a process of careful consideration, especially in terms of reviewing behaviour, performance, incidents. It is seen as vital for teachers in respect of improving their own professional practice, and increasingly for learners in respect of improving their learning or study skills. It needs, therefore, to be conducted in an informed way to be of real value (see pedagogy; praxis; metacognition).
for teachers, the process of reviewing their own professional performance with a view to improvement. It is most often used in relation to an individual professional's self-evaluation and development but can also be engaged in collectively. It is viewed as a key aspect of professionalism. See further detail in the entry on its opposite: technical rationalism
in schooling, this usually refers to regulations governing expected standards of behaviour. In recent times, learners have been involved more in creating such rules - encouraging self-discipline and policy ownership - and rules have tended to be expressed in terms of behaviour expected, deemed to be more effective than those expressed in negative terms : "Do not. . .!"