Experience Based Learning 1 Assignment LEARNING FROM DISCOMFORT

Dianne Allen

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LEARNING FROM DISCOMFORT

LEARNING FROM DISCOMFORT ........................................................................................ 1 Introduction: ........................................................................................................................... 2 Rationale: ............................................................................................................................... 2 Overview: ............................................................................................................................... 2 The Literature:........................................................................................................................ 2 The Experience of Discomfort in Learning: .......................................................................... 3 Learning from the Experience of Discomfort: ....................................................................... 4 Reflective Proforma for Data Collection of the Practice of Third Party Intervention ........... 6 Learning from Discomfort Becoming more deliberative about it....................................... 6 Theoretical Aspects of this Topic........................................................................................... 7 Montessorian Principles ......................................................................................................... 7 Comparative Learning & Education Principles: Montessori, Adult Learning, Professional Development .......................................................................................................................... 8 Jungian Theory....................................................................................................................... 8 Specific Application to My situation ................................................................................. 8 My Type Dynamics (Interaction of the 4 preferences) ...................................................... 9 My Type Development & Life Activities .......................................................................... 9 Final Remarks - Conclusions ................................................................................................. 9 BIBLIOGRAPHY: ............................................................................................................... 11 ENDNOTES:........................................................................................................................ 12

Dianne Allen, 1999

Experience Based Learning 1 Assignment LEARNING FROM DISCOMFORT

Dianne Allen

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Introduction: Why Learning from Discomfort? I have chosen this topic for three reasons 1. as a result of previous experience discomfort which has been an important learning experience for me 1 2. because of a need to consider how best to limit and focus reflection on a manageable area of potential learning 3. to explore what I understand and have learnt about learning from discomfort Rationale: I am in the process of considering mechanisms for developing professional practice. At this stage I have a proposed mechanism which involves reflective research of practice: focusing on the experience of practice (some select elements of it), systematically investigating it (research process), by engaging in reflective thinking. The model 2 I have chosen to run with is one which includes the establishment of a peer support group to engage in a critical 3 exploration of the thinking / doing nexus 4 . To prepare for this is a two fold task for me: practicing the optional mechanisms on myself, as well as designing a detailed proposal introducing the use of these mechanisms to others to help them develop a more critical awareness of their practice. I have come to the formal study of Experience Based Learning because of a need to be confident that I know what I am talking about the competence/ control need. This has involved testing if my current content knowledge about the process of experiential learning is up-to-date and relatively comprehensive, and exploring, at the experience level, some of the processes involved in developing experiential knowledge. Overview: What follows will show that all of these things have sparked various levels of discomfort, ranging from: why didnt I get to this before now?, to: theres going to be a lot of discomfort in being open to others in the processes of life and work before I can mature more effectively. Thats the task before me. The Literature: One of the outcomes of my reading in the area is the recognition that experience, by itself, does not teach 5 . The content of experience needs to be processed in some way, attended to, incorporated into a persons cognitive schema to contribute to knowledge that they then have to use next time a similar incident arises 6 . One of the methods proposed to engage in effective processing of experience is reflection 7 . One of the difficulties I have faced, in exploring this issue, is, that for me, reflection can be a very time consuming task 8 . And, it is not clear to me that such effort is always productive.

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A solution, it seems, is to do what is always done in science, in research: to endeavour to control the variables; dealing with the variables, if you can, one at a time. So Kressel 9 has recommended focusing the data collection from experience by reflection on critical incidents. What then, for me, are the critical incidents from which I gain the greatest amount of learning? They are the experiences which discomfort me 10 . The Experience of Discomfort in Learning: My first awareness of discomfort in learning, in formal education, (how I most naturally define learning 11 ) was in about sixth class at school when I didnt understand division by fractions 12 . My second awareness of this was during my final year of high school. I had elected to undertake honours studies of physics and chemistry. For the first time in my life, school work took a considerable amount of my time. In the busiest stage, when I felt a bit overwhelmed I considered limiting myself to study at honours level in one subject instead of two. If it had come to the crunch I would have chosen to stay with the Physics because it was the one challenging me, extending my sense of expertise. Chemistry I could do with my eyes closed I seemed to be able to take in the information with no trouble. Most of the task was remembering the details not quite rote learning, because I had a natural interest in chemicals and their properties and behaviour, but not intellectually challenging, with something I had to grapple with to comprehend. As I continued my studies in mathematics and science I came to appreciate more and more that unless I understand something I do not consider I know it. Sure, I can gather information, I can remember material read, and/or deliberately gathered. I can pass some examinations with this sort of information. I can construct an essay bringing material together and working through an argument. But I do not really think I know something which I think I need to know until I can use that information in a new way. I need to be able to: reason through a question not considered before, with the information at hand, and come to, for me, a new and a reasonable conclusion almost new information predict something as an implication of what I know and understand see an explanation that shows that the information fits into the explanation. In 1996, as I returned to formal studies, I became even more aware of what was going on as I sought to process new information 13 . At this stage I can add to my previous cogitations about my learning processes, the following: I also learn by: reading and interacting with the ideas presented by others 14 writing and the re-writing process 15

