Reflection revisited: perceptions of reflective practice in fashion learning and teaching

Led by Schon and others, reflective practice has been widely explored in the last twenty years; however the kinds of practices focussed on have primarily been those in written format. The inclusion of Personal Development Planning activities (also known as Personal and Professional Development, or PPD) in higher education courses has reinforced the importance of both reflection and textual expression. Core modes of learning in the creative arts are not text-based, however, and the tension between writing and practice is familiar territory for debate. In spring 2006, a small-scale research project was conducted at the London College of Fashion (LCF) with staff and students on fashion courses. Its main goal was to examine perceptions of critical reflection, whether this is taught, how expressed, the extent to which it is measured and student responses to it. In addition, it considered the presence of the emotions in the fostering of reflective practice. This paper reports on both the project methodology and the findings, and raises questions about the ways in which critical reflection is currently stimulated in fashion learning which may have some resonance for other disciplines also.