reflective diary essay

• Cambridge Libraries

Study Skills

Reflective practice toolkit, introduction.

• What is reflective practice?
• Everyday reflection
• Models of reflection
• Barriers to reflection
• Free writing
• Reflective writing exercise
• Bibliography

Many people worry that they will be unable to write reflectively but chances are that you do it more than you think!  It's a common task during both work and study from appraisal and planning documents to recording observations at the end of a module. The following pages will guide you through some simple techniques for reflective writing as well as how to avoid some of the most common pitfalls.

What is reflective writing?

Writing reflectively involves critically analysing an experience, recording how it has impacted you and what you plan to do with your new knowledge. It can help you to reflect on a deeper level as the act of getting something down on paper often helps people to think an experience through.

The key to reflective writing is to be analytical rather than descriptive. Always ask why rather than just describing what happened during an experience. 

Remember...

Reflective writing is...

• Written in the first person
• Free flowing
• A tool to challenge assumptions
• A time investment

Reflective writing isn't...

• Written in the third person
• Descriptive
• What you think you should write
• A tool to ignore assumptions
• A waste of time

Adapted from The Reflective Practice Guide: an Interdisciplinary Approach / Barbara Bassot.

You can learn more about reflective writing in this handy video from Hull University:

Created by SkillsTeamHullUni

• Hull reflective writing video transcript (Word)
• Hull reflective writing video transcript (PDF)

Where might you use reflective writing?

You can use reflective writing in many aspects of your work, study and even everyday life. The activities below all contain some aspect of reflective writing and are common to many people:

1. Job applications

Both preparing for and writing job applications contain elements of reflective writing. You need to think about the experience that makes you suitable for a role and this means reflection on the skills you have developed and how they might relate to the specification. When writing your application you need to expand on what you have done and explain what you have learnt and why this matters - key elements of reflective writing.

2. Appraisals

In a similar way, undertaking an appraisal is a good time to reflect back on a certain period of time in post. You might be asked to record what went well and why as well as identifying areas for improvement.

3. Written feedback

If you have made a purchase recently you are likely to have received a request for feedback. When you leave a review of a product or service online then you need to think about the pros and cons. You may also have gone into detail about why the product was so good or the service was so bad so other people know how to judge it in the future.

4. Blogging

Blogs are a place to offer your own opinion and can be a really good place to do some reflective writing. Blogger often take a view on something and use their site as a way to share it with the world. They will often talk about the reasons why they like/dislike something - classic reflective writing.

5. During the research process

When researchers are working on a project they will often think about they way they are working and how it could be improved as well as considering different approaches to achieve their research goal. They will often record this in some way such as in a lab book and this questioning approach is a form of reflective writing.

6. In academic writing

Many students will be asked to include some form of reflection in an academic assignment, for example when relating a topic to their real life circumstances. They are also often asked to think about their opinion on or reactions to texts and other research and write about this in their own work.

Think about ... When you reflect

Think about all of the activities you do on a daily basis. Do any of these contain elements of reflective writing? Make a list of all the times you have written something reflective over the last month - it will be longer than you think!

Reflective terminology

A common mistake people make when writing reflectively is to focus too much on describing their experience. Think about some of the phrases below and try to use them when writing reflectively to help you avoid this problem:

• The most important thing was...
• At the time I felt...
• This was likely due to...
• After thinking about it...
• I learned that...
• I need to know more about...
• Later I realised...
• This was because...
• This was like...
• I wonder what would happen if...
• I'm still unsure about...
• My next steps are...

Always try and write in the first person when writing reflectively. This will help you to focus on your thoughts/feelings/experiences rather than just a description of the experience.

Using reflective writing in your academic work

Many courses will also expect you to reflect on your own learning as you progress through a particular programme. You may be asked to keep some type of reflective journal or diary. Depending on the needs of your course this may or may not be assessed but if you are using one it's important to write reflectively. This can help you to look back and see how your thinking has evolved over time - something useful for job applications in the future. Students at all levels may also be asked to reflect on the work of others, either as part of a group project or through peer review of their work. This requires a slightly different approach to reflection as you are not focused on your own work but again this is a useful skill to develop for the workplace.

You can see some useful examples of reflective writing in academia from Monash University ,  UNSW (the University of New South Wales) and Sage . Several of these examples also include feedback from tutors which you can use to inform your own work.

Laptop/computer/broswer/research by StockSnap via Pixabay licenced under CC0.

Now that you have a better idea of what reflective writing is and how it can be used it's time to practice some techniques.

This page has given you an understanding of what reflective writing is and where it can be used in both work and study. Now that you have a better idea of how reflective writing works the next two pages will guide you through some activities you can use to get started.

• << Previous: Barriers to reflection
• Next: Free writing >>
• Last Updated: Jun 21, 2023 3:24 PM
• URL: https://libguides.cam.ac.uk/reflectivepracticetoolkit

© Cambridge University Libraries | Accessibility | Privacy policy | Log into LibApps

How to Write A Journa l Reflection Before you Grab Your Diary

Navigation Menu – Start & Learn

What is the point of a Reflective Diary

Examples of a Reflective Diary

How to write a Reflective Diary & Other Tips

  In Short – this is how you do it

I. What is the point of a Reflective Diary 

Quick explanation of a reflective diary:.

A reflective diary is a personal journal (also known as a reflective journal)  where individuals write about their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Hence allowing them  to reflect on their emotions, from said entry’s.

As humans we are forgetful – The Importance of a Reflective Diary:

There are multiple studies suggest the average human being has 1000’s of thoughts a day. A 2020 Study goes as far to say that this scales to 10’s of thousands if we include our subconscious thinking. Depending on which scientist  you believe 50-95% of these thoughts are the same as the day before. Let me repeat that ,  over 50% of what we think is repeated  everyday .

So if you feel life is getting reptitive , chances are  it is and something needs to change.

Reflective Diaries and journaling can help identity not only these existing thought patterns but bring out the  other hopeful 5-50% .

This brings to light a concept popularised by James Clear (Author of Atomic Habits) that most of what we do is subconscious – a automated habit.

How does Journaling help?

By regularly reflecting on one’s experiences and emotions, individuals can gain insight into their thoughts and behaviours, promote self-awareness, and develop coping strategies for dealing with difficult situations.

We gain regain and conquer our minds , OUR 5-50%!

Objectives of Reflective Diary

The objectives of keeping a reflective diary can vary from person to person, but may include:

• Gaining insight into one’s thoughts and behaviours
• Promoting self-awareness and self-discovery
• Improving communication skills
• Encouraging personal growth and development
• Providing a safe and non-judgmental space for reflection.

II. Examples of a Reflective Diary & Journal

There are many different ways to keep a reflective diary, and the format that works best for you may vary based on your personal preferences and goals.

There is not limits or restrictions to how much formats you use.

These are just to list the examples of reflective journals – feel free to have 1 , 3 or as many as you like!

