Developing the Reflexive Practitioner Research Project

This research project explores the importance of self-awareness in formal professional identities and ways to improve it. It includes a literature review, reflexive research method, action research method, and data analysis using personality tests.

Developing the reflexive
practitioner research project

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART A...........................................................................................................................................3
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................3
Purpose........................................................................................................................................4
PART B...........................................................................................................................................5
Research Methodologies..............................................................................................................5
Data Analysis...............................................................................................................................6
Critical Evaluation of research design.........................................................................................7
PART C...........................................................................................................................................7
Reflexive Practitioners Storyboard..............................................................................................7
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13

PART A
INTRODUCTION
People who want to bring improvement in themselves, develop their personal growth or
sometimes they have the goal to achieve the spiritual growth requires self-awareness of the need
to understand themselves. Because the person itself is the only one who knows about its
strengths and the weaker areas where improvements needs to be brought. The person who is self-
aware understands the strengths, weaknesses, ideas, beliefs, reactions, emotions and even the
motivations of itself (Rayner, 2017). The research will showcase the importance of self-
awareness in the formal professional identities and the ways in which it can be improved.
Literature review will be done to analyse the view of various researchers regarding the aim.
Action research and reflectivity research methods will be used in order to draw significant
conclusions.
AIM
“To illustrate an improved self-awareness in the context of formal professional identity”.
LITERATURE REVIEW
According to Srivastava (2019), self-awareness plays a major role in the lives of people. It
helps people in avoiding the unpleasant and negative experiences or any mistakes done in the
past. The author also analysed that the introverts are more likely to use the self-awareness than
the extraverts as they need to ignore the negative situations on their own. It was also identified in
the research paper that by using self-awareness, the person becomes able to make much better
decisions than before.
The above point was supported by Jensen and Krogh (2017), by mentioning that the people
who are self-aware are more confident and become able to contribute more at the work. They
never be in dilemma regarding any aspect as they have full control on their decisions and
opinions. They capitalize more on their strengths. The author elaborated that the most important
are where the self-awareness is used is dealing with the change. Usually, the change is resisted

by majority of the people because they consider themselves inefficient in coping with the
change. Through self-awareness, people can lead and manage others more efficiently.
Building block to the above points, the authors Smith and et.al. (2020), elucidated that
through self-awareness, people can easily cope up with the stress as they know that have
confidence in them and whatever the big issue is can be solved by them as they are dedicated
towards themselves. This is also beneficial when the people works in a team. Self-awareness
helps the members to stick to their points and decision and do not get influenced by others.
On the contrary, author Cavazos‐Rehg and et.al. (2020), argued by describing that along
with exploring inner self, it is equally important to understand the behaviour of others and the
reasons behind it. It was observed that self-awareness can sometimes lead to over-thinking and
over-analysing. Also, when the people become self-aware, they invest a lot of energy, time and
resources and also the task can be delayed by sometime because doing the activities by being
self-aware requires a lot of time.
Also, the scholars Elhabbash and et.al. (2019) explained in contradiction that in order to
develop self-awareness, people can face various problems in accepting the harsh truths which
brings in past pain and traumas. It also becomes difficult to relate oneself to other people which
makes the person isolated and involves more in arguments and debates.
Purpose
The main purpose of the research assignment is to develop reflexive consciousness. This
research assignment has vital scope in present and future perspectives because most of the people
keeps wrong information about the formal professional identity such as they think that
professional identify means woks in a good MNC’s company and come on time and behave like
formal professionals. But they do not have knowledge about this that they must have different
traits which develops their formal professional identify such as goal-orientation, internship
experience, critical thinking, commitment to profession, perception of profession, reflection,
mentoring an work environment (Adeani and et.al., 2018). This research project will support all
those people who are doing job as well as for other one who are seeking for the job. In this
research assignment will emphasized over self-awareness such as when people have better
understanding of themselves, then they have ability to experience themselves as unique way.