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using the known to explore the not-known reasoning through prediction, explanation, indulging my tendency to hypothesise posing questions of information at hand 16 responding to the questions of others 17

Most recently, my cognitive boundaries have been stretched by trying to know what is research and how to grapple with a number of different models of research. And, in the case of the model of professional practice development I am pursuing, what exactly is meant by (or contained in) the concept of Reflective Research of Practice 18 . Learning from the Experience of Discomfort: Outside of formal education, I can now see that I have been continuously learning from my life experience. The arena in which this has been most obvious to me is in interpersonal relationships. In 1976 I took on the job of Chief Librarian in order to discover if I could manage adults. I had five years + of teaching and managing adolescents in a classroom, in the role and with the authority of teacher. Now I wanted to see could I work with, and mobilise, and, if necessary, motivate, adults in a working relationship. I had worked on a contract basis at the Library for a short period prior to becoming Chief Librarian. In the course of that I had a couple of conversations with one of the staff about arrangements for working: full-time, part-time work and casual work, hours of work and family responsibilities. Now I was in charge. What was required for the effective operation of the library? What flexibilities could be provided to meet personal, family needs? As time went by I began to become uncomfortable in my relationship with this staff member. 19 From my perspective, I consider that I learned almost all of my industrial relations from the ongoing interaction with this staff member, and the sense of being under the emotional pressure of having to live up to expectations raised in the earlier peer conversations. It meant I needed to develop my capacity (or use my natural inclination) to anticipate consequences, and to avert the conflict by pre-empting likely scenarios. I needed to know what the award would allow me to do or not to do, and how and when I needed to challenge the restrictions of the award. In due course, it became apparent that this staff member did not necessarily have the capacity to meet the job performance expectations. Others within the staff set more appropriate performance standards for the kind of public library we operated, with resources at a premium. Rule-making and rule-keeping for the labour contract, with flexibility provided, but clearly circumscribed, became the order of the day. I worked on clear and sufficient job descriptions. I worked at defining performance expectations, and performance management. These things went on paper. They werent left implicit and capable of misconstruction. There was potential in my verbal communications for misunderstanding, so I sought to cclarify that with written material. 20 I was aware of the capacity of a variety of people to perceive the same information in a number of ways. I was sensitive to the impact of

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misunderstood and inadequately conveyed information to generate confusion. So most of my important working communications were conveyed to the whole staff, at the one time, in the form of a staff meeting, with agenda, and with documents which became procedures and/or policy guidelines. At a staff meeting folk could ask for an explanation, get clarification of what was needed. The same message was available, at the same time, for all. The paper-based information backed up the verbal. After the event staff could revisit the paper-based material for clarification, for confirmation or corrective feedback. On the whole, though, I think things were more buttoned down because of my response to my discomfort. I also think that in the area of staff relationships, some of the transparency and security generated but such an approach provides for a predictable working environment and thereby minimises otherwise unnecessary conflict. The next major development of my awareness of discomfort in interpersonal relationships, especially working relationships, came with my studies in Dispute Resolution 21 . I came to the studies in Dispute Resolution because I was aware that: I thought I didnt know anything about dispute resolution: I had never had a good fight/ argument with any one I thought someone at Council needed to know about how to go about managing a staff grievance particularly the one which presented as an EEO complaint, but where the source of the grievance actually lay elsewhere I thought I need more systematic and extended study of this issue than one can get from a three day seminar! In the course of these studies, and especially my engagement in the simulations and role plays, I became aware of: Discomfort at some times and not others How much, in the workplace, I rely on having a knowledge of the context, the relevant factors involved (resources available, options feasible) and the people involved (doing role plays from half- to one-and-a-half page scenarios was stressful to me) What was my behaviour in the stress of having to sustain disagreeableness My passive aggression (I can initiate things, so in important areas, while introvert in my preference, I can act) How I focused and became immovable on certain unchallengeable items in the dispute scenario to sustain a position of not being able to make an agreement (ie not coming to a premature in the terms of the role play exercise - agreement), especially outside of those items (rights-based behaviour?) What was my behaviour under stress no capacity to compute accurately, especially in money terms; a lot less capacity to explore options, generate novel solutions/ brainstorm options. In one instance I sought to be in-role with anger and self righteous indignation. On this occasion I was surprised to find that I couldnt hear what was being said to me. The internal conversation and/or emotional reaction overwhelmed my normal cognitive functioning. How violating my internal values felt Finally deciding to affirm my values and resolving to play all roles within my own frame, and explore how else, within this frame, we could resolve the dispute