Some common focuses of reflective diaries include:

• Daily journal reflections – a compact way to track your learning experience and self-growth
• Gratitude journals – to refocus your energy to be more positive (which in biochemistry has been linked with longevity and better living)
• Travel journals – a way to track defining moments of and relive the experience without going abroad
• Growth and self-discovery journals – identifying your “core” , your values and who you are

5 Easy Reflective Journal prompts to help get you started.

If you’re struggling to come up with things to write about, consider using prompts or questions to help guide your reflection.

Some examples of reflective journal prompts / questions include:

• What was the most difficult part of my day and why?
• What did I learn about myself today?
• What am I grateful for today?
• What challenges did I face today and how did I overcome them?
• What did I enjoy most about today?

Reflective Practice – 4 Intermediate Journal Prompts 

Examples Reflective journaling can take many different forms and may include writing prompts or questions to help guide the reflection process.

Now that you’ve seen the basic’s , here are some more advanced reflective journaling prompts to consider.

 Describe a difficult situation you faced today and how you responded to it.

  Write about a positive experience you had today and what made it so special.

  Reflect on a decision you made and why you made it.

 Write about something you’re grateful for today.  

III. How to Write a Reflective Diary

3 easy steps to write a reflective diary .

Beginning can often be the biggest issue and reflection can sometimes be difficult, but there are a few simple steps that can help get the cogs turning.

An easy way to remember and Apply this is a  RRR framework , with the 3R’s being:

• Record or write down your thoughts and feelings in a free-flowing manner.
• Reflect  on what you’ve written and consider what insights or realizations you may have gained.
• Repeat the process on a semi-regular basis and remember to review  your previous logs

IV. The 4 Common Problems Of Your 1st Entry & How to Overcome Them

Problem #1: can’t seem to concentrate .

Choose a quiet place or enviorment you are comfortable with to reflect where you won’t be disturbed. The impact of your surroundings are much more detrimental than you may expect- so zoom out a bit.

Problem #2: Don’t have enough time to Journal?

Set aside a regular time each day or week for reflective journaling – this can be as rigorous as you want , whether that be routinely or every now and then. The point of this is to make it a automatic habit. To make Journaling as normal as brushing your teeth or having a shower.

Problem #3: Don’t know where to plot your thoughts?

Chances are  if your reading this, even if you dont have access to paper , you definitely have access to a digital device. Decide whether you prefer a physical journal or an electronic one, and select a format that works best for you. Be willing to experiment and be as unconventional as you wish – let your initiative guide your pen or keyboard.

Problem #4: Unsure what to write or uninspired?

Simple answer, relax and write. Be honest with yourself ,  don’t judge your thoughts and feeling – just write them down. Be open to writing anything , even if it seems random now , it may be a key discovery to a thought pattern in the future.

In Short – How to Write a Reflective Diary

Remember that the main purpose of reflective logs is to gain insight of your own thoughts without judgment and be able to develop from them.

In order to effectively write your reflective diary , Begin with:

• Writing your thoughts & jot your feelings,
• Following the 3R’s process (Record , Reflect , Repeat)
• Finding a quiet place, set a routine, choose format, and write without judgment.

Trust and enjoy the process , quickly dethatch yourself from your day-to-day routines  and embrace the silence. Dont expect instant results , prepare to review and take action from any of your new discoveries throughout your Journal Journey. Good Luck!

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy

• Subject Guides

Academic writing: a practical guide

Reflective writing.

• Academic writing
• The writing process
• Academic writing style
• Structure & cohesion
• Criticality in academic writing
• Working with evidence
• Referencing
• Assessment & feedback
• Dissertations
• Examination writing
• Academic posters
• Feedback on Structure and Organisation
• Feedback on Argument, Analysis, and Critical Thinking
• Feedback on Writing Style and Clarity
• Feedback on Referencing and Research
• Feedback on Presentation and Proofreading

Writing reflectively is essential to many academic programmes and also to completing applications for employment. This page considers what reflective writing is and how to do it. 

What is reflection?

Reflection is something that we do everyday as part of being human. We plan and undertake actions, then think about whether each was successful or not, and how we might improve next time. We can also feel reflection as emotions, such as satisfaction and regret, or as a need to talk over happenings with friends. See below for an introduction to reflection as a concept. 

Reflection in everyday life [Google Slides]

What is reflective writing?

Reflective writing should be thought of as recording reflective thinking. This can be done in an everyday diary entry, or instruction in a recipe book to change a cooking method next time. In academic courses, reflective is more complex and focussed. This section considers the main features of reflective writing. 

Reflective writing for employability

When applying for jobs, or further academic study, students are required to think through what they have done in their degrees and translate it into evaluative writing that fulfils the criteria of job descriptions and person specifications. This is a different style of writing, the resource below will enable you to think about how to begin this transition. 

There are also lots of resources available through the university's careers service and elsewhere on the Skills Guides. The links below are to pages that can offer further support and guidance. 

• Careers and Placements Service resources Lots of resources that relate to all aspects of job applications, including tailored writing styles and techniques.

The language of reflective writing

Reflective academic writing is: 

• almost always written in the first person.
• evaluative - you are judging something.
• partly personal, partly based on criteria.
• analytical - you are usually categorising actions and events.
• formal - it is for an academic audience.
• carefully constructed. 

Look at the sections below to see specific vocabulary types and sentence constructions that can be useful when writing reflectively. 

Language for exploring outcomes

A key element of writing reflectively is being able to explain to the reader what the results of your actions were. This requires careful grading of language to ensure that what you write reflects the evidence of what happened and to convey clearly what you achieved or did not achieve. 

Below are some ideas and prompts of how you can write reflectively about outcomes, using clarity and graded language. 

Expressing uncertainty when writing about outcomes:

• It is not yet clear that…
• I do not yet (fully) understand...
• It is unclear...
• It is not yet fully clear...
• It is not yet (fully?) known… 
• It appears to be the case that…
• It is too soon to tell....

Often, in academic learning, the uncertainty in the outcomes is a key part of the learning and development that you undertake. It is vital therefore that you explain this clearly to the reader using careful choices in your language. 

Writing about how the outcome relates to you:

• I gained (xxxx) skills… 
• I developed… 
• The experience/task/process taught me… 
• I achieved…
• I learned that…
• I found that… 

In each case you can add in words like, ‘significantly’, ‘greatly’, ‘less importantly’ etc. The use of evaluative adjectives enables you to express to the reader the importance and significance of your learning in terms of the outcomes achieved. 

Describing how you reached your outcomes:

• Having read....
• Having completed (xxxx)...
• I analysed…
• I applied… 
• I learned…
• I experienced… 
• Having reflected…

This gives the reader an idea of the nature of the reflection they are reading. How and why you reach the conclusions and learning that you express in your reflective writing is important so the reader can assess the validity and strength of your reflections. 

Projecting your outcomes into the future:

• If I completed a similar task in the future I would…
• Having learned through this process I would… 
• Next time I will…
• I will need to develop…. (in light of the outcomes)
• Next time my responses would be different....

When showing the reader how you will use your learning in the future, it is important to be specific and again, to use accurate graded language to show how and why what you choose to highlight matters. Check carefully against task instructions to see what you are expected to reflect into the future about. 

