Teaching Mediation as Reflective Practice

Abstract

This article contributes to a growing body of research about how to effectively teach mediation by considering how best to use role‐plays in the mediation classroom to encourage reflective practice with a particular emphasis on the role of the teacher as a facilitator of reflective learning. The author suggests that the process of teaching mediation as reflective practice starts with teaching as reflective practice and emphasizes the importance of teachers' critical self‐reflection. The article provides some examples of how teachers can encourage students to engage in reflective learning and develop their skills as reflective practitioners for their continued professional development.

Reflective practice and mediator learning: A current review

“…Lang and Taylor's () book, The Making of a Mediator, was one of the first introductions of reflective practice tailored specifically for practitioners rather than academic readers. While not a central focus of the mediation literature, reflective practice is also referenced in various writings about enhancing practice and training (see, for example: Bronson, ; Friedman, ; Hardy, ; Hedeen et al, ; Kressel & Gadlin, ; Lang & Terry, ; Lieberman et al, ; McGuire & Inlow, ).…”

“…In her article “Teaching Mediation as Reflective Practice,” Samantha Hardy () makes the case that reflective practice needs to be normalized from the very start of mediators' education because reflective learning is a perpetual need for any mediator. She notes that teachers need to not only facilitate reflective learning for students, but they need to model critical self‐reflection themselves as part of their teaching.…”

“…She notes that teachers need to not only facilitate reflective learning for students, but they need to model critical self‐reflection themselves as part of their teaching. She gives a helpful example, including verbatim dialogue between teacher and student, of how such learning can be facilitated through role plays, a standard experiential activity in mediator training (Hardy, ). As other proponents of mediator‐reflective practice have pointed out, Hardy concludes that neglecting the development of a reflective orientation to teaching and learning mediation means that many trainings instead encourage imitation of expert mediators (2009, p. 395).…”

Reflective practice and motion sickness: thoughts on the first North American Action Research Study Day

“…Benade (2012, 337) has gone as far as cautioning against the 'domestication' of critical reflection. Some innovations in extending the development of reflective practice have been noted in the literature (Hardy 2009;Ghaye et al 2008;Stiler and Philleo 2003), although the wider debate discussed by McArdle and Coutts (2010) suggests that there is room for much more innovation, particularly in fostering critical thinking about educational practice and the relationship between knowledge, pedagogy and power.…”

Setting out across the sea of monsters: Bringing learning design into mediator training

“…As regards academic literature, much less has been written on good practice in mediation training, than good practice in mediation itself (Macfarlane & Mayer, 2005), and what has been written tends to come less from academics in the field of education, but rather, mediators who have got involved in training or, occasionally, from students (Devinatz, 2018). Nevertheless, the question of what constitutes effective mediation training has been addressed by some writers in the field (e.g., Douglas & Johnson, 2007;Hardy, 2009;Raines, Hedeen, & Barton, 2010) and one even makes recommendations in relation to best practice, albeit based on research in a specific context, that of mediation training in a court-connected program in Florida (Raines et al, 2010). These recommendations emphasized the teaching of skills, reflective practice, and ethics, among other things.…”