Abstract
ABSTRACT
Reflection in action research is a complex matter, as is action research
itself. In recent years, complexity science has regularly been called
upon in order to more thoroughly understand the complexity of
action research. The present article investigates the benefits that
complexity science may yield for reflection in action research. This
article begins by explicating the sense in which the complexity of
reflection in action research involves the role of values and existential
knowledge in education. The gap between theory and practice is also
explored. On the basis of a number of common features of complex
systems (heterogeneous, open, dynamic, non-linear, adaptive, and coadaptive),
the sense in which reflection can be regarded as a complex
system is discussed. To this end, the features of complex systems are
translated into features of reflection in action research, which, in turn,
are illustrated with examples from recent publications on reflection in
action research. The aim of this analysis is to make reflection in action
research more understandable and manageable. In line with this, it
is argued that room for insecurity and unpredictability, combined
with an explicit consideration of reflection as a complex system,
contributes to the use of complexity as a stimulus for new learning