When reflecting in academic writing on outcomes, this can mean either the results of the task you have completed, for example, the accuracy of a titration in a Chemistry lab session, or what you have learned/developed within the task, for example, ensuring that an interview question is written clearly enough to produce a response that reflects what you wished to find out. 

Language choices are important in ensuring the reader can see what you think in relation to the reflection you have done. 

Language for interpretation

When you interpret something you are telling the reader how important it is, or what meaning is attached to it. 

You may wish to indicate the value of something:

• superfluous
• non-essential

E.g. 'the accuracy of the transcription was essential to the accuracy of the eventual coding and analysis of the interviews undertaken. The training I undertook was critical to enabling me to transcribe quickly and accurately' 

You may wish to show how ideas, actions or some other aspect developed over time:

• Initially 
• subsequently
• in sequence 

E.g. 'Before we could produce the final version of the presentation, we had to complete both the research and produce a plan. This was achieved later than expected, leading to subsequent rushing of creating slides, and this contributed to a lower grade'. 

You may wish to show your viewpoint or that of others:

• did not think
• articulated
• did/did not do something

Each of these could be preceded by 'we' or 'I'.

E.g. 'I noticed that the model of the bridge was sagging. I expressed this to the group, and as I did so I noticed that two members did not seem to grasp how serious the problem was. I proposed a break and a meeting, during which I intervened to show the results of inaction.'

There is a huge range of language that can be used for interpretation, the most important thing is to remember your reader and be clear with them about what your interpretation is, so they can see your thinking and agree or disagree with you. 

Language for analysis

When reflecting, it is important to show the reader that you have analysed the tasks, outcomes, learning and all other aspects that you are writing about. In most cases, you are using categories to provide structure to your reflection. Some suggestions of language to use when analysing in reflective writing are below:

Signposting that you are breaking down a task or learning into categories:

• An aspect of…
• An element of…
• An example of…
• A key feature of the task was... (e.g. teamwork)
• The task was multifaceted… (then go on to list or describe the facets)
• There were several experiences…
• ‘X’ is related to ‘y’

There may be specific categories that you should consider in your reflection. In teamwork, it could be individual and team performance, in lab work it could be accuracy and the reliability of results. It is important that the reader can see the categories you have used for your analysis. 

Analysis by chronology:

• Subsequently
• Consequently
• Stage 1 (or other)

In many tasks the order in which they were completed matters. This can be a key part of your reflection, as it is possible that you may learn to do things in a different order next time or that the chronology influenced the outcomes. 

Analysis by perspective:

• I considered

These language choices show that you are analysing purely by your own personal perspective. You may provide evidence to support your thinking, but it is your viewpoint that matters. 

• What I expected from the reading did not happen…
• The Theory did not appear in our results…
• The predictions made were not fulfilled…
• The outcome was surprising because… (and link to what was expected)

These language choices show that you are analysing by making reference to academic learning (from an academic perspective). This means you have read or otherwise learned something and used it to form expectations, ideas and/or predictions. You can then reflect on what you found vs what you expected. The reader needs to know what has informed our reflections. 

• Organisation X should therefore…
• A key recommendation is… 
• I now know that organisation x is… 
• Theory A can be applied to organisation X

These language choices show that analysis is being completed from a systems perspective. You are telling the reader how your learning links into the bigger picture of systems, for example, what an organisation or entity might do in response to what you have learned. 

Analysing is a key element of being reflective. You must think through the task, ideas, or learning you are reflecting on and use categories to provide structure to your thought. This then translates into structure and language choices in your writing, so your reader can see clearly how you have used analysis to provide sense and structure to your reflections. 

Language for evaluation

Reflecting is fundamentally an evaluative activity. Writing about reflection is therefore replete with evaluative language. A skillful reflective writer is able to grade their language to match the thinking it is expressing to the reader. 

Language to show how significant something is:

• Most importantly
• Significantly 
• The principal lesson was… 
• Consequential
• Fundamental
• Insignificant
• In each case the language is quantifying the significance of the element you are describing, telling the reader the product of your evaluative thought. 

For example, ‘when team working I initially thought that we would succeed by setting out a plan and then working independently, but in fact, constant communication and collaboration were crucial to success. This was the most significant thing I learned.’ 

Language to show the strength of relationships:

• X is strongly associated with Y
• A is a consequence of B
• There is a probable relationship between… 
• C does not cause D
• A may influence B
• I learn most strongly when doing A

In each case the language used can show how significant and strong the relationship between two factors are. 

For example, ‘I learned, as part of my research methods module, that the accuracy of the data gained through surveys is directly related to the quality of the questions. Quality can be improved by reading widely and looking at surveys in existing academic papers to inform making your own questions’

Language to evaluate your viewpoint:

• I was convinced...
• I have developed significantly…
• I learned that...
• The most significant thing that I learned was…
• Next time, I would definitely…
• I am unclear about… 
• I was uncertain about… 

These language choices show that you are attaching a level of significance to your reflection. This enables the reader to see what you think about the learning you achieved and the level of significance you attach to each reflection. 

For example, ‘when using systematic sampling of a mixed woodland, I was convinced that method A would be most effective, but in reality, it was clear that method B produced the most accurate results. I learned that assumptions based on reading previous research can lead to inaccurate predictions. This is very important for me as I will be planning a similar sampling activity as part of my fourth year project’ 

Evaluating is the main element of reflecting. You need to evaluate the outcomes of the activities you have done, your part in them, the learning you achieved and the process/methods you used in your learning, among many other things. It is important that you carefully use language to show the evaluative thinking you have completed to the reader.

Varieties of reflective writing in academic studies

There are a huge variety of reflective writing tasks, which differ between programmes and modules. Some are required by the nature of the subject, like in Education, where reflection is a required standard in teaching.

Some are required by the industry area graduates are training for, such as 'Human Resources Management', where the industry accreditation body require evidence of reflective capabilities in graduates.

In some cases, reflection is about the 'learning to learn' element of degree studies, to help you to become a more effective learner. Below, some of the main reflective writing tasks found in University of York degrees are explored. In each case the advice, guidance and materials do not substitute for those provided within your modules. 

Reflective essay writing

Reflective essay tasks vary greatly in what they require of you. The most important thing to do is to read the assessment brief carefully, attend any sessions and read any materials provided as guidance and to allocate time to ensure you can do the task well.

Reflective learning statements

Reflective learning statements are often attached to dissertations and projects, as well as practical activities. They are an opportunity to think about and tell the reader what you have learned, how you will use the learning, what you can do better next time and to link to other areas, such as your intended career. 

Making a judgement about academic performance

Think of this type of writing as producing your own feedback. How did you do? Why? What could you improve next time? These activities may be a part of modules, they could be attached to a bigger piece of work like a dissertation or essay, or could be just a part of your module learning. 

The four main questions to ask yourself when reflecting on your academic performance. 

