Kolb's Reflective Model

Reflective Learning Owen (2011) Boyd (1983) define reflective learning as a cognitive process that involves analyzing a past or present experience, which create new meaning and insight about the experience and result in changed in conceptual perspective. The focus of reflective learning is to understand the experiential learning process. According to Kolb’s (1984) reflective model, reflection is a crucial element that initiates transformation within the learning process. Without reflection, an individual would not learn from their experience, they will continue in an endless cycle of experiences with the same emotion, behavior and practice. On the contrary, if an individual reflects on their experience and adopt the new meaning, there will

The mentor and coach (OJT trainer) need to acquire the knowledge and skills of mentoring and coaching; to learn the process of making meaning from experience and assist the individual (technician) to construct their own meaning and take account for their action. In other words, the OJT trainer plays an important role in intervening the technician’s internal transformation. Using the Kolb’s(1984) reflective model as an example, the OJT trainer need to help the technician to decipher concrete experience to meaningful concept through reflection and translate the new concept into action. A technician who is guided through this cycle by the OJT trainer would demonstrate a change in cognitive, behavior, learning and practice. The advantage of having a model is that it provides a framework for the mentoring session to maneuver and without deviating away from of the goals or learning

The trainer needs to create the learning conditions or environment for the technician to have the opportunity to pick up the aircraft maintenance skills that is require of him / her to become a competent aircraft technician. Furthermore, research conducted in Singapore revealed that the three most preferred instructional strategies are observing, listening and demonstration (IAL, 2011). Therefore, during the coaching session, learning occurs through Zone of Proximal Development, which is attributed to Vygotsky(1978), when the new technician is guided by the trainer. This is the part where the trainer deployed the intentional instructional strategies such as modelling, coaching, scaffolding, questioning as well as provide the opportunity for technician to carry out maintenance tasks deployed during the OJT on daily basis. The learning process also involves social and cultural element which is embedded in the interaction between the new technician and the trainer and other team members. This learning process allow the technician learn from, learn with and learn through the trainer. Learning through the trainer allows the technician to acquire the tacit knowledge that the technician cannot learns through textbook, independently or online. It is one of the most powerful type of learning (Connor and Pokora,