Reflective Judgment Model (RJM)¶

Theory · All theories
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The Reflective Judgment Model, developed by King and Kitchener (1994), is a model of adult cognitive development related to epistemological beliefs. The article describes it as "a continuum of qualitatively different stages, each associated with specific epistemological assumptions and standpoints, through which individuals progress (though not necessarily in a linear fashion) as they learn to face complex, ill-structured problems." It spans seven levels, from Pre-Reflective thinking that treats knowledge as absolutely certain, through Quasi-Reflective thinking that accepts uncertainty and evidence, toward evaluated, integrative reasoning. The study used the RJM as the framework for analyzing how preservice teachers approached ill-defined dilemmas of practice.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• The model is applied to ill-structured problems, dilemmas to which there is no one clear answer

Constraints¶

• Progression through stages is not necessarily linear, and the model's applicability to preservice teachers specifically had not yet been extensively explored

Target Learners¶

• preservice teachers
• traditional-aged college students

Target Learning Objectives¶

• reasoning about ill-defined dilemmas
• justifying beliefs and decisions under uncertainty

Claims¶

Related Theories¶

• Reflective Judgment Framework: a three-level developmental model of reasoning about ill-defined problems
• King and Kitchener's Reflective Judgment Model: a seven-stage developmental framework of epistemic assumptions and justification

Examples¶

• Teacher educators should recognize preservice teachers' reflective judgment levels and provide guided reflection tailored to their epistemological assumptions

Key Sources¶

• Schoen, L. (2005). Learning to make sense of the dilemmas of teaching practice: An exploration of preservice teachers' development of reflective judgment. Boston College. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED506804