Reflection is about students becoming aware of their own thinking processes, and being able to make those transparent to others. It enables assessment of the “why” and “how” of the learning, and what needs to be done as a result, according to Assessment Online site. There is a quote that says, ‘Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand.’ Educators hence believe that having students become involved and reflect on their studies, is an activity that enables them to mirror on who they are and their studies, with the purpose of acquiring new skills and knowledge to further their educational goals. Diana Nawatti, an educator and counsellor says such illustrates the importance of learning especially when reflecting on real-time experiences. She notes that helping learners reflect on their experiences provides important insights, explaining that with this, students are able to develop an understanding of what is important to them, what they enjoy, and all the lessons they have learned. Moving forward, the educator notes that with reflection, students also get to own their learning. They look at the ways they succeeded and ways they could improve their approach in similar future situations. “As learners, when it comes to reflection, they tend to consider how or what they have learned and how it has served their original purpose for learning in the first place,” she says. In addition to this, she says beneficial lifelong learning skills must also include reflecting on learning because after all, it’s what gives learning real meaning. Sylvain Bizirema, a science and chemistry teacher at Ecole des Sciences St Louis de Montfort in Nyanza District says reflection for students is about the decisions they have made and what they have learned along the way. This, he says should help them decide how best to develop their skills for the future, which is very important as far as their future is concerned. “I believe that helping learners know how to reflect on their work helps them critically evaluate their learning environment, which can help them understand how they might fit within different areas including outside the school environment,” he says. Dan Obilo, an educator in Kigali believes that just like employees, learners are less likely to develop their careers in the way they want to if they don’t understand the experiences they have had. For instance, he says when outside the classroom environment, learners will be less able to evaluate or create new opportunities if they don’t understand how they reacted to past opportunities. “As educators, when it comes to reflection, it’s all about helping question, in a positive way, what their experience of learning has been like in the previous classes,” he says. Also, it is about helping students think about why learning has progressed the way it has and the strategies they have used to develop their learning skills and talents. Bizirema says helping learners view their learning from different perspectives challenges their assumptions and behaviours, as well as encourages them to see things differently. This skill, he says can also be beneficial when it comes to helping them come up with new ideas and options for developing their careers in the future. It is evident that for learners, thinking about an experience is essentially a cognitive activity. Reflection on the other hand, is emotional, physical and linked with their values and social identity, according to studies.