After that people empowers themselves to lead changes and to develop on their areas of strength
and determine areas where they would like to make improvement. Most of the people do not
have good self-awareness which keeps them behind the team or make them part of rate race. So,
it is important for the people to improve their self-awareness in all context that makes them a
good leader in future. This research project has highlighted different type of personality tests to
measure own self-awareness through which individuals can measure that where are they stand.
With this research project, individuals can improve the self-awareness over the formal
professional identify which can support them to avoid toxic behaviour of the company. Overall,
this research project has wide scope in future.
PART B
Research Methodologies
Reflexivity Research Method
It is a self-awareness method that is organized for the self-reflection. Reflexivity is a way
or method of standing outside the self for analysing purpose. This research method does not
focus on gaining behaviour, thoughts through personal journey of self-discovery (Dhaliwal,
Singh and Singh, 2018). This technique is used to enhance shared knowledge about
ethnographic focus of the self-inquiry. With the support of this method individuals can brief
information about their journey but they cannot give brief description over the moment which
they have felt during critical incident. It is one of the major drawbacks of the method. Another is
that it is bit complex instead of being reflective (Corlett and Mavin, 2018). This method
involves in consciously acknowledging assumptions and examines preconceptions which leads
into research that shapes the outcome. There are various benefits of the research method such as
it offers opportunity to researchers or individuals to share their experience which have
experienced while dealing with critical incident. Reflexivity research method will be used for
this research project because it supports in portray self-reflection over the proposed research
topic.
Action Research

It is alternative research method that is apply to increase self-practice. This research
method involves in immense type of actions, evaluation and critical reflection. It also responsible
for leading change in practices then implement. Action research method is also known as
‘intervention’ and ‘collaboration’ or ‘praxis research’ or ‘applied research’. It is also considered
as participatory action because it always concerns with cycle of critical reflection. Individual
research, collaborative research, district wide research and school-wide research are the types of
action research (Galvin, 2019). The main objective of the research method is to learn through
practice or action and implements over the personal and professional development. This research
method provides different type of reflection cycles i.e. Gibb’s reflective cycle or JOHORI
Window. This research method will use in this research project because it is required for the
further research like to draw self-reflection.
Gibb’s Reflective cycle
Self-awareness is the term that provides understanding over it like how an individual
consciously know and understand their own feelings, motives, characters and desires. This
reflective model is proposed by Abram Grams to understand role of self-awareness in individuals
life. This reflection model comprises five stages like description, feeling, evaluation, analysis,
conclusion and action plan (Cassell, Radcliffe and Malik, 2020). This reflective model is much
easier to draw self-reflection as compared others. Due to this, action research method is used for
this research assignment.
Data Analysis
Personal Data
There will be used two sources of self-awareness diagnostic i.e. personality and social
intelligence survey. These self-awareness tools will support me to examine my strengths and
weaknesses through which I can bring improvement in my weak areas which ultimately
improves my personality. ENTP is a personality test that supports to examine different
personality traits like extraverted, intuitive, thinking and perceiving (Lazard and McAvoy, 2020).
This test if proposed by Myers Briggs to stated that people with ENTP personality are often more
clever, innovative and expressive. ENTP considers one of the 16 different personality types who
are less interested in gathering details (Goldstein, 2017). They believe in generating ideas and

theories. With the support of this test, I will enable to analyse my different type personality like
as good debater, innovator, problem-solver, good prospector etc. which needs in formal
professionals and can analyse that I good ENTP or not. Social intelligence survey is another self-
awareness test that is also used for collecting personal data. It is a online assessment tool that is
proposed to quickly highlight certain problematic behaviours, nourishing behaviour, toxic
behaviour as display through a specific person whom one trying to understand and negotiate.
This test supports to gather personal data such as communication skill, empathy skill while
communicating with large number of people. I will use both type personality test to evaluate my
personal data through which I can analyse my level of self-awareness over the proposed research
topic.
Critical Evaluation of research design
In this research project selects different research methods like reflexivity research
method, action research method which are the essential part of research design. The research
design of the project is quite good because in this research design initially highlights about
reflexivity research method (Iosifides, 2018). It is a self-reflection technique through which
individuals can share brief information about their experience which they have achieved while
dealing with critical incident. This method is essential for the research project for portraying self-
journey or discovery. Another is action research method that is also used for the research project
because it is known as self-reflection tool because it provides reflection cycle of critical incident
(Kamangar and et.al., 2019). Gibb’s reflective model is self-reflective cycle that encompasses
five phases of self-reflection through which individuals can express their actual expression and
moments which they have faced while dealing with critical incident. So, it is one of the best
methods of the research design through which I will enable to share my feelings, challenges and
experience which I gained while dealing with critical incident. Thus, research design is the good
for the research project. But the major drawback of the research design is that it is quite time-
consuming process and these methods are properly based on theoretical aspects.