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I began to realise that this discomfort in me was an indicator of things which needed to be learned about. It was possible that this discomfort was, for me, non-verbal indication of intuitive knowledge. Reflective Proforma for Data Collection of the Practice of Third Party Intervention In trying to design some headings for the task of selectively focusing on appropriate aspects of the experience of the third party intervention, to then engage in reflective thinking, my reading and my experience suggested three items: Discomfort (My experience) Surprise (Dewey 22 , Schon 23 and Kressel 24 ) The Internal Conversation (Argyris 25 & Schon 26 ) In evaluating these three headings, and comparing them with others (eg Bolithos 27 : reaction elaboration contemplation), I recognised that for the Internal Conversation I have some real difficulties on quantity, and capturing it. Kressel has found surprise useful. How valuable is discomfort? And is it only for the introverts 28 amongst us? So, I have focused some of my attention over the past three months on learning from discomfort. Learning from Discomfort Becoming more deliberative about it The first step is recognising it, and stopping to pay attention. Some discomforts can be fleeting. Some discomforts can be so uncomfortable that they are (need to be?) repressed. The second step is: can I recognise its source?: Is the discomfort in me only? Or am I recognising, empathising, with discomfort in others? Do I mirror discomfort when others become uncomfortable? Can I get some confirming or disconfirming information from the other person/people in the interaction to clarify this 29 ? And: when I mirror others discomfort, is that when we mutually agree (implicitly not a word is spoken) to avoid this issue? and move on to areas where we are comfortable. What are the implications for personal and/or mutual learning?; for team development?; etc If this is the case, and if this behaviour regularly appears in the context of performance management discussions, what are the implications for such a process? If this is the case, and if this behaviour regularly appears in the context of a disagreement or conflict, what are the implications for the constructive resolution of conflicts? Is this the acculturation that Argyris & Schon 30 postulate leads to non-learning, and worse, organisational (and with it, personal) dysfunction? The third step, for myself, personally, is having recognised it, can I hang on to it until: I know its actual source? I have learned what there is to learn from knowing this and thinking through the issues?

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And in the midst of hanging onto it, do I have the courage to keep on with it until it becomes comfortable? What does becoming comfortable mean in this context? stress inoculation 31 ?; insensitivity 32 ? The growth that is/becomes maturity 33 ?

If I can do this for myself, can I then help another to manage their discomfort so that they can learn from it? (Or better: even being content to have been able to bring them to the point where they want to manage their own discomfort to learn from it.) One thing is certain, if I cant do it for myself I cant help another to do it 34 . It is part of what I am striving for in my model for working at reflective research of practice. Theoretical Aspects of this Topic There are a variety of ways in which I could explore the theoretical aspects of this topic. Montessorian Principles In my first conception of this assignment I envisaged referring to Montessorian principles of learning and education 35 . I keep on being attracted to Montessoris work because, in my return to post-graduate studies, and of Dispute Resolution, I keep on thinking of what I remember of hearing about Montessoris work. My first stage thinking involves asking - how did I learn? I don't remember learning ... to read, to write, to count [I think I had all those under my belt before I got to school at 4.5 years old]? How/when do/did we learn such dysfunctional interpersonal behaviours? (for disputation). The second stage of thinking is the convergence that I think Montessoris work enunciates learning as a fundamental behaviour and indicates how we go about that. From the Montessorian approach I could hypothesise that I have come back to post-graduate study in Dispute Resolution because I was fundamentally comfortable in most other areas of my work operations and so was comfortable enough (secure enough, had enough order and orientation in my life) to be open to exploring a new world again. And further, that my comfortable world was in need of the excitement of exploration. 36 Having discovered new material, by this exploration, I now need to order it, use my imagination to construct new ways of seeing my world, with this new stuff in it. For building a sense of competence and control over disputation as it arises in my world, I need to handle it often (manipulation and repetition) until I reach the stage where I have a sense of precision (accurate knowledge of what I am doing and how I do it) to deliver consistent results so that I am controlling error and reaching perfection (so far as perfection is possible in this arena). When I reach this stage, or any one of the various steps along the way, I will want to communicate to the world at large what I have discovered, what I now know that I didnt know before.

