Current thinking is that contemporary challenges demand interdisciplinary and even cross-sectoral responses as these hybrid approaches bring together the necessary mix of knowledges, resources and expertise for optimal solutions.
Within this increasingly fused environment academics and practitioners are two key, but not always compatible, elements. In a perfect world these elements would come together, create new knowledge and solutions which would translate seamlessly between the two. Unfortunately, reality tends to disrupt this ideal as academics and practitioners, despite often similar disciplinary training, are inherently incentivised toward different goals and operate within different cultural contexts.
Academic culture and success depends on teasing out problems to create new knowledge which lead to headlining publications and academic notoriety. In contrast, practitioners are problem oriented and focus their efforts on developing resolutions that deliver public value. These dissimilar goals lead to fundamentally separate perspectives, expectations, and practices regarding the nature of problems, how to work together and the type of outcomes to be generated.
In this paper we argue that the dual concepts of reflective practice and praxis are important, inter-related mechanisms for crossing this cultural divide. Reflective practice encourages and aids parties on both sides to recognise and carefully examine their own experiences, perspectives and practices. This process of mutual self-learning forms the foundation for more constructive dialogue and shared action.
Although reflective practice has a long history (Dewey, 1993; Kolb, 1981; Argyris, 1991) it has become somewhat of a lost craft. Theorists highlighted the connection between reflection and deeper understanding, arguing that this type of personal exploration and self-learning is distinctly different from the acquisition of factual learning. Praxis, extends reflective practice by encouraging people to move beyond the exploration of personal pre-conceived ideas and experiences to relate these learning to the theory of change that is informing practice.
Praxis, via reflective practice, therefore makes the connection between experiences and theory. It helps people to view and appreciate their own experiences as important and rich data sets to be taken into consideration and used as both a learning and shaping experience. Through praxis, practices can be analysed, assessed and reconfigured as necessary.
Currently in both institutional contexts there are few recognised formula to guide the undertaking reflective practice or praxis. Nor is there a strong support base encouraging its application. The preferred tool relies on a set of ‘deep’ questions either as stand-alone devices or embedded within a reflective diary.
In order to better shape praxis and reflective practice for enhanced policy, training and practical application we propose to use this session via an interactive process to explore these notions, including:
• The types of questions and instruments that would facilitate the dialogic process between practitioners and academics, and
• Identify those systems and process required to support reflective practice and praxis, including the establishment environments that are non-threatening and non-punitive.
F2 - Connecting Public Management Researcher and Practitioners for Improved Outcomes (Spec