PART C
Reflexive Practitioners Storyboard
Gibb’s reflective cycle is going to use by me to share my knowledge and views which I
experienced from the assigned research project during collage session. This reflective model is
the major part of action research method which encompasses different phases like description,
feeling, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action pan. With the support of this model I will
portray my experience which I have gained during critical incident. Phases are mentioned below:
 Description
During my collage session, my class teacher assigned a research project over the improved self-
awareness in the context of formal professional identity. I got this research project within team.
It is quite new project for me and my team members because it’s theme was self-awareness. In
the initial I was getting confuse to develop an effective aim of research because overall project
will be based on the aim. Priorly I took guidance from my class teacher like how to start my
research then they referred some books and journals to understand pattern of research (Hollway,
2016). I and my team members were visited library to understand how to make an effective
research assignment. Then I made schedule and enlists number of tasks which are required to be
done on time. initially I felt more hardship to work in a team because I never work in a team.
Another is that it was new research project, usually I have done various projects but that are quite
different from this project. But I developed aim of the research is to illustrate an improved self-
awareness in the context of formal professional identity. This research project was new for me
but I know that this project will help me and my team members to improve our self-awareness
(Hamm, 2018). As I know every research project needs high level of evidence. So, I used
literature review method to record different perspectives of authors which have proposed in their
published papers, articles and books over the research topic. This literature review enhanced my
knowledge over the proposed topic through which I portray a logical conclusion. I posses’ good
ICT skills and critical skills due to this I recorded theoretical aspects over the proposed topic
within minimum time. I also used several research methods like reflexivity research method,
action research method etc. gather actual information from practical aspect. The reason behind
was that theoretical aspects can limit knowledge of individuals because in the literature review
records different views of authors which they have. But there are no practical aspects (Bintani,

2020). Research methodology session in the research project provided me opportunity to
implement tool in my practice while evaluating overall research project. Data analysis was
another tasks of the research assignment which was evaluated by me and my team members.
During this project, I and my team faces various conflict crisis and problems with each other but
by and by we tackle to each other. To collect personal data used various type of personality tests
like ENTP and Social Intelligence Survey. These were personality tests but priorly I did not have
knowledge about them. But when I read about like how to perform them to analyse self-
awareness. I used these methods to collect personal data of me like I am good ENTP person and
I have good communication skills. While completing my research assignment, I got to know that
I have good time management skills that’s why me and my team were enabled to complete
project on time. When I and my team complete project then we felt more relaxed in pressure
atmosphere.
 Feeling
Initially, I was damn nervous to listen this, I have to complete a project within group because I
never work in a team. The major thing was that I do not like to work in a team because I used to
think that groping makes work late. But i have proved wrong after doing this project. I was quite
tensed to think that how I distribute work in my team members and project was new for me and
my team as well so I unable to understand that from where I should start. So, I took guidance
from my class teachers then he told me to make schedule and prepares framework of the project
that would support me distribute work effectively (Shaheen and Hameed, 2020). They also
suggested me to refer some good journals and books which bring quality in my research project.
To listen this I felt more relaxed then I and my team communicate with each other and I prepared
a schedule for enlisting overall tasks which required to complete in research project. When I and
my team outlined frame of the research project then it seems quite easier project as compared
others. At initial phase I felt too much accord while working in a team because everyone was
trying to dominate themselves ion a team. but when I communicated with them then I felt too
much happy because there were different personality members who have good skills which could
make project effective like one member has good writing skills, another posses’ research skills.
Thus, it became quite easy for me to distribute tasks among team accordingly their interest. I also
started to feel good because most of things I already know which I learned during class session.

