Theory and practice in journalism education

Abstract

Reflective practice, based on Kolb's experiential learning cycle, is promoted as best practice in higher education, and is now put forward as a solution to the theory—practice divide in journalism education. But reflection must be done within an explicit theoretical framework and the question remains: which framework, and defined by whom? As journalism practitioners continue their progress in the Academy, it is important to avoid assumptions about the nature of the framework that will evolve. In addition, while there has been an effort to show how theory can be integrated into the teaching of practice, much less has been done to show how practice might influence theory. The process must work in both directions to be truly reflective. A small survey of UK journalism educators, outlined here, sheds light on how journalism educators see the role of theory and its relation to practice in their own classrooms.

Keywords:

• journalism
• education
• reflective
• practice
• theory
• professional