A Reflective Model for Teaching Journalism by A/Professor Lynette Sheridan Burns, School of Communication, Design and Media Abstract This article conside als"think by doing"and provides a theoretical rationale for reflective practice as a model for teaching journalism. It presents a model focused on the development of graduate efficacy in the intellectual skills and understanding required of professional practitioners. The model uses critical reflection as a cognitive bridge between journalism theory and professional practice. Through it, students develop self-reliance, confidence problem solving, and adaptability, while simultaneously gaining knowledge and developing a sense of efficacy in their ability to negotiate inherent dilemmas in practice. When pedagogical strategies"block the exits"to escape from the implications and effects of their practice, students are held to high benchmarks of critical and reflective thinking The "lived"experience provided by a problem-based pedagogy also develops confidence and a sense of efficacy in students. Moreover this approach integrates thinking and doing in a way that binds practices with the social and ethical effects produced Introduction Journal ists often describe their thinking as so intrinsic as to defy explanation They say they know a good story when they see one"and"know what to do without thinking"because their thinking processes, once internalised, are used almost without consciousness. But as Adam (1993: 11, 13) found, journalism always involves the conferring of judgement on the shape of things. So it is important that journalists can recognise the influences on their thinking in a context where every decision is a professional decision, a commercial decision and an ethical decision Sheridan Burns 1995: 5) This model uses critical reflection as a cognitive bridge between journalism theory and professional practice. Through it, students develop self-reli nfidence, problem solving, and adaptability, while simultaneously gaining knowledge and developing a sense of efficacy in the ability to negotiate inherent dilemmas in practice. If students are to explore the complexity of practising journalism, educators must give them a real sense of the often-discomforting compromises journal ists may make in their work. Bandura(1986: 394)showed that people with a strong sense of efficacy are spurred by obstacles to greater effort and feel more able to resolv competing loyalties. He described how people who regard themselves as highly efficacious act, think and feel differently to those who perceive themselves as inefficacious. They produce their own future rather than foretelling it. Bandura 1986: 395) Reflection the development of efficacy The model proposed here seeks to expose students to the challenges in a way that still engages their desire to be journalists. Adam(1993: 4)compellingly argues that the role of a journalism educator is multi-faceted- as a journalist you want to celebrate journalism, but as an educator you want to make journalism better. He concludes that in order to do this, we are obliged to"create aA Reflective Model for Teaching Journalism by A/Professor Lynette Sheridan Burns, School of Communication, Design and Media Abstract This article considers how professionals "think by doing" and provides a theoretical rationale for reflective practice as a model for teaching journalism. It presents a model focused on the development of graduate efficacy in the intellectual skills and understanding required of professional practitioners. The model uses critical reflection as a cognitive bridge between journalism theory and professional practice. Through it, students develop self-reliance, confidence, problem solving, and adaptability, while simultaneously gaining knowledge and developing a sense of efficacy in their ability to negotiate inherent dilemmas in practice. When pedagogical strategies “block the exits” to escape from the implications and effects of their practice, students are held to high benchmarks of critical and reflective thinking. The “lived” experience provided by a problem-based pedagogy also develops confidence and a sense of efficacy in students. Moreover, this approach integrates thinking and doing in a way that binds practices with the social and ethical effects produced. Introduction Journalists often describe their thinking as so intrinsic as to defy explanation. They say they “know a good story when they see one” and “know what to do without thinking" because their thinking processes, once internalised, are used almost without consciousness. But as Adam (1993:11,13) found, journalism always involves the conferring of judgement on the shape of things. So it is important that journalists can recognise the influences on their thinking in a context “where every decision is a professional decision, a commercial decision and an ethical decision” (Sheridan Burns 1995:5). This model uses critical reflection as a cognitive bridge between journalism theory and professional practice. Through it, students develop self-reliance, confidence, problem solving, and adaptability, while simultaneously gaining knowledge and developing a sense of efficacy in their ability to negotiate inherent dilemmas in practice. If students are to explore the complexity of practising journalism, educators must give them a real sense of the often-discomforting compromises journalists may make in their work. Bandura (1986:394) showed that people with a strong sense of efficacy are spurred by obstacles to greater effort and feel more able to resolve competing loyalties. He described how people who regard themselves as highly efficacious act, think and feel differently to those who perceive themselves as inefficacious. They produce their own future rather than foretelling it. (Bandura 1986: 395) Reflection & the development of efficacy The model proposed here seeks to expose students to the challenges in a way that still engages their desire to be journalists. Adam (1993:4) compellingly argues that the role of a journalism educator is multi-faceted – as a journalist you want to celebrate journalism, but as an educator you want to make journalism better. He concludes that in order to do this, we are obliged to "create a