Reflective Learning for Professional Development

This assignment focuses on the importance of reflective learning for professional development, discussing various articles and studies that highlight the benefits of reflective practice in teacher education and other fields. The references provided include publications from 2010 to 2014, covering topics such as mentoring medical students, personal therapy for counselling psychologists, and action research as professional development.

Personal and Professional
Development

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Approaches to self-managed learning..............................................................................1
1.2 Techniques of lifelong learning in personal and professional development....................2
1.3 Benefits of self-managed learning to individual and organisation...................................3
4.1 Remedies for work based problems.................................................................................4
4.2 Variety of style and appropriate manner at different levels.............................................5
4.3 Use of time management strategies..................................................................................5
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................6
2.1 Evaluating current skills and competencies against the professional standards and
organisational objectives........................................................................................................6
2.2 Own development needs and activities needs to meet them............................................9
2.3 Development opportunities to meet current and future defined needs...........................10
2.4 Personal and professional development plan.................................................................10
3.1 Process and activities required to implement development plan....................................12
3.2 Document of planned activities......................................................................................13
3.3 Own learning against original aims and objectives set in development plan.................13
3.4 Development plan based on feedback evaluation..........................................................14
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................15
.......................................................................................................................................................16

INTRODUCTION
In the current modern era, personal and professional skills and capabilities play an
important role in every organisation. With the help of them, company's goals and objectives will
be achieved in an effective and efficient manner. The major motive of personal and professional
development is to enhance working capabilities and learning skills of employees (Avalos, 2011).
This project report will be discussing about different approaches which help to effectively
manage self-learning process. In addition to this, major benefits and importance of self-managed
learning to individuals as well as organisation will be explained. Moreover, there will be study
on various important remedies for work based problems. Apart from this, this research project
will consider Mark and Spencer company, which wants to conduct training and development
program in working environment for their employees. So they can enhance their working
performance and skills.
TASK 1
1.1 Approaches to self-managed learning
It is essential for employers to conduct several motivating and learning programmes for
employees. So they can effectively improve their working skills and they can learn something
new and innovative things. Therefore, it will be explain several types of approaches which assist
to manage self-learning process in an appropriate manner.
 Seminars and conferences: An individual person can improve his personal and
professional skills by attending several seminars and lectures. In these types of
programmes, an individual can interact with different people (Black and Plowright,
2010).
 Social networks: Employees of M&S are using smart and advanced technologies in their
entire business firm as well as acquire creative and innovative things with the help of
several social sites.
 Internet: In this current scenario, internet is one of the important techniques. With the
help of this technology, employees of the firm can systematically complete their task with
better outcomes.
An individual person uses different learning styles to improve the working skills and
capabilities like:
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Illustration 1: Different learning styles
(Source- Different learning styles, 2017)
 Visual: It includes pictures, images, symbols, etc. with the help of them, an individual
person can improve their skills and learn something new and innovative.
 Aural: This learning style involves music and audio clips, with the help of these things
can enhance working abilities in appropriate manner.
 Verbal: A person can improve knowledge level and effectively raise skills with the helps
of words and verbal things.
 Physical: It includes gestures and sensor of touch, with the help of them, a person can
easy to share any information and understand any kind of situation of personal and
professional life without using oral and verbal things.
In the addition of this, all learning styles plays important role in the context of personal
and professional life. Because with the help of them, an individual person can easily share any
kind of information as well as enhance understanding with their colleagues as well. These
learning styles will be used as per the situation and condition.
1.2 Techniques of lifelong learning in personal and professional development
Lifelong learning refers to continuous improvement in skills and capabilities of an
individual. So, they can complete their tasks and work with better outcomes. In addition to this, a
person can perform his/her professional duties and responsibilities in an effective and efficient
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manner (Bolton, 2010). In context of M&S, its employees want to improve their skills and
working capabilities and to resolve their personal issues with the help of SWOT analysis. It
includes several points like:
 Strengths: It refers to hidden quality and power of an individual person with the help of
which they can systematically perform their tasks in a proper manner.
 Weaknesses: It defines some weak points of an individual person, which directly put
their impact upon their working performance.