• Why exactly did you achieve the grade you have been awarded? Look at your feedback, the instructions, the marking scheme and talk to your tutors to find out if you don't know. 
• How did your learning behaviours affect your academic performance? This covers aspects such as attendance, reading for lectures/seminars, asking questions, working with peers... the list goes on. 
• How did your performance compare to others? Can you identify when others did better or worse? Can you talk to your peers to find out if they are doing something you are not or being more/less effective?
• What can you do differently to improve your performance? In each case, how will you ensure you can do it? Do you need training? Do you need a guide book or resources? 

When writing about each of the above, you need to keep in mind the context of how you are being asked to judge your performance and ensure the reader gains the detail they need (and as this is usually a marker, this means they can give you a high grade!). 

Writing a learning diary/blog/record

A learning diary or blog has become a very common method of assessing and supporting learning in many degree programmes. The aim is to help you to think through your day-to-day learning and identify what you have and have not learned, why that is and what you can improve as you go along. You are also encouraged to link your learning to bigger thinking, like future careers or your overall degree. 

Other support for reflective writing

Online resources.

The general writing pages of this site offer guidance that can be applied to all types of writing, including reflective writing. Also check your department's guidance and VLE sites for tailored resources.

Other useful resources for reflective writing:

Appointments and workshops 

• << Previous: Dissertations
• Next: Examination writing >>
• Last Updated: Apr 3, 2024 4:02 PM
• URL: https://subjectguides.york.ac.uk/academic-writing

• EW Liaison Portal
• Academic Essay
• Analytical Art Essay
• Analytical Book Review
• Analytical Film Review
• Argumentative Essay
• Literature Reviews
• Project Report
• Reflective Essay
• Disciplinary Genres
• Useful Links

You are here

• Why do we write reflective essays?
• How do we write reflective essays?
• Paragraph examples of an reflective essay
• Reflective language
• Useful Resources
• Assignment Guidelines

3.       How do we write reflective essays?

Understanding the assignment

Read your assignment guidelines carefully to determine which kind of reflections your lecturer wants and what they expect; and what content, such as an event, experience, reading or process, your lecturer wants you to reflect on.

Structuring your essay

A reflective essay typically follows the familiar organisational pattern: Introduction – Body Paragraphs – Conclusion.  In the body paragraphs, reflective writing involves a number of formats, and this guide will sugguest a DIEP approach, that is, to describe , interpret , evaluate and plan (Boud et al., 1985).

·          Introduction

o    Introduce the topic and the scope (What?)

o    Justify the topic (Why?)

o    Present the purpose of your essay (Thesis statement)

o    Give an overview of what you will cover, i.e., description, interpretation, evaluation and plan (How?)

·          Body Paragraphs (DIEP)

o    Describe objectively what happened

v   Give the details of what happened (Include the necessary who, what, when, where, how and why.  You may not need to recall the whole experience, e.g., an incident/ lecture/ reading, but just a key aspect of the experience itself.)

v   Answer: “What did you do, read, see, hear, etc.?”

o    Interpret what happened

v   Explain why things happened in the way they did

v   Answer: “What might this experience mean?”

v   Answer: “How did it make you feel?”

v   Answer: “How does it relate to what you know/ have learned?”

v   AbswerL “What new insights have you gained from it?”

v   Answer: “What are your hypothesis/ conclusions?”

o    Evaluate the effectiveness of the experience

v   Make judgments on whether the experience is effective for you and how beneficial and useful the experience has been

v   Answer: “What is your opinion about this experience?”

Answer: “Why do you have this opinion?”

Answer: “What is the value of this experience?”

o    Plan how this experience might help you in the future

v   Outline a plan for how the experience may impact your thinking or behaviour in your course, programme, future career and life in general

v   Answer: “How will you transfer or apply your new knowledge and insights in the future?”

v   Answer

·          Conclusion

o    Restate your thesis statement

o    Summarise the main ideas of the body paragraphs

o    State your overview of the experience regarding its usefulness and effectiveness for you and your future

For Writing Teachers

• Learn@PolyU
• EWR Consultation Booking
• Information Package for NEW Writing Teachers (Restricted Access)
• Useful materials

For CAR Teachers

• Writing Requirement Information
• Reading Requirement Information

About this website

This website is an open access website to share our English Writing Requirement (General Education) writing support materials to support these courses

• to support PolyU students’ literacy development within and across the disciplines
• to support subject and language teachers to implement system-level measures for integrating literacy-sensitive pedagogies across the university

This platform provides access to generic genre guides representing typical university assignments as well as links to subjects offered by faculties with specific disciplinary genres and relevant support materials.

The materials can be retrieved by students by choosing the genres that interest them on the landing page. Each set of materials includes a genre guide, genre video, and a genre checklist. The genre guide and video are to summarize the genres in two different ways (i.e. textual and dynamic) to fit different learning styles. The genre checklist is for students to self-regulate their writing process. The genre guide and checklist include links to various ELC resources that can provide further explanation to language items (e.g. hedging and academic vocabulary).

The platform also acts as a one-stop-shop for writing resources for students, language teachers and subject leaders. Information about the English Writing Requirement policy can also be found on this platform. There are training materials for new colleagues joining the EWR Liaison Team.

How to Write a Reflective Essay?

07 August, 2020

17 minutes read

Author:  Elizabeth Brown

A reflective essay is a personal perspective on an issue or topic. This article will look at how to write an excellent reflexive account of your experience, provide you with reflexive essay framework to help you plan and organize your essay and give you a good grounding of what good reflective writing looks like.

What is a Reflective Essay?

A reflective essay requires the writer to examine his experiences and explore how these experiences have helped him develop and shaped him as a person.  It is essentially an analysis of your own experience focusing on what you’ve learned.

Don’t confuse reflexive analysis with the rhetorical one. If you need assistance figuring out how to write a rhetorical analysis , give our guide a read!

Based on the reflective essay definition, this paper will follow a logical and thought-through plan . It will be a discussion that centers around a topic or issue. The essay should strive to achieve a balance between description and personal feelings.

It requires a clear line of thought, evidence, and examples to help you discuss your reflections. Moreover, a proper paper requires an analytical approach . There are three main types of a reflective essay: theory-based, a case study or an essay based on one’s personal experience.

Unlike most academic forms of writing, this writing is based on personal experiences and thoughts. As such, first-person writing position where the writer can refer to his own thoughts and feelings is essential. If the writer talks about psychology or medicine, it is best to use the first-person reference as little as possible to keep the tone objective and science-backed.

To write this paper, you need to recollect and share personal experience . However, there is still a chance that you’ll be asked to talk about a more complex topic.

By the way, if you are looking for good ideas on how to choose a good argumentative essay topic , check out our latest guide to help you out!

The Criteria for a Good Reflective Essay

The convention of an academic reflective essay writing will vary slightly depending on your area of study. A good reflective essay will be written geared towards its intended audience. These are the general criteria that form the core of a well-written piece:

• A developed perspective and line of reasoning on the subject.
• A well-informed discussion that is based on literature and sources relevant to your reflection.
• An understanding of the complex nuance of situations and the tributary effects that prevent them from being simple and clear-cut.
• Ability to stand back and analyze your own decision-making process to see if there is a better solution to the problem.
• A clear understanding of h ow the experience has influenced you.
• A good understanding of the principles and theories of your subject area.
• Ability to frame a problem before implementing a solution.

