as classrooms, adult learning and lifelong learning, including communities of practice (Davis & Miyake, 2004, p. 266; Harland, 2003, 2012; Wass & Golding, 2014; Wass, Harland, & Mercer, 2011).