Building the Disposition of Reflection through the Inquiry-focused School Library Program

Abstract

The goal of educators to cultivate reflective thinkers is enhanced through the inquiry-focused school library program proposed by Kuhlthau. The authors present reflection, an essential component of inquiry, as a disposition that can be "caught, taught and acquired" through a process of modeling in a school library environment which is designed to support the development of this essential critical thinking skill. A framework for strengthening the disposition of reflection is presented, based on Dewey's and Sch̦n's work on reflection and Bransford, Brown and Cocking's work on learning. The stages of reflection and inquiry are compared to dispositions-in-action, indicating their potential for enhancing student learning and understanding. Guidelines and practical suggestions are recommended for teaching reflection in a learner-, knowledge-, and assessment-centered school library program.