These seven criteria form the principles of writing an excellent reflective essay.

Still need help with your essay? Handmade Writing is here to assist you!

What is the Purpose of Writing a Reflective Essay?

The purpose of a reflective essay is for a writer to reflect upon experience and learn from it . Reflection is a useful process that helps you make sense of things and gain valuable lessons from your experience. Reflective essay writing allows you to demonstrate that you can think critically about your own skills or practice strategies implementations to learn and improve without outside guidance.

Another purpose is to analyze the event or topic you are describing and emphasize how you’ll apply what you’ve learned.

How to Create a Reflective Essay Outline

• Analyze the task you’ve received
• Read through and understand the marking criteria
• Keep a reflective journal during the experience
• Use a reflective framework (Schon, Driscoll, Gibbs, and Kolb) to help you analyze the experience
• Create a referencing system to keep institutions and people anonymous to avoid breaking their confidentiality
• Set the scene by using the five W’s (What, Where, When, Who and Why) to describe it
• Choose the events or the experiences you’re going to reflect on
• Identify the issues of the event or experience you want to focus on
• Use literature and documents to help you discuss these issues in a wider context
• Reflect on how these issues changed your position regarding the issue
• Compare and contrast theory with practice
• Identify and discuss your learning needs both professionally and personally

Don’t forget to adjust the formatting of your essay. There are four main format styles of any academic piece. Discover all of them from our essay format guide!

Related Posts: Essay outline | Essay format Guide

Using Reflective Frameworks

A good way to develop a reflective essay plan is by using a framework that exists. A framework will let help you break the experience down logical and make the answer easier to organize. Popular frameworks include: Schon’s (1983) Reflection in action and reflection on action .

Schon wrote ‘The Reflective Practitioner’ in 1983 in which he describes reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action as tools for learning how to meet challenges that do not conform to formulas learned in school through improvisation.  He mentioned two types of reflection : one during and one after. By being aware of these processes while on a work-experience trail or clinical assignment you have to write a reflective account for, you get to understand the process better. So good questions to ask in a reflective journal could be:

<td “200”>Reflection-pre-action <td “200”>Reflection-in-action <td “200”>Reflection-on-Action<td “200”>What might happen? <td “200”>What is happening in the situation? <td “200”>What were your insights after?<td “200”>What possible challenges will you face? <td “200”>Is it working out as you expected? <td “200”>How did it go in retrospect?<td “200”>How will you prepare for the situation? <td “200”>What are the challenges you are dealing with? <td “200”>What did you value and why?<td “200”>  <td “200”>What can you do to make the experience a successful one? <td “200”>What would you do differently before or during a similar situation?<td “200”>  <td “200”>What are you learning? <td “200”>What have you learned?

This will give you a good frame for your paper and help you analyze your experience.

Kolb’s (1984) Learning Cycle

Kolb’s reflective framework works in four stages:

• Concrete experience. This is an event or experience
• Reflective observation. This is reflecting upon the experience. What you did and why.
• Abstract conceptualization. This is the process of drawing conclusions from the experience. Did it confirm a theory or falsify something? And if so, what can you conclude from that?
• Active experimentation. Planning and trying out the thing you have learned from this interaction.

Gibb’s (1988) Reflection Cycle

Gibbs model is an extension of Kolb’s. Gibb’s reflection cycle is a popular model used in reflective writing. There are six stages in the cycle.

• Description. What happened? Describe the experience you are reflecting on and who is involved.
• Feelings. What were you thinking and feeling at the time? What were your thoughts and feelings afterward?
• Evaluation. What was good and bad about the experience? How did you react to the situation? How did other people react? Was the situation resolved? Why and how was it resolved or why wasn’t it resolved? Could the resolution have been better?
• Analysis. What sense can you make of the situation? What helped or hindered during the event? How does this compare to the literature on the subject?
• Conclusion. What else could you have done? What have you learned from the experience? Could you have responded differently? How would improve or repeat success? How can you avoid failure?
• Action plan. If it arose again what would you do? How can you better prepare yourself for next time?

Driscoll’s Method (1994) and Rolfe et al (2001) Reflexive Learning

The Driscoll Method break the process down into three questions. What (Description), So What (Analysis) and Now What (Proposed action). Rolf et al 2001 extended the model further by giving more in-depth and reflexive questions.

• What is the problem/ difficulty/reason for being stuck/reason for feeling bad?
• What was my role in the situation?
• What was I trying to achieve?
• What actions did I take?
• What was the response of others?
• What were the consequences for the patient / for myself / for others?
• What feeling did it evoke in the patient / in myself / in others?
• What was good and bad about the experience?
• So, what were your feelings at the time?
• So, what are your feelings now? Are there any differences? Why?
• So, what were the effects of what you did or did not do?
• So, what good emerged from the situation for yourself and others? Does anything trouble you about the experience or event?
• So, what were your experiences like in comparison to colleagues, patients, visitors, and others?
• So, what are the main reasons for feeling differently from your colleagues?
• Now, what are the implications for you, your colleagues and the patients?
• Now, what needs to happen to alter the situation?
• Now, what are you going to do about the situation?
• Now, what happens if you decide not to alter anything?
• Now, what will you do differently if faced with a similar situation?
• Now, what information would you need to deal with the situation again?
• Now, what methods would you use to go about getting that information?

This model is mostly used for clinical experiences in degrees related to medicine such as nursing or genetic counseling. It helps to get students comfortable thinking over each experience and adapting to situations.

This is just a selection of basic models of this type of writing. And there are more in-depth models out there if you’re writing a very advanced reflective essay. These models are good for beginner level essays. Each model has its strengths and weaknesses. So, it is best to use one that allows you to answer the set question fully.

This written piece can follow many different structures depending on the subject area . So, check your assignment to make sure you don’t have a specifically assigned structural breakdown. For example, an essay that follows Gibbs plan directly with six labeled paragraphs is typical in nursing assignments. A more typical piece will follow a standard structure of an introduction, main body, and conclusion. Now, let’s look into details on how to craft each of these essay parts.

How to Write an Introduction?

There are several good ways to start a reflective essay . Remember that an introduction to a reflective essay differs depending on upon what kind of reflection is involved. A science-based introduction should be brief and direct introducing the issue you plan on discussing and its context.

Related post: How to write an Essay Introduction

For example, a nursing student might want to discuss the overreliance on medical journals in the industry and why peer-reviewed journals led to mistaken information. In this case, one good way how to start a reflective essay introduction is by introducing a thesis statement. Help the reader see the real value of your work.

Do you need help with your thesis statement? Take a look at our recent guide explaining what is a thesis statement .

Let’s look at some reflective essay examples.

‘During my first month working at Hospital X, I became aware just how many doctors treated peer-views journal articles as a gospel act. This is a dangerous practice that because of (a), (b) and (c) could impact patients negatively.’

The reflective essay on English class would begin differently. In fact, it should be more personal and sound less bookish .

