Schön’s Reflection in Action vs. Reflection on Action: Difference

The Schön reflective model is a popular framework that promotes learning and professional growth with self-reflection as its base. Donald Schön put forward the reflective model, which encourages learning from experience and critical examination of actions and the decisions arising from them. The Schön reflective model can be found in practice education disciplines, including education, health, social work, and many other practice education disciplines. In this Locus Assignments blog, we will discuss the two significant aspects of the Schön reflective model: Schön reflection in action and reflection on action, and what the difference between them is. If you are struggling to explain these concepts in your assignments or need expert guidance, our assignment help UK team is here to provide reliable support and help you score better.

History and Background of the Schön Reflective Model

Donald Schön developed his reflective model in the 1980s as a critique of traditional professional education, which prioritised theoretical knowledge over reflective practice. His work demonstrates that experience and real-world learning are important and that professionals develop both through experience and through school.

Two key components of the Schoen reflective model that we will discuss in this blog are reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action and their differences.

The diagram below visually illustrates how reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action differ in timing, purpose, and learning outcomes within Schön’s reflective model.


What is reflection-on-action?

Let’s begin with something that may feel more familiar to you: reflection-on-action. This type of reflection happens after the event has occurred. For example, you’ve just delivered a presentation, you just completed a practical lab, or you just submitted a challenging essay. After the fact, you reflect, review, and make sense of what happened.

Reflection on action is retrospective. You look back after the action has happened. This is when we find the time and space necessary to deliberately think, critically analyse and learn from a past experience. It is a conscious act of reflecting on and reviewing an experience by considering what it meant and what we want to change or learn to do differently.

Here are the key attributes of it:

After the event: This type of reflection happens very clearly after the action has occurred. Even if it is only moments later, as is sometimes the case after a teaching session, following a complex patient engagement on a clinical placement, or some phase of a group project, the act or action itself is completed or total, or the event is completed before reflection.

Considered and structured: This reflection is typically not spontaneous, like a quick thought, but rather purposeful and structured. This reflection might look like time spent with your diary, a debriefing meeting with colleagues or supervisors, or perhaps going through a formal process of review to break down an experience. 

Aims for understanding at deeper levels: This kind of analysis will aim to explore more than just the surface. You are not solely recalling what happened; you are also asking, “Why?” Why did something go well or not? What contributed to both success and failure? And most importantly, what could you do differently in a similar situation next time to create better outcomes? 

Leads to learning for future actions: The information gained from this careful or retrospective analysis will ultimately inform your future behaviour and future planning. You’re essentially creating richer knowledge and better practices and making adjustments on the basis of lessons learnt, thereby achieving continuous improvement.

Examples of reflection on action:

1. A student considers their experience in the context of a group project where they were trying out different strategies to see what worked when it comes to teamwork.

2. A nursing student reflects on how they dealt with a patient case in a placement.

3. A business student looks back on a pitch presentation and reflects on how it might have been better.

These examples illustrate Schön’s reflection-on-action and demonstrate how retrospective analysis supports student learning and development.

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Comprehending Reflection-in-Action

Next, let's go through Schon reflection-in-action, which might be slightly harder to connect with because it is a very fast-paced reflection. This is the specific moment when you are thinking on your feet, making almost reflexive changes while you are still in the activity. 

Schön's reflection-in-action is a real-time process that occurs during events or activities as they happen. Donald Schön (1983) describes this process as reflection-in-action, closely linked to “knowing-in-action”, where practitioners think on their feet and respond to emerging situations.

Knowing?in?Action

Knowing-in-action refers to the tacit, experience-based knowledge that professionals continuously draw upon, enabling reflection-in-action during practice. This intuitive knowledge, acquired through experience, allows individuals to make fast decisions and adjustments as they go.

Here are the major features of Schön's reflection-in-action:

1. During the activity: This type of reflection crystallises into action when a situation unfolds spontaneously and immediately, while action is still taking place. It is about making sense of the situation as it is emerging and making quick alterations through processes of sense-making and new understandings created during the moment.

2. Immediate Adjustment: The essence of reflection-in-action is the capacity to immediately adapt one's approach or strategy. This immediate responsiveness helps practitioners shift their actions as a reaction to changing circumstances, especially when those circumstances are unexpected. This acknowledges that practitioners have to be flexible and open in order to be effective, even when circumstances surprise them.

3. Tacit knowledge: This type of reflection draws on intuition, experience, and immediate evaluation rather than a cognitive, logical, step-by-step process of thought. It is an implicit knowing that informs an action without needing to articulate explicitly or hesitate to consider. 

4. Problem-solving in the moment: Reflection-in-action allows practitioners to reframe problems, come up with solutions, and do it all at the moment of experiencing it. When something unexpected happens, reflection-in-action is able to creatively problem-solve on the spot in order to keep moving forward and/or deal with the problem.

Examples of reflection in action include:

1. A lecturer who realises about 15 minutes into a class that students appear confused and changes their teaching approach.

2. A sports coach who changes their plan of attack during a game based on how the other team is playing.

3. A nursing student who adjusts their patient care during the process of their task because new symptoms have appeared.

All of these represent very quick decisions that perfectly illustrate Schön's reflection in action in practical examples.

