Using Reflective Practice for a more Humane Higher Education

The rationale behind this article was to explore the importance for academics to reflect constantly and consistently on what they teach; why they teach what they teach; how they teach and assess, keeping in mind who they teach (calibre of their students); and the circumstances under which they teach. The authors posed the question : How is reflective practice used in fostering or creating a humane higher education? Using a desktop approach, the article delves into classroom practices, challenges and the influence of what happens 'beyond the classroom' on both the lecturer and students' performance. The article is fundamentally are flection of what the authors witness themselves in their daily encounters, to a large extent, with lecturers sharing their challenges, and to a lesser extent, with students seeking development and support in their endeavours to succeed in their studies. Reflective practice is offered as a plausible approach that can be used systematically to gain a deeper understanding of the teaching and learning process in a higher education context.