How to Write the Main Body Paragraphs?

The main body of the essay should focus on specific examples of the issue in question. A short description should be used for the opener. Each paragraph of this piece should begin with an argument supporting the thesis statement.

The most part of each paragraph should be a reflexive analysis of the situation and evaluation . Each paragraph should end with a concluding sentence that caps the argument. In a science-based essay, it is important to use theories, other studies from journals and source-based material to argue and support your position in an objective manner.

How to Write the Conclusion?

A conclusion should provide a summary of the issues explored, remind the reader of the purpose of the essay and suggest an appropriate course of action in relation to the needs identified in the body of the essay.

This is mostly an action plan for the future. However, if appropriate a writer can call readers to action or ask questions. Make sure that the conclusion is powerful enough for readers to remember it. In most cases, an introduction and a conclusion is the only thing your audience will remember.

Reflective Essay Topics

Here are some good topics for a reflective essay. We’ve decided to categorize them to help you find good titles for reflective essays that fit your requirement.

Medicine-related topics:

• Write a reflective essay on leadership in nursing
• How did a disease of your loved ones (or your own) change you?
• Write a reflection essay on infection control
• How dealing with peer-reviewed journals interrupts medical procedures?
• Write a reflection essay about community service
• Write a reflective essay on leadership and management in nursing

Topics on teamwork:

• Write a reflective essay on the group presentation
• What makes you a good team player and what stays in the way of improvement?
• Write a reflective essay on the presentation
• Write about the last lesson you learned from working in a team
• A reflective essay on career development: How teamwork can help you succeed in your career?

Topics on personal experiences:

• Write a reflective essay on the pursuit of happiness: what it means to you and how you’re pursuing it?
• Write a reflective essay on human sexuality: it is overrated today? And are you a victim of stereotypes in this area?
• Write a reflective essay on growing up
• Reflective essay on death: How did losing a loved one change your world?
• Write a reflective essay about a choice you regret
• Write a reflective essay on the counseling session

Academic topics:

• A reflective essay on the writing process: How does writing help you process your emotions and learn from experiences?
• Write a reflective essay on language learning: How learning a new language changes your worldview
• A reflective essay about a choice I regret

Related Posts: Research Paper topics | Compare&Contrast Essay topics

Reflective Essay Example

Tips on writing a good reflective essay.

Some good general tips include the following:

As long as you use tips by HandMade Writing, you’ll end up having a great piece. Just stick to our recommendations. And should you need the help of a pro essay writer service, remember that we’re here to help!

A life lesson in Romeo and Juliet taught by death

Due to human nature, we draw conclusions only when life gives us a lesson since the experience of others is not so effective and powerful. Therefore, when analyzing and sorting out common problems we face, we may trace a parallel with well-known book characters or real historical figures. Moreover, we often compare our situations with […]

Ethical Research Paper Topics

Writing a research paper on ethics is not an easy task, especially if you do not possess excellent writing skills and do not like to contemplate controversial questions. But an ethics course is obligatory in all higher education institutions, and students have to look for a way out and be creative. When you find an […]

Art Research Paper Topics

Students obtaining degrees in fine art and art & design programs most commonly need to write a paper on art topics. However, this subject is becoming more popular in educational institutions for expanding students’ horizons. Thus, both groups of receivers of education: those who are into arts and those who only get acquainted with art […]

Reflective writing: Reflective essays

• What is reflection? Why do it?
• What does reflection involve?
• Reflective questioning
• Reflective writing for academic assessment
• Types of reflective assignments
• Differences between discursive and reflective writing
• Sources of evidence for reflective writing assignments
• Linking theory to experience
• Reflective essays
• Portfolios and learning journals, logs and diaries
• Examples of reflective writing
• Video summary
• Bibliography

On this page:

“Try making the conscious effort to reflect on the link between your experience and the theory, policies or studies you are reading” Williams et al., Reflective Writing

Writing a reflective essay

When you are asked to write a reflective essay, you should closely examine both the question and the marking criteria. This will help you to understand what you are being asked to do. Once you have examined the question you should start to plan and develop your essay by considering the following:

• What experience(s) and/or event(s) are you going to reflect on?
• How can you present these experience(s) to ensure anonymity (particularly important for anyone in medical professions)?
• How can you present the experience(s) with enough context for readers to understand?
• What learning can you identify from the experience(s)?
• What theories, models, strategies and academic literature can be used in your reflection?
• How this experience will inform your future practice

When structuring your reflection, you can present it in chronological order (start to finish) or in reverse order (finish to start). In some cases, it may be more appropriate for you to structure it around a series of flashbacks or themes, relating to relevant parts of the experience.

Example Essay Structure

This is an example structure for a reflective essay focusing on a single experience or event:

When you are writing a reflective assessment, it is important you keep your description to a minimum. This is because the description is not actually reflection and it often counts for only a small number of marks. This is not to suggest the description is not important. You must provide enough description and background for your readers to understand the context.

You need to ensure you discuss your feelings, reflections, responses, reactions, conclusions, and future learning. You should also look at positives and negatives across each aspect of your reflection and ensure you summarise any learning points for the future.

• << Previous: Reflective Assessments
• Next: Portfolios and learning journals, logs and diaries >>
• Last Updated: Jan 19, 2024 10:56 AM
• URL: https://libguides.hull.ac.uk/reflectivewriting
• Login to LibApps
• Library websites Privacy Policy
• University of Hull privacy policy & cookies
• Website terms and conditions
• Accessibility
• Report a problem

• Schools & departments

Structure of academic reflections

Guidance on the structure of academic reflections.

Academic reflections or reflective writing completed for assessment often require a clear structure. Contrary to some people’s belief, reflection is not just a personal diary talking about your day and your feelings.

Both the language and the structure are important for academic reflective writing. For the structure you want to mirror an academic essay closely. You want an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion.

Academic reflection will require you to both describe the context, analyse it, and make conclusions. However, there is not one set of rules for the proportion of your reflection that should be spent describing the context, and what proportion should be spent on analysing and concluding. That being said, as learning tends to happen when analysing and synthesising rather than describing, a good rule of thumb is to describe just enough such that the reader understands your context.

Example structure for academic reflections

Below is an example of how you might structure an academic reflection if you were given no other guidance and what each section might contain.  Remember this is only a suggestion and you must consider what is appropriate for the task at hand and for you yourself.

Introduction

Identifies and introduces your experience or learning

• This can be a critical incident
• This can be the reflective prompt you were given
• A particular learning you have gained

When structuring your academic reflections it might make sense to start with what you have learned and then use the main body to evidence that learning, using specific experiences and events. Alternatively, start with the event and build up your argument. This is a question of personal preference – if you aren’t given explicit guidance you can ask the assessor if they have a preference, however both can work.

Highlights why it was important

• This can be suggesting why this event was important for the learning you gained
• This can be why the learning you gained will benefit you or why you appreciate it in your context

You might find that it is not natural to highlight the importance of an event before you have developed your argument for what you gained from it. It can be okay not to explicitly state the importance in the introduction, but leave it to develop throughout your reflection.