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Comparative Learning & Education Principles: Montessori, Adult Learning, Professional Development In another conception of this assignment, (formulated prior to Day 8 of EBL1) I thought to compare and contrast different educational theories. I intended to look at the Montessorian principles of learning/ education, and compare those with the principles of adult learning/ education and professional development/ education. I had a fabulous structure to do this with. Having done that, I was going to explore what of the Experience Based Learning course work reflected those principles. I dont think I had much of an idea about how to drag in the learning from discomfort bit. Certainly what I found was that to develop the assignment on the basis of that kind of structure would require the kind and level of work which I no longer had time for. Further, it began to look as though the structure I devised would dominate my capacity to think about issues. I wasnt prepared to consign myself to being so constrained: although I revel in structure, I am not always convinced that a model, any model, does reality justice. The level of discomfort arising from my own expectations of competence, thoroughness, and the necessity to effectively process the quantity of material out there in these areas, in order to make it my own, was more than I could manage, in the time frame left. This experience raised for me issues of how I am now reading and processing material, what I am remembering, and what detail is not really getting in, in the first place 37 . Jungian Theory Then I was exposed to Myers Briggs Type Indicator training 38 , and suddenly there was a whole new way of considering discomfort and learning from discomfort. Jungs theory of the development of psyche (personality) addresses the issues of where discomfort comes from, and how and why we behave to minimise it. In brief, my understanding of the Jungian theory 39 , at this stage, indicates that in our world, and in ourselves, we are trying to stay in balance. We act to minimise discomfort. The actions we take may be either on the external world (like coming to a course) and/or on our interior world of persona and/or the unreleased unconscious. Looking at persona development the development of the conscious with which we deal with the outer world, our interface with it it develops in stages, and in normal circumstances in an order dependent on our innate preferences. Specific Application to My situation For me, and my type, INTJ, I have a preference for the (I)-introvert, internal processing reflection; (N)-intuition, focusing on meaning (T)-thinking, answering why?; by analysis, application of principles (J)-judging, for some purpose 40 In behaving, in interacting with my world, I am not limited to these ways of functioning. I can ESFP as well

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(E)-extravert, be energised by being with others (especially in a class learning context) (S)-sensing, focusing on experience and the practical [part of J-purpose?] (F)-feeling, answering who?; using values and seeking harmony (P)-perceiving, open-minded to ideas and options 41

My Type Dynamics (Interaction of the 4 preferences) Since my preference for my stance with the external world is J, the T function is extraverted, and the N function introverted. Since my preference in attitude to sourcing energy is Iintroverted, the NI function is my dominant function, the TE is my auxiliary function, then FI is my tertiary function and SE is my inferior function 42 . My persona then is predominantly NI TE: presenting to the world as rational (thinking by analysis, objective and deciding by principles) applied to patterns, meaning, big picture stuff, concepts and ideas. My underdeveloped side, likely to develop later in life, is FI SE: the subjective, the sympathetic, focusing on the specifics, the experiential, the here and now. In stressful situations the underdeveloped FI SE is likely to overtake my normal preference/ competence. It will (I)-introvert, internalise the impact on self and my values irritable bowel syndrome, and depression might be prize indicator(s) here; failing to attend effectively to details sense of anxiety from confusion, and forgetfulness about detail normally effectively handled. The task of developing the FI SE, to provide for more person focused, detailed awareness and expression, is before me. My Type Development & Life Activities 43 So I have moved from science studies and teaching (1957-1973) through librarianship (19751992) with management (1976-1992) to personnel policy (1992-1997) and organisational development policy and issues (1985-1999) and I am now returning to studies (1996-) to equip myself for teaching reflective research of practice experience based learning back to kindergarten? It would appear that I may have another variant to the Kolb 44 experiential learning cycle of concrete experience -> reflective observation -> abstract conceptualisation -> active experimentation -> concrete experience .. 45 For me it looks like being stimulated by FI - internal feeling of discomfort -> SE - collection of detailed data -> NI building a big picture model -> TE explaining that model / testing that model -> FI internal feeling of discomfort if the model isnt satisfying enough 46 .; or FI internal feeling of comfort = cognitive assonance -> capacity to close on this issue. Final Remarks - Conclusions I have been seeking to explore the nature of discomfort (intrapsychic conflict?) and what and how I can learn by it. I have developed two haiku to enunciate reflective practice:

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What am I doing? Why? And: Can I show and tell? - Reflective Practice! What am I doing? How? And: do means match the ends? - Reflective Practice! It is trying to move from the tacit to the explicit. Am I trying to extravert my dominant intuitive function? This is but the start. The level of questioning and hypothesising throughout this document merely indicates how much closer I am to the beginning of this journey than to closure on the issue.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY:
NOTE: Many other books and readings are currently informing my thinking. These are the ones which in this assignment I am able to identify as having an obvious contribution. Allen, D Issues in Training in Negotiation Skills for an Organisational Setting. [Unpublished] Assignment for course work on Negotiation for the UTS MDR, June, 1996 Allen D Reflective Research of Practice: Applied to Third Party Interventions Part 1. [Unpublished] Research Report for the UTS MDR, October 1998; Attachments: Extended Notes and Reflections Argyris, C Reasoning, Learning and Action. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1982 Argyris, C Schon, D Organisational Learning II: Theory, Method, and Practice. Reading, Mass.: AddisonWesley, 1996 Bolitho, A cited in Carson, L Reflecting on Participation in Groups: Study Guide. Southern Cross Uni, 1996(?) Boud, D Keogh, R Walker, D Reflection: Turning Experience into Learning. London: Kogan Page, 1985 Boud, D, Cohen, R, Walker, D Using Experience for Learning. London: SRHE and Open University, 1993 Boud, David & Nod Miller, eds Working with experience: animating learning. London: Routledge, 1996 Brookfield, S Becoming a critically reflective teacher. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1995 Burns, R The Adult Learner at Work. Sydney: Business & Professional Pub., 1995 Dewey J How We Think: a Restatement of the Relation of Reflective Thinking to the Educative Process. Boston: DC Heath, c.1933 (original 1910) Ericsson KA and J Smith. Toward a general theory of expertise. New York: Cambridge UP, 1991 Heron J The Complete Facilitators Handbook. London: Kogan Page, 1999 Kressel, K "Practice-Relevant Research in Mediation: Toward a Reflective Research Paradigm" Negotiation Journal, 1997, 13 (2) p.143-160 Kolb, DA Experiential learning. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1984 Lillard, PP Montessori today: a comprehensive approach to education from birth to adulthood. New York: Schocken, 1996 Loughran, JJ Developing Reflective Practice: Learning about Teaching and Learning through Modelling. London: Falmer Pr, 1996 Mason, J Learning from Experience in Mathematics in Boud, D, Cohen, R, Walker, D Using Experience for Learning. London: SRHE and Open University, 1993 The MBTI Professional Qualifying Program Notebook Myers, IB, McCaulley, MH, Quenk, NL, Hammer, AL MBTI Manual: A guide to the development and use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Palo Alto, California: Consulting Psychologists Press, 3rd ed, c.1998 Professionals' Ways of Knowing: New Findings on How to Improve Professional Education H K Morris Baskett, Victoria J Marsick (eds) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1992 New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, Number 55, 1992 Putnam, RW Recipes and Reflective Learning: What Would Prevent You From Saying it That Way? in Schon, DA (ed) The Reflective Turn: Case Studies in and on educational practice. New York: Teachers College Press, 1991 Scardamalia, M Bereiter, C "Literate Expertise" in Ericsson KA and J Smith. Toward a general theory of expertise. New York: Cambridge UP, 1991 Schon, DA The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. New York: Basic Books, 1983 The Student Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, c. 1986, p.995