 Opportunities: It refers to, chances and opportunities for a person with the help of them
they can learn something new and innovative thing.
 Threats: In every person's life has some threats and risks, which directly impacts on
personal and professional life. Due to, all persons are always focuses on to find out
suitable solutions for resolving them.
As I am in a multinational company as an assistant, it is important for me to improve my
working capabilities and skills. With the help of them I can effectively complete my task and
achieve goals as well.
 Ready to learn: One of the most important way of learning is that, should always ready
to learn something new and innovative things.
 Setting learning goals: it is require to set goals and objectives of life, a person can learn
different ways for effectively achieving them.
 Evaluating learning: now all above things has been done, its time to do properly
evaluate and analysed them as per the self assessment.
1.3 Benefits of self-managed learning to individual and organisation
Self-managed learning perform as an important tool for a person, with the help of this, a
person can effectively improve their working capabilities and skills. Its benefits and importance
to individual and organisation are stated as follows:
Benefits to Marks and Spencer:
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 Control extra cost: In every company, highly responsible and educated employees play
an eminent role, they are performing in organisation as safeguard, for controlling and
managing cost of training and development programmes.
 Decision procedure: It is also taking a part in effective decision making process
regarding any situation whether personal or professional (Brody and Hadar, 2011).
 Management: Self-managed learning assists to improve the competency level while
launching new company's product in external market place.
 Creativity: It helps to improve innovative and creative things in an individual with the
help of which they can systematically perform their tasks.
 Motivation: Self-managed learning assists to encourage and motivate unskilled
employees towards their targets which results in gaining effective outcomes.
Benefits for an individual person
 Personality improvement: This method is useful for every individual person as it assists
to improve an individual’s personality. In addition to this, with the help of improved
personality of an employee, high number of customers can be easily attracted towards
business firm.
 Confidence: Self-managed learning method assists to improve the confidence level in a
person.
4.1 Remedies for work based problems
As I am working in multinational organisation where a number of people from different
backgrounds work together. Issues in a great number take place as it becomes difficult to manage
the work with them as everyone has their own perspective and expectation from the work which
leads to conflicts. This is required that problems are resolved at the same moment so that the
productivity of the firm does not gets hampered. I am facing several kinds of problems and
issues. So it is required to find out suitable solutions to remove them in effective manner.
 Under performing staff: In the business firm has working new employees, for them
should be conduct effective and appropriate training and development programmes. With
the help of these kind of activities and programmes, they can enhance their skills and
capabilities. This will further have positive impact on the organisations performance.
 Poor communication in between employer and employees: Communication is an
effective process, with the help of this, easy to share any kind of information with others.
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In the context of organisation, should implement better and appropriate interaction
method. It assists to develop better and healthy relationship in between employees and
employers. It is a major problem that is faced as due to variations in culture employees
finds it difficult to reach at common solutions and hence lead to conflicts.
4.2 Variety of style and appropriate manner at different levels
Learning style plays important role in organisation because it assists to remove several
barriers and problems from a business firm. There are a number of styles which can be used in
order to develop the learning such as:
Pragmatic – It involves various case studies and duration taken to analyse the same so that
accordingly the practical work can be carried out.
Activist – Under this method the learner gets involve in the work itself in order to develop
learning.
Reflector – Under this style of learning knowledge is gained through watching ohers doing the
same thing which a person needs to learn.
Theorist – Learner think problems through in a vertical, step-by-step logical way. They
assimilate disparate facts into coherent theories. They tend to be perfectionists who won't rest
easy until things are tidy and fit into a rational scheme.
Thereafter the variety of levels at which communication take place are:
Strategic – Under this interaction among the top management take place so that common
strategies for the organisation as whole can be constructed.
Operational – This the communication that take place at the lower level among people who are
involved in the daily operations of the firm.
Tactical – Through this important information is transferred among the work force so that
accordingly work is carried out in the whole enetrprise.
Moreover, several learners will be explaining which aids to eliminate obstacles from
collected information and data
 Sensory learners: In the method, an individual person concentrate on facts with the help
of them they can learn something new and innovative things.
 Intuitive learners: As per this style, employee of organisation can remove their barriers
with the help of their inner quality and ideas.
