13 Mar Kolb’s Model in Social Work Reflective Practice

Kolb’s model of reflective practice is a key tool for social workers in the field. It is based on the concept of experiential learning and encourages social workers to actively reflect on their experiences, analyze them, and draw conclusions from them to inform future actions. Kolb’s model consists of four stages: Concrete Experience (CE), Reflective Observation (RO), Abstract Conceptualization (AC) and Active Experimentation (AE). The first stage of Kolb’s model is Concrete Experience. This refers to the active experience that a social worker has with their client or situation. It provides an opportunity for a social worker to observe, feel and gain experience from their practice. In this phase, we focus on the “feelings”. This means that it is a good time to evaluate the emotions, thoughts and physical responses associated with the situation. The second stage is Reflective Observation, where they reflect on the experience they had in the previous step. This can include emotional reactions, thoughts, interpretations and other subjective elements related to the experience. In this phase, the focus is on “Observation” where the social worker reflects on the situation from different perspectives to see what new insights can be gained. The third step of Kolb’s model is Abstract Conceptualization. Here, the social worker looks at how this particular experience relates to broader concepts such as theories, strategies and models. In this phase, the focus is on “Thinking”. This means that the social worker needs to use their knowledge, skills and creativity to develop new strategies for responding to the situation. The final stage is Active Experimentation, where the social worker applies their knowledge to create a plan of action for the next step in their practice. The focus of this phase is “Doing”. This means that the social worker implements their strategies to see how they work in the real world. Reflective practice as described by Kolb’s model has several benefits compared to other models. Firstly, it encourages social workers to take an active role in gaining experience and making decisions based on that experience. It also allows them to integrate new information into their existing knowledge base which is beneficial when dealing with complex cases. Finally, Kolb’s model enables social workers to gain newfound insight which can be used to inform future decision-making processes. Overall, Kolb’s model of reflective practice provides social workers with a powerful tool to deepen their understanding of the field, gain new insights and inform their practice. It encourages them to take an active role in learning from their experiences which can have long-lasting benefits for clients and social workers alike. If you’re looking to learn more about Kolb’s model of reflective practice and how it can benefit social workers in the field, be sure to check out the video below!   References: Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Cunliffe, A., & Hawksley, B. (2003). Kolb’s experiential learning cycle: applications for health care professionals in practice settings. Journal Of Clinical Nursing, 12(4), 534-541. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2702.2003.