The Sankofa reflection framework (SRF): a decolonial model for collective reflexive practice across caring professions

This paper introduces the Sankofa Reflection Framework (SRF), a decolonial model of reflexive practice that connects personal transformation with collective regeneration. Grounded in African-centred epistemology, the SRF redefines reflection as an act of remembrance, relational accountability and social justice. Drawing on Racecraft and the Akan philosophy of Sankɔfa, commonly understood as an instruction to return and retrieve what has been forgotten, the framework developed alongside the author’s doctoral inquiry into the racialised experiences of ethnically minoritised student nurses in the United Kingdom. The SRF comprises five connected and recursive movements: Return, Recognise, Reclaim, Reimagine and Restore. Together, they guide practitioners through critical inquiry, historical awareness and transformative action. Methodologically informed by critical autoethnography and teaching practice, the framework seeks to reposition reflection from a predominantly individual process towards a collective praxis of accountability, repair and action. While rooted in nursing education, the SRF is intended for adaptation across professions grounded in care, education and social responsibility. It invites practitioners to examine how colonial legacies, power and privilege shape learning, leadership and belonging. By valuing lived experience and ancestral knowledge , the SRF expands the purpose of reflection beyond introspection towards collective accountability, social transformation and sustained restorative action.