Can Self-Understanding Foster Feelings of Professional Responsibility among Planning Students?

This qualitative study explores how structured reflection activities can help students critically examine their inner worlds and engage with challenging emotions related to the profession’s history on the path to developing professional expertise. Analysis of students’ reflections assessed levels of critical reflection and engagement with affective learning concepts. Findings indicate that students developed greater self-awareness, honed their sense of professional responsibility, as well as clarified understandings of their professional identities. This study demonstrates the value of integrating affective learning and structured reflection activities to better prepare students for the emotional complexities of practice.