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Reflection for Action

Reflection-for-action is often discussed as an extension of Schön’s reflective thinking, focusing on using past experiences to plan future actions.  This involves applying what one has experienced in the past to make plans on what to do next. Once you have reflected on an event (reflection-on-action), you can identify how you can improve your results in future similar events. This creates a continuous learning process, as intuition and analysis become stronger with time.

Practical Steps for Reflection for Action:

1. Look back at the experiences and what you have learnt.

2. Determine what might have been done differently or better.

3. Prepare tangible plans on how to act in future circumstances.

4. Monitor progress and change plans where necessary.

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Key Differences and Relationship

So, what is the actual difference between Schön's reflection in action and reflection on action? Both encompass some type of learning from experience; however, the timing, nature and purpose of this learning are what distinguish the two. The table below highlights the key conceptual differences between reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action within Schön’s reflective framework.

Features	Reflection-in-Action	Reflection-on-Action
Timing	During the action	After the action
Nature	Spontaneous, intuitive, immediate adjustment	Deliberate, analytical, retrospective
Purpose	On-the-spot problem-solving, adaptation	Deeper learning, future planning, understanding
Consciousness	Often tacit, “knowing-in-action”	Explicit, conscious thought
Feedback Loop	Immediate, direct impact on current action	Delayed, informs future actions

 

It’s important to realise that these two forms of reflection are not separate practices; they are interrelated and mutually supportive components of Schön's reflective model.

Reflection-on-action builds the knowledge base and develops the "knowing-in-action" that allows Schön's reflection-in-action to be developed. The lessons learnt from thinking back on previous experiences (reflection-on-action) form part of your intuitive knowledge and skill that you draw on in the moment. 

The experiences gained through Schön's reflection in action provide rich sources for future reflection on action. The impromptu, quick adjustments made in the moment in a tough situation will make great case studies that you can reference back to later, review more critically and learn from again, deepening the lessons for future learning. 

Ultimately, they create an ongoing cycle of learning and adjustment, making you a better and more flexible practitioner, whether in a lecture hall or in your future workplace.

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Benefits of Schön’s Reflective Model

1. People can easily identify the issues by considering what occurs during the process and after the process is complete, and then they can find a viable solution. This assists them in responding more effectively at present and in the future.  

2. Reflection causes individuals to think more about their actions, decision-making, and the way they do things. It provides a better insight into themselves and contributes to continuous development in personal life and work.  

3. Reflecting on the past allows individuals to make guesses about what could occur next and make more appropriate decisions, particularly when things are difficult or unexpected.  

4. Experience teaches individuals what to do in the future, and this motivates them to change and continue learning throughout their lives.  

5. The same strategy assists numerous sectors, from healthcare and schools to business and the arts, by developing more competence, adaptability, and positive outcomes in numerous occupations.

Importance 

Who uses these reflectively? In fact, almost any type of professional practitioner, including: 

Health professionals: Doctors, nurses, and allied health staff use both to respond to a patient's changing needs in real time and to reflect and review a case later to aid quality care in the future. 

Teachers and educators: From altering a lesson in real time to evaluating their students' performances in order to make changes to their teaching, reflection is a key component in effective pedagogy. 

Managers and leaders: Use reflection to adapt to immediate challenges in their team and for post-project review to improve systems in the organisation. 

Artists and performers: It may be in the form of improvisation during performance or critical reflection on a completed piece of work; either way, you need to reflect to continue your creative development. 

Conclusion

We hope this guide helped clarify Schön's reflective model. Understanding the distinction between Schön's reflection in action and reflection on action will, in turn, support your development in real time and subsequently. Reflective skill supports improved learning, decision-making, and prospective professions or careers.

Learning is an ongoing process, and so is reflection! If you require assistance in documenting and writing about your learning or applying the concepts in developing your assignments, UK assignment helper Locus Assignments can assist you. Our expert assignment writer in the UK provides everything from a breakdown of the theory for your assignment to a polished written submission and coursework at every stage.

Frequently Asked Question

What is Schön's reflection-in-action theory?

The reflection-in-action theory by Schon demonstrates how individuals think, judge, and modify what they are doing as they continue working. It is the ability to make fast decisions based on experience and gut feeling to ensure that professionals and students are able to deal with surprises.

What are the four steps of Schön's reflection-in-action?

Though Schon did not provide definite steps, reflection-in-action typically consists of four steps: Recognise a problem or surprise as it arises; think of possible answers based on experience; change what you are doing immediately as you continue to work; observe what happens.

What is the difference between reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action?

Reflection-in-action occurs as you are in the process of doing something and is concerned with resolving problems immediately. Reflection-on-action occurs once you are done and reflects on what you did to improve the next time.

Why is Schön’s reflective model important for assignments?

It assists students to demonstrate critical thinking, relate theory to practice, and compose a clear reflection, which are key indicators in most UK university courses.

What are the benefits of Schön's reflective model?

It enhances decision-making, encourages lifelong learning, enhances professionalism, assists in solving real-life problems, and allows individuals to apply what they have learnt previously to improve in the future.

About Author

Dr James Harrington is a senior academic writing consultant and English studies tutor with over eight years of experience supporting students across UK higher education institutions. He specialises in reflective writing frameworks, academic communication, and structured essay development for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Dr Harrington helps students clearly link theory with practice, ensuring their academic work meets university standards and achieves strong results.