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 Visual learners: Employee of a business firm can collect information by symbols, sings
and pictures. With the help of them, they can remove all problems and issues in
appropriate manner.
Along with this, all these learning styles plays important role at different level of
enterprise because they help to reduce level of barriers and issues. In the addition of this, it will
be explaining some communication styles such as follows:
 Assertive: This method can be used by managers or employers of the firm, to spread out
information an message in all over organisation with proper confidence.
 Aggressive: In this context, this communication style is not that much appropriate for
mangers of the firm. Due to, they have to be polite in nature.
 Submissive: It assist to set and build effective communication among employees and
employers. So it can be used by mangers of the firm while communicating with their
workers.
4.3 Use of time management strategies
Time is the most important resource that needs to be used and managed in an effective
manner. Only if the employees are aware about the time worth the organisation can lead to a
better working place. For managing and controlling all over business activities in effective
manner, it is required to be implement effective time management strategies such as:
 Priorities setting: Managers of the firm, have to be give directions and guidelines to
their employees as well as determine their priorities with decided time period effective
manner. This will help in getting better results as work which is more important will be
than given more attention and hence the overall output will be better. Apart from this
through this strategy it is also identified that which work is more important and which is
less that further helps in allocating resources accordingly.
 Using time effectively: Employees of the organisation have to divide their remaining
works as per time period. This process assists to manage all over works in required time
period. When targets are set against various projects it is easy to complete the work on
time that improve the overall efficiency level of the firm.
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TASK 2
2.1 Evaluating current skills and competencies against the professional standards and
organisational objectives
While I am working in an organization then I was face many kinds of tensions and
obstacles. Due to, it is very essential to improve my working skills, attitude, self-management
and communication level. With the help of them, I can effectively perform my decided task as
well as easily communicate with any person with better understanding level.
Strengths Rating for strength (1-5)
 Positive attitude: - Positive attitude
of an individual person directly impacts
upon working performance and
involvement. It is necessary to create
positive attitude towards works and
decided objectives. With the help of
this skill I can easily interact and attain
decided goals with better result.
4
 Self-Management :- This is most
common technique, which impacts
upon our daily basic works and
performance. So I need to improve my
self-management skill to overcome
difficulties from work (Ebert-May and
et. al., 2011). Self-management assist to
manage and control all over activities
in effective manner. Also can I
systematically perform my task with
better outcomes.
3
 Communication skills:
Communication skills plays important
role in every person, because with the
4
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help of this an individual person can
easily interact with any person as well
as develop mutual understanding. In
my context, I must be improve my
communitarian skills then I will
effectively define and share any kind of
information.
Weaknesses
 Time management: sometimes it
reduces my work efficiency and
working capabilities as well. Due to
this I cannot systematically perform my
task.
4
Opportunities
 Learning: As I am working in
organisation, sue to I have several
opportunities to enhance my skills and
capabilities.
4
Threats
 Skilled employees: Sometimes skilled
employees of organisation reduce my
image front of my seniors.
2
Description of a CV
1. General information
Name – XXX
Phone no. - XXX
E-mail id – XXX
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2. Objectives: - Energetic human resource manager with expertise in communication and
research for education. I want more and more opportunities which help in making a overall
development and growth.
Designation: HR manager in Mark and Spencer
3. Qualification: -
MBA XXX XXX
BBA XXX XXX
Higher education XXX XXX
Secondary education XXX XXX
Skills:
1. Better communication
2. Positive attitude
3. Innovative and creative in nature
4. Presentation skills
Achievement – Basketball winner at international level in 10th standard
1st prize in debate competition
1st Prize at Olympiad
Runner up at College presentation
Professional experience:
Human resource manager
Assistant Human Resource manager
Specialised in Human resource
5. Personal details:
Father name – XXX
Mothers name- XXX
Date of birth – XXX
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Address- XXX
Phone Number- XXX
2.2 Own development needs and activities needs to meet them
It is very important to determine and understand the needs of personal and professional
improvement. With the help of several kind of learning styles, I can effectively improve my
skills then I will complete my task while doing an particular job in a organisation.
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats
I am self-motivated
person, then I can easy
to face any kind of
problems and issues.