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ENDNOTES:
Detail of the critical incident is available on request. Attachment to Negotiation Assignment MDR Model is derived from Kressel, K "Practice-Relevant Research in Mediation: Toward a Reflective Research Paradigm" Negotiation Journal, 1997, 13 (2) p.143-160 3 critical in the sense of critical theory able to explore and evaluate assumptions, etc 4 Detail available on request: Reflective Research of Practice Summary What is it; Design for Peer Support Group development 5 Mason, J Learning from Experience in Mathematics in Boud, D, Cohen, R, Walker, D Using Experience for Learning. London: SRHE and Open University, 1993 p.113 "One thing people do not learn from experience, is that they do not often learn from experience alone." 6 (Is this natural way of learning the basis of law developed by precedent?) 7 Boud, D, Keogh, R, Walker, D Reflection: Turning Experience into Learning. London: Kogan Page, 1985 p.19 "Reflection is an important human activity in which people recapture their experience, think about it, mull it over and evaluate it. It is this working with experience that is important in learning. The capacity to reflect is developed to different stages in different people and it may be this ability which characterizes those who learn effectively from experience." Boud, D, Cohen, R, Walker, D Using Experience for Learning. London: SRHE and Open University, 1993 Boud, David & Nod Miller, eds Working with experience: animating learning. London: Routledge, 1996 8 Evidenced by my class reflections, especially Day 8 reflections and analysis 9 Kressel, 1997, p.147 the conduct of reflective research requires criteria for selecting, from amid the complexity and "noise" of clinical activity, material that is likely to be a promising subject for reflection. ..reflective researchers are at the very early stages of considering this key issue ... The Essex experience suggests four useful aids to the selection of reflective material: focus on the case, especially the difficult case use case protocols to promote systematic reflection pay particular attention to certain kinds of episodes within cases; and distinguish among levels of practitioner competence (emphasis mine) p.148 Not all cases are equally informative. With time, we came to learn more from the cases which gave us the greatest difficulties. And what gives me the greatest difficulty? Something where I am discomforted and where I dont quite yet know where the discomfort is coming from. 10 Detail available on request: MDR Research Report Reflections 4.2 - Stimuli for Reflectiveness 11 Structured reflection and discussion Day 4 of EBL1 12 Detail available on request: MDR Research Report Reflections 6.1/7.1 Fractions and other understandings 13 Detail available on request: MDR Research Report Reflections 3.4 My Learning Style. Previously identified elements include: Music & Study and Work; Deliberately not thinking about it; Internal verbal scenario testing; Walking and thinking/ testing thinking and other kinesthetic elements; New Exploration versus Documentation; Reading and the Meaning of Words; Reading and First Sources; Writing and Vocabulary. 14 Details available on request: MDR Research Report Reflections 2 Reflective Interaction with Kressels journal article; and files of work with the Experience Based Learning literature 15 Experience with reports at Council, with MDR Research Report and follow up discussions with Elyssebeth Leigh; confirmatory indications in work on literate expertise - Scardamalia, M Bereiter, C "Literate Expertise" in Ericsson KA and J Smith. Toward a general theory of expertise. New York: Cambridge UP, 1991 16 Reflections Day 8 EBL1 17 For example as a teacher, not knowing until a question is asked and a answer is needed to be given that you know that. At MBTI training 25-29 October, a participant shared with me that sometimes she thinks thoughts like what is life?. My response was to say: thats a difficult question because it is intangible and complex and if you dont think it is intangible or complex, you have missed the point. I am not usually this succinct!!! I didnt know that I knew that about what is life? until I expressed it out that way, in response to the stimulus of anothers comment. 18 Detail available on request: MDR Research Report Section 7 The Synthesis: Reflective Research of Practice 19 For me it was a discomfort of old: the kind of feeling I had, in some respects, from home, with the impression gained that I could never satisfy. I cant say that anything was ever said to that effect. And there appeared to be times when my achievements was a source of pride. But I never had the sense of having pleased. And some of the burden of keeping on achieving, even in the area where I was naturally competent, was related to how that would be for my family. And since one of my values is justice: treating people fairly; I was alert to the need
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to be careful that my emotional reaction did not result in unjust bias, and that I kept dealing with this staff member on their own merits and not as coloured by the experience of another less than satisfactory relationship. 20 (Often my verbal communications are not as clear as I would like, and as often, I endeavoured to take my responsibility for at least my share, and then some. My family life had also taught me that conflict was to be avoided.) 21 Detail available on request: MDR Negotiation Assignment Attachment & MDR Research Report Reflections 4.2 22 Dewey in Loughran: Dewey J How We Think: a Restatement of the Relation of Reflective Thinking to the Educative Process. Boston: DC Heath, c.1933 (original 1910); Loughran, JJ Developing Reflective Practice: Learning about Teaching and Learning through Modelling. London: Falmer Pr, 1996, p.3
"In Dewey's (1933) revised edition of How We Think he clearly states what he defines as reflective thinking.