Outline key themes that will appear in the reflection (optional – but particularly relevant when answering a reflective prompt or essay)

• This can be an introduction to your argument, introducing the elements that you will explore, or that builds to the learning you have already gained.

This might not make sense if you are reflecting on a particular experience, but is extremely valuable if you are answering a reflective prompt or writing an essay that includes multiple learning points. A type of prompt or question that could particularly benefit from this would be ‘Reflect on how the skills and theory within this course have helped you meet the benchmark statements of your degree’

It can be helpful to explore one theme/learning per paragraph.

Explore experiences

• You should highlight and explore the experience you introduced in the introduction
• If you are building toward answering a reflective prompt, explore each relevant experience.

As reflection is centred around an individual’s personal experience, it is very important to make experiences a main component of reflection. This does not mean that the majority of the reflective piece should be on describing an event – in fact you should only describe enough such that the reader can follow your analysis.

Analyse and synthesise

• You should analyse each of your experiences and from them synthesise new learning

Depending on the requirements of the assessment, you may need to use theoretical literature in your analysis. Theoretical literature is a part of perspective taking which is relevant for reflection, and will happen as a part of your analysis.  

Restate or state your learning

• Make a conclusion based on your analysis and synthesis.
• If you have many themes in your reflection, it can be helpful to restate them here.

Plan for the future

• Highlight and discuss how your new-found learnings will influence your future practice

Answer the question or prompt (if applicable)

• If you are answering an essay question or reflective prompt, make sure that your conclusion provides a succinct response using your main body as evidence.  

Using a reflective model to structure academic reflections

You might recognise that most reflective models mirror this structure; that is why a lot of the reflective models can be really useful to structure reflective assignments. Models are naturally structured to focus on a single experience – if the assignment requires you to focus on multiple experiences, it can be helpful to simply repeat each step of a model for each experience.

One difference between the structure of reflective writing and the structure of models is that sometimes you may choose to present your learning in the introduction of a piece of writing, whereas models (given that they support working through the reflective process) will have learning appearing at later stages.

However, generally structuring a piece of academic writing around a reflective model will ensure that it involves the correct components, reads coherently and logically, as well as having an appropriate structure.

Reflective journals/diaries/blogs and other pieces of assessed reflection

The example structure above works particularly well for formal assignments such as reflective essays and reports.  Reflective journal/blogs and other pieces of assessed reflections tend to be less formal both in language and structure, however you can easily adapt the structure for journals and other reflective assignments if you find that helpful.

That is, if you are asked to produce a reflective journal with multiple entries it will most often (always check with the person who issued the assignment) be a successful journal if each entry mirrors the structure above and the language highlighted in the section on academic language. However, often you can be less concerned with form when producing reflective journals/diaries.

When producing reflective journals, it is often okay to include your original reflection as long as you are comfortable with sharing the content with others, and that the information included is not too personal for an assessor to read.

Developed from:

Ryan, M., 2011. Improving reflective writing in higher education: a social semiotic perspective. Teaching in Higher Education, 16(1), 99-111.

University of Portsmouth, Department for Curriculum and Quality Enhancement (date unavailable). Reflective Writing: a basic introduction [online].  Portsmouth: University of Portsmouth.

Queen Margaret University, Effective Learning Service (date unavailable).  Reflection. [online].  Edinburgh: Queen Margaret University.

Reflective Essay: Introduction, Structure, Topics, Examples For University

Table of Contents

If you’re not quite sure how to go about writing reflective essays, they can be a real stumbling block. Reflective essays are essentially a critical examination of a life experience, and with the right guidance, they don’t have to be too difficult to write. As with other essays, a reflective essay needs to be well structured and easily understood, but its content is more like a diary entry.

This guide discusses how to write a successful reflective essay, including what makes a great structure and some tips on the writing process. To make this guide the ultimate guide for anyone who needs help with reflective essays, we’ve included an example reflective essay as well.

Reflective Essay

Reflective essays require students to examine their life experiences, especially those which left an impact.

The purpose of writing a reflective essay is to challenge students to think deeply and to learn from their experiences. This is done by describing their thoughts and feelings regarding a certain experience and analyzing its impact.

Reflective essays are a unique form of academic writing that encourages introspection and self-analysis. They provide an opportunity for individuals to reflect upon their experiences, thoughts, and emotions, and effectively communicate their insights. In this article, we will explore the essential components of a reflective essay, discuss popular topics, provide guidance on how to start and structure the essay, and offer examples to inspire your writing.

I. Understanding Reflective Essays:

• Definition and purpose of reflective essays
• Key characteristics that distinguish them from other types of essays
• Benefits of writing reflective essays for personal growth and development

II. Choosing a Reflective Essay Topic:

• Exploring personal experiences and their impact
• Analyzing significant life events or milestones
• Examining challenges, successes, or failures and lessons learned
• Reflecting on personal growth and transformation
• Discussing the impact of specific books, movies, or artworks
• Analyzing the influence of cultural or social experiences
• Reflecting on internships, volunteer work, or professional experiences

III. Starting a Reflective Essay:

• Engage the reader with a captivating hook or anecdote
• Introduce the topic and provide context
• Clearly state the purpose and objectives of the reflection
• Include a thesis statement that highlights the main insights to be discussed

IV. Writing a Reflective Essay on a Class:

• Assessing the overall learning experience and objectives of the class
• Analyzing personal growth and development throughout the course
• Reflecting on challenges, achievements, and lessons learned
• Discussing the impact of specific assignments, projects, or discussions
• Evaluating the effectiveness of teaching methods and materials

V. Common Mistakes to Avoid in Reflective Essay Writing:

• Superficial reflection without deep analysis
• Overuse of personal opinions without supporting evidence
• Lack of organization and coherence in presenting ideas
• Neglecting to connect personal experiences to broader concepts or theories
• Failing to provide specific examples to illustrate key points

VI. Why “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell is Classified as a Reflective Essay:

• Briefly summarize the essay’s content and context
• Analyze the introspective and self-analytical elements in Orwell’s narrative
• Discuss the themes of moral conflict, imperialism, and personal conscience
• Highlight Orwell’s reflections on the psychological and emotional impact of his actions

VII. Reflective Essay Structure:

• Engaging opening statement or anecdote
• Background information and context
• Clear thesis statement
• Present and analyze personal experiences, thoughts, and emotions
• Reflect on the significance and impact of those experiences
• Connect personal reflections to broader concepts or theories
• Provide supporting evidence and specific examples
• Summarize key insights and reflections
• Emphasize the personal growth or lessons learned
• Conclude with a thought-provoking statement or call to action

VIII. Reflective Essay Examples:

• Example 1: Reflecting on a life-changing travel experience
• Example 2: Analyzing personal growth during a challenging academic year
• Example 3: Reflecting on the impact of volunteering at a local shelter

During a reflective essay, the writer examines his or her own experiences, hence the term ‘reflection’. The purpose of a reflective essay is to allow the author to recount a particular life experience. However, it should also explore how he or she has changed or grown as a result of the experience.

