Current international discussions of reflection and reflective inquiry have focused on the troubling divide between the long-standing claims for the beneficial effects of reflective engagement on the professional practice and development of teachers and other professionals--social workers, doctors, principals, etc.-- and the lack of systematic research to verify these claims (Rodgers, 2003; Lyons, 2002;2003; Zeichner & Wray, 2001. See also Copeland et al, 1993; Day 1993, 2000; Journal of Reflective Practice, 2000). In spite of the enthusiasm for reflective inquiry as the sine qua non for professional and leadership development, critics argue that pressing issues include lack of agreement about the definition of reflection and the absence of an agreed-upon, systematic research agenda. This proposed Round Table takes up these issues. Using data from research conducted over the past three years with students of teaching, social work, and university level faculty at University College Cork (UCC), the presenters, who all share in using a reflective portfolio process as a methodology to scaffold reflective engagement, report on their findings, especially the processes that characterize reflective engagement. Implications for professional development in the education of practitioners and for promoting leaders in several professions are addressed, along with implications for a future research agenda to advance this important field of endeavor. Here we first examine and define reflective inquiry as we and several researchers see it (Boud &Walker, 1991), largely using the terms of John Dewey(1933) and Donald Schon(1983), the most frequently cited theorists. But in this we identify critical features sometimes overlooked. Following Dewey, we use reflective thinking and reflective inquiry inter-changeably. We then describe the process involved in inquiring into and creating a reflective portfolio, and report on methods and findings of engaging in reflective inquiry for professional development from three empirical studies: of Social Work Masters level students (n=20) reported by Murphy, Halton, and Dempsey; of H Dip students of teaching (n=15) reported by Rath; and, of university faculty across several disciplines at UCC (n=20) reported by Lyons. All created a reflective portfolio, the latter for an award for excellence in teaching. We then use these data as a basis for examining the meanings of reflective engagement for these professionals and the uses to which they put reflection in their professional work. We look at findings across disciplines and professions to highlight similarities, for example, the primary finding of a heightened awareness, a new consciousness of one's aims, purposes and practice as a result of reflective engagement. While most people as a result of this new awareness act to re-direct their practice, the specific contours of individuals' actions reveal subtle differences in pathways, purposes, and timing that shape these re-directions. We explore the implications of a more complex interaction of the personal, professional, and institutional contexts of practice in the uses of reflective engagement for professional development. And we briefly examine some actions of these professionals to take on a leadership role in encouraging others towards reflective engagement. Finally, we suggest implications for developing a refined theoretical framework and an agenda for future research to contribute to an on-going European dialogue about reflective engagement for professional and leadership development. References Boud, D. &Walker, D.(1991) Experience and Learning: reflection at work. Geelong: Deakin University Press. Copeland, W. D., Birmingham, C., De La Cruz, E.,& Lewin, B. (1993).The practitioner in teaching: Toward a research agenda. Teaching and Teacher Education, 9(4), 347- 359. Day,C. (2000). Effective leadership and reflective practice. Reflective Practice,1(1),113- 127. Dewey, J.(1933,1998). How we Think. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. (Original work published in 1933.) Lyons, N.(2003). The centrality of reflective engagement in learning and professional development: The UCC experience. In Hyland, A. (Ed.). University College Cork as a Learning Organization. Cork: University College Cork. Lyons, N.(2002). The personal self in a public story. In Lyons, N.& LaBoskey,V. (Eds) Narrative Inquiry in Practice: Advancing the Knowledge of Teaching. NY: Teachers College Press. Rodgers, C. (2002). Defining reflection: Another look at John Dewey. Teachers College Record, 104, 842-866. Schon, D. (1983).The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. NY: Basic Books. Zeichner, K. & Wray, S. (2001). The teacher portfolio in the U.S. Teacher education programs. Teaching and Teacher Education, 613-621.