Dewey's Reflective Thinking Model
Updated 2026-08-13
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
Dewey's reflective thinking model describes five phases: a felt difficulty, its definition as a problem, a suggested hypothesis, reasoning through its implications, and testing by action. The core proposition is that reflection is active, persistent, and careful inquiry rather than a mood or a retrospective impression. The key qualification is that the process is not strictly linear and the phases can interleave, but each one needs evidence; without observation and testing, reflection collapses back into unexamined opinion.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Difficulty naming: convert a vague sense that something is wrong into one specific question. - Hypothesis writing: state clearly what you believe and what evidence would show you are wrong. - Evidence check: require observation or experiment before you conclude anything at all.
Anchor fast decisions
A felt difficulty interrupts routine and forces attention onto the situation, which is where inquiry begins. Turning it into a defined problem restricts the search space, and a hypothesis supplies a testable claim whose implications can be traced before acting. Testing against consequences then either corrects the belief or strengthens it, so the loop converts confusion into calibrated understanding.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflective_practiceverified
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