"Reflective thinking, in distinction from other operations to which we apply the name of thought, involves (1) a state of doubt, hesitation, perplexity, mental difficulty, in which thinking originates, and (2) an act of searching, hunting, inquiring, to find material that will resolve the doubt, settle and dispose of the perplexity. (Dewey, 1933, p.12) 23 Schon, DA The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. New York: Basic Books, 1983, p.56 24 Kressel, 1997, p.149 25 Argyris, C Reasoning, Learning and Action. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1982, p.51 ff 26 Argyris, C Schon, D Organisational Learning II: Theory, Method, and Practice. Reading, Mass.: AddisonWesley, 1996, p.78 -ff 27 Bolitho, A cited in Carson, L Reflecting on Participation in Groups: Study Guide. Southern Cross Uni, 1996(?) 28 MBTI indications: The MBTI Professional Qualifying Program Notebook, III-3, the expression of FI ? Argyris & Schons Model II Approach: Putnam, RW Recipes and Reflective Learning: What Would Prevent You From Saying it That Way? in Schon, DA (ed) The Reflective Turn: Case Studies in and on educational practice. New York: Teachers College Press, 1991 30 Argyris, C Reasoning, Learning and Action. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1982, p.xii 31 Crisis Negotiation input: police negotiation team training 32 Argyris distancing concept Argyris, C Reasoning, Learning and Action. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1982, p.107-ff; burnout; repression for temporary self-preservation 33 Jungs theory The MBTI Professional Qualifying Program Notebook, III-1 34 (Dianne Allens theory of incongruence and/or theory of advocating change by modelling, if there is no other label for it. I cant at the moment capture a recollection of having seen it expressed in some way in educational, psychological or sociological texts. It is implicit in the Bible in Come, follow me. Matthew 9:9)
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Lillard, PP Montessori today: a comprehensive approach to education from birth to adulthood. New York: Schocken, 1996, p.11.

And so does this define the purpose of an innate tendency to be risk taking: part of the need to become autonomous in the world is to be able to take effective action? That needs to be learned. There is no sure result, so we have to take a risk. Is it also what we mean by faith? The question of what happens when this gets out of control, so that risk-taking becomes a way of life, obsessive, and life threatening, is another matter. Cf Robert Banks All the Business of Life risk taking having a God-given purpose. Detail available on request: draft material of this analysis part of my portfolio of resources Detail available on request: draft material of this analysis part of my portfolio of resources 39 This is an at least a third-hand understanding from the Myers-Briggs material 40 Note these are only one or two of a number of aspects of each of these dichotomies, they are the ones I most clearly associate with Detail available on request: draft material of this analysis part of my portfolio of resources 41 Likewise these are only one or two of a number of aspects of each of these dichotomies, the ones I most clearly associate with Detail available on request: draft material of this analysis part of my portfolio of resources 42 This reflects the Grant model. Jung sees all the functions other than the dominant operating in the reverse attitude to the dominant, in order to balance the dominant. Myers follows Jungs position. The MBTI Professional Qualifying Program Notebook, III-8-9 43 Detail available on request: draft material of this analysis part of my portfolio of resources 44 Kolb, DA Experiential learning. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1984, p.33
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Experience Based Learning 1 Assignment LEARNING FROM DISCOMFORT

Dianne Allen

p.14

? the lone rational approach of the NT temperament doing justly Micah 6.8 ? the collaborative person-related emphasis of the SF combination compassion loving mercy Micah 6.8; also reflected in Heron J The Complete Facilitators Handbook. London: Kogan Page, 1999
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