Judgments of practice: evaluating and deciding in Deweyan reflection

This article provides a deeper discussion about the concepts of evaluation of ideas and decisions in the Deweyan Guide for Reflective Practice (GRP). There have been recommendations for creating supplemental material to explain often difficult-to-understand concepts in the GRP. Deweyan reasoning and test of ideas are explored as the foundations for the evaluation of ideas section in the GRP. Types of tests are explored, including formal and informal experiments, non-experimental research, and reviews of scientific literature. The concept of decision is explored from a Deweyan perspective, focusing on decisions as judgments of practice resulting in warranted assertions. Steps are provided on making a decision in the GRP, including analyzing evidence, identifying factor combinations, synthesizing the successful working ideas as warranted assertions, and answering the learning objective. Recommendations for future research include empirical studies that assess how practitioners implement and refine judgments of practice using the GRP framework and creating additional supplemental materials.