Sometimes, I cannot
interact with unknown
persons as I feel
hesitation while I
communicate with
strangers.
I have an opportunity
to join Mark and
Spencer organisation.
Capital plays
important role, due to
it is very essential for
achieving personal and
professional goals and
objectives with better
outcome.
Good communication
skills.
My nature is
emotional, that's why
Sometimes I feel its
my major weakness.
I have several
opportunities to
improve my learning
skills and capabilities
due to emergence of
advanced facilities.
Sometimes family and
society creates some
restrictions for mine.
I am a hard worker
and punctual in nature.
In some situation, I
cannot able to take
corrective and
appropriate decision to
how to face them.
Several multinational
companies provides
various job
opportunities, with the
help of the m I can
effectively achieve my
long and short term
goals and improve my
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learning skills.
Innovative and
creative in nature.
I am not flexible in
nature.
I got various chances
to enhance my
learning skills and
personality.
2.3 Development opportunities to meet current and future defined needs
After analysing and identifying my strengths and weaknesses. Now I want know about
my current and futures needs or requirements. Along with this, it is very essential to identify and
determine basic needs for developing effective plan by systematically consider all major and
important factors, which plays a vital role in development process.
 Current needs: As per my self assessment, I need to remove my weaknesses such as
hesitation, lack of understanding, inflexible etc. because all these things are directly
impacts upon a person and their working performance (Forte and Flores, 2014).
 Time management
 Analytical skills
 Future needs: While evaluating and determining my strengths and weaknesses, now I
want to know about my futures needs and requirements which wants to be achieve in
futures with better result.
 Learn from my work and my work place
 Progress in my career
 I need to be remove my emotional nature and should become a strong persons to face
any kind of problems and issues.
 I have to be learn how to develop understanding among different persons and should
learn how to take corrective decision in critical situation.
2.4 Personal and professional development plan
Development of skills and capabilities plays important role, with the help of this an
individual person can effectively and efficiently identify their weaknesses and strengths as well
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as enhance working capabilities as well. In the addition of this, development plan assist to take
corrective decision in critical situation and systematically remove several obstacles in
appropriate manner.
Learning
objective
Current
proficiency
Target
proficiency
Developm
ent
opportunit
ies
Criteria
for
judging
success
Time scale Evidence
1 The major
objective is to
remove my
emotional
nature,
sometimes its
performing
like as
weakness.
Sometimes
cannot
effectively
interact
with
unknown
persons.
Needs to be
take
corrective
and
appropriate
action in
critical
situation
after
properly
analysing
and
evaluating
things.
Need to
attend
several
counsellin
g classes
and
seminars,
with the
help of
them, then
effectively
improve
skills and
capabilitie
s.
With the
help of
demo
classes.
2 days Higher
authority
of business
firm.
2 Another target
is to improve
my decision
making skills
in appropriate
manner.
Existing of
emotional
nature
Develop
strong
personality,
with the
help of this
can face
any kind of
By
conductin
g training
and
developme
nt
programs.
Testing. 3 days peers
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problems
and issues.
3 Enhancement
of
communicatio
n skills and
capabilities.
Lack of
understandi
ng.
Fluency in
interaction
and
communica
tion.
Prefer
books and
literatures,
new
papers.
Communi
cation
with
higher
authority
in
conference
s and
seminars.
3.5 days Books ,
newspaper
magazines.
4 Capability to
take part in
decision
making
process with
better ideas.
Sometimes
cannot able
to take
corrective
action.
Working
skills and
capabilities
plays very
importation
role in
decision
making
process.
Take part
in a
decision
making
procedure
of day to
day life.
Analysis
of
strengths
and
weaknesse
s.
2.5 days Manageme
nt system
of an
organisatio
n.
3.1 Process and activities required to implement development plan
Different kind of activities plays important role to attaining my above mentioned
objectives such as:
Performance I have to take some guidelines an direction
from my senior, with the help of them I can
improve my performance.
Skills I have to take coaching for enhancing and
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improving my skill and capabilities. With the
help of them, I can effectively perform my
task.
Focus on work I should play some video games, due to I can
improve on concentration level, which will
helps in focuses on my work or task.
Effectiveness I have to make effective interaction with
employees and employers to provide them help
and support in their works.
