Reflection in Medical Education: a Review of Concepts, Models, Principles and Methods of Teaching Reflection in Medical Education

Reflection is regarded as an integral and essential component of teaching and learning in health professions. Reflection is a controllable process and various educational strategies can be used to create and reinforce Reflection. Reflection makes rote learning become a deep and meaningful learning. Applying models and structured strategies of reflection contributes to reinforcement and creation of reflective thinking in clinical practices. This study was conducted with the aim of reviewing the concepts of reflection, reflection models and strategies and methods of teaching and creating reflection in medical education.
In this study, databases such as Science Direct, Ovid, PubMed, Sid and Magiran and Google Scholar search engine were searched using keywords such as: reflection; reflection teaching; reflection and medical education; reflection and clinical education. English papers published during (2000 to 2016) and Persian papers during (2006 to 2016) were retrieved. Finally 68 articles were obtained. After a two-step review, 32 articles were identified as relevant to the objectives of the study and were used in compiling the study.
Reflection has been accepted as an important learning and teaching tool in higher education. Methods such as storytelling, group discussion, flash cards, portfolio and strategies including giving feedback and providing the proper conditions for written reflection can contribute to creation and reinforcement of reflection.
Teaching and reinforcing reflection in the learners is considered as educational requirements of health professions. The relations which exist among the ability of learners to reflect, critical thinking, problem solving, self-assessment, integration, theoretical and practical learnings, self-regulated learning as well lifelong learning have turned reflection into one of the essential components of training medical professions; Therefore, it is necessary to use various teaching methods to reinforcement and teaching of reflection.