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Reassessing reflection: theorising reflection as identity formation.

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Title: Reassessing reflection: theorising reflection as identity formation.
Authors: Warhurst, Russell P. (AUTHOR), Black, Kate (AUTHOR), Wu, X.-Jian (AUTHOR)
Source: Studies in Higher Education. Jun2026, Vol. 51 Issue 6, p1323-1337. 15p.
Subjects: Identity (Psychology), Higher education, Graduate students, Education theory, Experiential learning, Introspection
Abstract: This paper overviews the substantial canon of research on reflection, outlines analytical taxonomies and reviews evaluation research on reflection. The latter reveals that higher levels of reflection are not strongly evidenced among full-time students. This finding has prompted recent calls for a reassessment of reflection to which this paper responds. The paper argues that evaluation research among full-time students might have been looking in the wrong place for positive outcomes from reflection on experience. However, if learning from reflection is conceptualised as prospective, as learning for practice, then reflection can be resurrected as educationally invaluable. The paper argues that reflection has an ontological function: students come to understand who they are, who they want to be, and how they can become that person. While such notions of identity feature in certain existing studies, evidence of reflection has yet to be systematically theorised through an identity lens. Therefore, the paper makes two contributions. First, the diverse literature of identity theorising is critically examined, synthesised and theoretically modelled. Second, the paper applies this theorising in interpreting qualitative evidence from a cohort of full-time postgraduate students' reflections on their programme and work experiences. While experiences on such a programme might, unintentionally inhibit the development of students' aspired occupational identities, certain educational experiences strongly enabled identity transitions through various forms of identity-work. The discussion develops identity theorising for application in higher-education and implications are discerned showing how reflection can be repositioned within higher education to enhance its efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Studies in Higher Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Reassessing reflection: theorising reflection as identity formation.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Studies+in+Higher+Education%22">Studies in Higher Education</searchLink>. Jun2026, Vol. 51 Issue 6, p1323-1337. 15p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Identity+%28Psychology%29%22">Identity (Psychology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Higher+education%22">Higher education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Graduate+students%22">Graduate students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Education+theory%22">Education theory</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Experiential+learning%22">Experiential learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Introspection%22">Introspection</searchLink>
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  Data: This paper overviews the substantial canon of research on reflection, outlines analytical taxonomies and reviews evaluation research on reflection. The latter reveals that higher levels of reflection are not strongly evidenced among full-time students. This finding has prompted recent calls for a reassessment of reflection to which this paper responds. The paper argues that evaluation research among full-time students might have been looking in the wrong place for positive outcomes from reflection on experience. However, if learning from reflection is conceptualised as prospective, as learning for practice, then reflection can be resurrected as educationally invaluable. The paper argues that reflection has an ontological function: students come to understand who they are, who they want to be, and how they can become that person. While such notions of identity feature in certain existing studies, evidence of reflection has yet to be systematically theorised through an identity lens. Therefore, the paper makes two contributions. First, the diverse literature of identity theorising is critically examined, synthesised and theoretically modelled. Second, the paper applies this theorising in interpreting qualitative evidence from a cohort of full-time postgraduate students' reflections on their programme and work experiences. While experiences on such a programme might, unintentionally inhibit the development of students' aspired occupational identities, certain educational experiences strongly enabled identity transitions through various forms of identity-work. The discussion develops identity theorising for application in higher-education and implications are discerned showing how reflection can be repositioned within higher education to enhance its efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Studies in Higher Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/03075079.2025.2508825
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: Higher education
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      – SubjectFull: Graduate students
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      – SubjectFull: Education theory
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      – SubjectFull: Experiential learning
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      – SubjectFull: Introspection
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            – D: 01
              M: 06
              Text: Jun2026
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              Y: 2026
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