The Praxis Model
Guiding Stages and Questions from the Praxis Model
The Praxis Model
The Praxis Model offers an inner psychological scaffolding for ethicality.
Drawing on Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning cycle, the model expands and deepens our understanding of ethical practice through the lens of intentionality and hope. Informed by my published work on intentional coaching and positive psychology coaching, and further developed in a forthcoming publication presenting the full model. The Praxis Model invites us to meet ethical tension with presence, discernment, and courageous action.
© Wendy-Ann Smith, 2025. All rights reserved.
Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle
David Kolb’s (1984) model describes learning as a dynamic, cyclical process involving four modes:
~ Concrete Experience – feeling and encountering the moment
~ Reflective Observation – noticing patterns and meaning
~ Abstract Conceptualisation – interpreting through ideas, values, or theories.
~ Active Experimentation – trying out responses in real time.
These modes reflect two intersecting tensions — between experience and thought, and between reflection and action. Kolb reminds us that learning is not linear, but developmental: we loop, pause, revisit, and evolve. This cycle provides the reflective structure through which ethical development can unfold.
The Praxis Model
Building on this foundation, the Praxis Model offers a psychological scaffolding to help coaches and leaders meet ethical tension with presence, discernment, and courageous action. It invites us to move beyond analysis into lived ethicality — supported by three interrelated dimensions:
~ Ethicality – who we are in relationship, embodied and values-held
~ Intentionality – the conscious stance we take in tension
~ Hope – the inner resource that energises clarity, courage, and action
While Kolb offers the structure, Praxis brings the stance. Together, they support a practice-based, developmental approach to ethical maturity.
The Praxis Model: A Reflective Tool for Ethical Presence
The Praxis Model offers an inner psychological scaffolding for ethical reflection and action. Drawing on three interwoven capacities—ethicality, intentionality, and hope—this model invites coaches, leaders, and practitioners to deepen their presence and navigate ethical tension with courage and care.
Use this tool to anchor yourself in moments of complexity. It works alongside Kolb’s experiential learning cycle by focusing not only on what is happening, but how you are being within it.
STEP 1: Ethical Tension Reflection
~ What ethical tension am I facing right now?
~ What feels unresolved, uncertain, or at odds?
~ Where do I feel it in my body, emotions, or mind?
STEP 2: Engage the Praxis Core
~ ETHICALITY — Who am I being in this moment?
~ Am I aligned with my core values?
~ What relational stance am I taking toward the people involved?
~ What does integrity look like here?
~ INTENTIONALITY — What stance am I choosing?
~ Am I reacting or pausing?
~ What conscious response am I shaping?
~ How can I hold presence, not just perform ethics?
~ HOPE — What sustains me to act?
~ What possibilities still exist, even amidst uncertainty?
~ What pathways can I explore with courage?
~ What meaning anchors me in this moment?
STEP 3: Link Back to Kolb’s Cycle: Engage the Praxis Core
~ Where am I in the cycle? (Concrete Experience / Reflective Observation / Abstract Conceptualisation / Active Experimentation)
~ How is my ethical stance shaping how I engage that stage?
~ What would it mean to complete the cycle with integrity?
STEP 4: Name Your Ethical Intention.
Example prompts:
I will pause before reacting and reflect on my stance.
I will stay with discomfort rather than rushing to fix.
I will remain curious when tension arises.
I will centre dignity and courage in my next step.
Adapted from forthcoming work by Wendy-Ann Smith (2025).
“The Praxis Model” forms part of a larger developmental framework on ethicality in coaching.
© Wendy-Ann Smith, 2025
Praxis Model | Let’s Work Together
Interested in bringing the Praxis Model into your organisation, training, or supervision practice?
I offer workshops, consultations, and support for coaching schools, ethics committees, and leadership teams seeking to engage with this model.
To explore how you can integrate the Praxis Model into your teaching or practice, contact below to explore bespoke options.
References
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice Hall.