3.2 Document of planned activities
After preparing an effective development plan then must be prepare an appropriate
formal document. It concluded all over activities and goals which wants to be achieve in
effective manner.
Stages Explanation
First stage  In the first stage of development plan,
need to be learn and understand how to
be properly analyse the situation and
take corrective actions regarding
situations.
Second stage  After analysing and evaluating over all
development plan, then I need to be
improve my communication skills
because it plays important role in a
person. With the help of this I can
effectively and easily share any kind of
information.
Third stage  I have remove my emotional nature
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from my personality because its
directly upon my working performance.
3.3 Own learning against original aims and objectives set in development plan
According to my self assessment I have several qualities, with the help of them I can
effectively achieve goals and objectives in appropriate manner (Kumari, 2011). For example, I
my hard worker in nature as well as punctual due to I can effectively and efficiently perform my
task with better result. I have several qualities such as follows:
 Ability to take corrective action
 Better communication skills
 Good understanding skills
 Ability to face any kind of problems and issues
3.4 Development plan based on feedback evaluation
After evaluating and analysing development plan, then I get aware about my weaknesses
in appropriate manner. In the other hand, after collecting and analysing feedback of performance
then should be modify existing scheme with the help of this effectively improve my learning
skills and capabilities. Reformation of exiting strategies:
Stages Time schedule
In the first step of this, should consulting with
specialised persons the should adopt changes
in action.
2-3 days
In the next stage of this, should prepare
effective budget to handle and control all over
activities.
10-15 days
Last stage of this plan, should consider all
major internal and external factors in
appropriate manner
20-25 days
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CONCLUSION
From the above mentioned this research project it is concluded that, several self
development approaches, with the help of them an individual person could improve their
learning skills and capabilities. It has been explained several benefits of self managed learning in
the context of personal and professional life. Also it has been defined development plan with the
help of this effectively achieve goals and objectives. In the addition of this, time management
strategies played important role, which assist to manage all over activities of personal and
professional life.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Avalos, B., 2011. Teacher professional development in Teaching and Teacher Education over ten
years. Teaching and teacher education. 27(1). pp.10-20.
Black P. E and Plowright D., 2010. A multi‐dimensional model of reflective learning for
professional development. Reflective Practice. 11(2). pp.245-258.
Bolton, G., 2010. Reflective practice: Writing and professional development. Sage publications.
Brody, D and Hadar L., 2011. “I speak prose and I now know it.” Personal development
trajectories among teacher educators in a professional development community. Teaching
and Teacher Education. 27(8). pp.1223-1234.
Desimone, L. M., 2011. A primer on effective professional development. Phi delta kappan.
92(6). pp.68-71.
Dopp, A. L., and et. al., 2010. A five-state continuing professional development pilot program
for practicing pharmacists. American journal of pharmaceutical education. 74(2). p.28.
Ebert-May, D., and et. al., 2011. What we say is not what we do: effective evaluation of faculty
professional development programs. BioScience. 61(7). pp.550-558.
Forte, A. M and Flores, M. A., 2014. Teacher collaboration and professional development in the
workplace: a study of Portuguese teachers. European Journal of Teacher Education.
37(1). pp.91-105.
Kalén, S., and et. al., 2010. Mentoring medical students during clinical courses: a way to
enhance professional development. Medical teacher. 32(8). pp.e315-e321.
Kumari, N., 2011. Personal therapy as a mandatory requirement for counselling psychologists in
training: A qualitative study of the impact of therapy on trainees’ personal and
professional development. Counselling Psychology Quarterly. 24(3). pp.211-232.
Lago, C., 2010. On developing our empathic capacities to work inter‐culturally and inter‐
ethnically: attempting a map for personal and professional development. Psychotherapy
and politics international. 8(1). pp.73-85.
López‐Pastor, V. M., Monjas, R and Manrique, J. C., 2011. Fifteen years of action research as
professional development: Seeking more collaborative, useful and democratic systems for
teachers. Educational Action Research. 19(2). pp.153-170.
Maskit, D., 2011. Teachers’ attitudes toward pedagogical changes during various stages of
professional development. Teaching and Teacher Education. 27(5). pp.851-860.
Online
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