Assigned research project has been improved my all existing skills, for which I totally unaware.
In addition, it also expanded my knowledge about different research methods that used to portray
self-reflection over the proposed research. The project theme was improving self-awareness in
the context of formal profession identity through which I enabled to understand that it is
important for everyone to have all traits of professional identity then anyone can get dominating
position in the company on the behalf of their professional identity. The assigned research
project enhanced knowledge of me and my team members about significance of self-awareness
in respect of formal profession identity through which would support to develop good formal
profession identity for future perspective. Thus, overall, me and my team have completed project
within timeframe. But while completing the research project, I also felt that there have several
skills, from which I was lacking behind like delegating skill, problem-solving skills, research
skills etc. which made me more disappointed.
 Evaluation
While completing the research project, I felt that there were various skills which works wonder
in the project and posses’ by me like time management skills, ICT skills, communication skills
critical thinking, negotiating skills which supported me to complete project over the time period.
However, I have faced numerous challenges such as conflicts among team, finding hardship to
coordinate with all team members to work on common project, teamworking skills etc. Due to
this, I and my team members became frustrated initially but gradually all one started to support
each other. But I have decided that I will improve my all weak areas which I determined during
the research project.
 Analysis
From the above discussion, it can be observed that it is important for individuals to have good
ICT skills, leadership skill, delegating skills, teamworking skills, analytical skills because it
makes individual allrounder. Such skills also require to develop a good formal professional
identity. Availability of wide range of skills makes individuals competent as well as their CV. I
have analysed that I have several good skills like leadership skill, negotiation skills, research
skills, analytical skills with the support of proposed research project. But I also observed by

weak areas through which I can get negative aspect on my profile (Göker and Bozkuş, 2017). So,
I decided to improve my weak areas on which I never pay attention.
 Conclusion
It can be summarized that I needed to improve several weak areas from which I was unaware but
while completing assigned project I determined them. With this improvement, I will enable to
tackle with such project more effectively if I get same opportunity.
 Action Plan
It is a last stage of Gibb’s reflective model which expressed the actions which are taken by
learners based on the self-evaluation in respect of skills and capabilities and improved them for
future career. As I have decided that I will improve my all weak areas like teamworking skills,
delegating skills and problem-soling skills. so, I will develop my personal and professional
development plan (PDP) which supports me to develop my existing skills in following manner:
Skills to be improved Resources Activities to be
undertaken
Time to be
undertake
n
Evaluation
Teamworking skills Good
Journals and
Books,
guidance
from teacher,
joins
seminars
I read good
journals and
books over the
good
teamworking
through which
I understand
how to
coordinate
team and
works with
them
effectively
(Dotson and
3 Weeks To evaluate
teamworking
skills, I
participated in a
seminar wherein
I worked with
wide number of
group and
completes all
tasks within
timeframe.
Thus, I
improved my
teamworking

Valenzuela,
2020).
skill (Young,
2020).
Delegating skills Online
courses, read
books and
journals
I take online
classes to
understand
how to
delegate tasks
in a team
accordingly
their interests.
I read some
good books to
improves my
understanding
level. Thus, I
improve my
delegating
skill.
4 weeks
To evaluate this
skill, I
participate in the
collage function
wherein I
delegate
different tasks
accordingly
their interest and
in last gathered
feedbacks from
the senior
authorities over
my
performance. all
one praised my
delegating
skills.
Problem-solving Drill down
techniques,
Guidance
from teachers
I use Drill
Down
Technique to
develop
problem
solving skills. I
take guidance
from my
teachers as
well as follows
them. Thus, I
5 weeks To evaluate this
skills, I gather
feedbacks from
the teachers and
friends and
analyse over
them then I got
to know I have
improved my
problem-solving
skill.

develop
problem-
solving skill.
CONCLUSION
It has been summarized importance of self-awareness in the context of formal
professional identity. Literature review has been used for recording different aspects of authors
over the proposed research assignment. It has concluded different research methods i.e.
reflexivity research method and action research that supported to draw self-evaluation which
gained from critical incident. Gibb’s reflective cycle has been summarized in this research
assignment.

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