Abstract
The first part of the article gives an outline of the notion of reflection in contemporary pedagogy: the situation in research and practice as well as the problem situation. In the second part of the article some basic characteristics of reflection are described and discussed. In this part semantic and ontological aspects of reflection are examined. Four basic aspects of reflection are highlighted: reflection as self‐reflection, reflection as thinking, reflection as self‐understanding and the distancing function of self‐reflection. In this connection Schon's influential but unclear concept of reflection in action is critically examined.