The format of reflective writing can vary, but you’ll most likely see it in the form of a learning log or diary entry. The author’s diary entries demonstrate how the author’s thoughts have developed and evolved over the course of a particular period of time.

The format of a reflective essay can vary depending on the intended audience. A reflective essay might be academic or part of a broader piece of writing for a magazine, for example.

While the format for class assignments may vary, the purpose generally remains the same: tutors want students to think deeply and critically about a particular learning experience. Here are some examples of reflective essay formats you may need to write:

Focusing on personal growth:

Tutors often use this type of paper to help students develop their ability to analyze their personal life experiences so that they can grow and develop emotionally. As a result of the essay, the student gains a better understanding of themselves and their behaviors.

Taking a closer look at the literature:

The purpose of this type of essay is for students to summarize the literature, after which it is applied to their own experiences.

What am I supposed to write about?

When deciding on the content of your reflective essay, you need to keep in mind that it is highly personal and is intended to engage the reader. Reflective essays are much more than just recounting a story. As you reflect on your experience (more on this later), you will need to demonstrate how it influenced your subsequent behavior and how your life has consequently changed.

Start by thinking about some important experiences in your life that have had a profound impact on you, either positively or negatively. A reflection essay topic could be a real-life experience, an imagined experience, a special object or place, a person who influenced you, or something you’ve seen or read.

If you are asked to write a reflective essay for an academic assignment, it is likely that you will be asked to focus on a particular episode – such as a time when you had to make an influential decision – and explain the results. In a reflective essay, the aftermath of the experience is especially significant; miss this out and you will simply be telling a story.

Is Remote Learning a Genuine Alternative to More Traditional Methods?

Considerations

In this type of essay, the reflective process is at the core, so it’s important that you get it right from the beginning. Think deeply about how the experience you have chosen to focus on impacted or changed you. Consider the implications for you on a personal level based on your memories and feelings.

Once you have chosen the topic of your essay, it is imperative that you spend a lot of time thinking about it and studying it thoroughly. Write down everything you remember about it, describing it as clearly and completely as you can. Use your five senses to describe your experience, and be sure to use adjectives. During this stage, you can simply take notes using short phrases, but make sure to record your reactions, perceptions, and experiences.

As soon as you’ve emptied your memory, you should begin reflecting. Choosing some reflection questions that will help you think deeply about the impact and lasting effects of your experience is a helpful way to do this. Here are some suggestions:

• As a result of the experience, what have you learned about yourself?
• What have you developed as a result? How?
• Has it had a positive or negative impact on your life?
• Looking back, what would you do differently?
• If you could go back, what would you do differently? Did you make the right decisions?
• How would you describe the experience in general? What did you learn from the experience? What skills or perspectives did you acquire?

You can use these signpost questions to kick-start your reflective process. Remember that asking yourself lots of questions is crucial to ensuring that you think deeply and critically about your experiences – a skill at the heart of a great reflective essay.

Use models of reflection (like the Gibbs or Kolb cycles) before, during, and after the learning process to ensure that you maintain a high standard of analysis. Before you get to the nitty-gritty of the process, consider questions such as: what might happen (in regards to the experience)?

Will there be any challenges? What knowledge will be needed to best prepare? When you are planning and writing, these questions may be helpful: what is happening within the learning process? Has everything worked according to plan? How am I handling the challenges that come with it?

Do you need to do anything else to ensure that the learning process is successful? Is there anything I can learn from this? Using a framework like this will enable you to keep track of the reflective process that should guide your work.

Here’s a useful tip: no matter how well prepared you feel with all that time spent reflecting in your arsenal, don’t start writing your essay until you have developed a comprehensive, well-rounded plan. There will be so much more coherence in what you write, your ideas will be expressed with structure and clarity, and your essay will probably receive higher marks as a result.

It’s especially important when writing a reflective essay as it’s possible for people to get a little ‘lost’ or disorganized as they recount their own experiences in an erratic and often unsystematic manner since it’s an incredibly personal topic. But if you outline thoroughly (this is the same thing as a ‘plan’) and adhere to it like Christopher Columbus adhered to a map, you should be fine as you embark on the ultimate step of writing your essay. We’ve summarized the benefits of creating a detailed essay outline below if you’re still not convinced of the value of planning:

An outline can help you identify all the details you plan to include in your essay, allowing you to remove all superfluous details so that your essay is concise and to the point.

Think of the outline as a map – you plan in advance which points you will navigate through and discuss in your writing. You will more likely have a clear line of thought, making your work easier to understand. You’ll be less likely to miss out on any pertinent details, and you won’t have to go back at the end and try to fit them in.

This is a real-time-saver! When you use the outline as an essay’s skeleton, you’ll save a tremendous amount of time when writing because you’ll know exactly what you want to say. Due to this, you will be able to devote more time to editing the paper and ensuring it meets high standards.

As you now know the advantages of using an outline for your reflective essay, it is important that you know how to create one. There can be significant differences between it and other typical essay outlines, mostly due to the varying topics. As always, you need to begin your outline by drafting the introduction, body, and conclusion. We will discuss this in more detail below.

Introduction

Your reflective essay must begin with an introduction that contains both a hook and a thesis statement. The goal of a ‘hook’ is to capture the attention of your audience or reader from the very beginning. In the first paragraph of your story, you should convey the exciting aspects of your story so that you can succeed in

If you think about the opening quote of this article, did it grab your attention and make you want to read more? This thesis statement summarizes the essay’s focus, which in this case is a particular experience that left a lasting impression on you. Give a quick overview of your experience – don’t give too much information away or you’ll lose readers’ interest.

Education Essay Can Come from Both a Brilliant and Mediocre Writer

Reflection Essay Structure

A reflective essay differs greatly from an argumentative or research paper in its format. Reflective essays are more like well-structured stories or diary entries that are rife with insights and reflections. Your essay may need to be formatted according to the APA style or MLA style.

In general, the length of a reflection paper varies between 300 and 700 words, but it is a good idea to check with your instructor or employer about the word count. Even though this is an essay about you, you should try to avoid using too much informal language.

The following shortcuts can help you format your paper according to APA or MLA style if your instructor asks:

MLA Format for Reflective Essay

• Times New Roman 12 pt font double spaced;
• 1” margins;
• The top right includes the last name and page number on every page;
• Titles are centered;
• The header should include your name, your professor’s name, course number, and the date (dd/mm/yy);
• The last page contains a Works Cited list.

Reflective Essay in APA Style

• Include a page header on the top of every page;
• Insert page number on the right;
• Your reflective essay should be divided into four parts: Title Page, Abstract, Main Body, and References.

Reflective Essay Outline

Look at your brainstorming table to start organizing your reflective essay. ‘Past experience’ and ‘description’ should make up less than 10% of your essay.

You should include the following in your introduction:

• Grab the reader’s attention with a short preview of what you’ll be writing about.

Example:  We found Buffy head-to-toe covered in tar, starved and fur in patches, under an abandoned garbage truck.

• It is important to include ‘past experiences’ in a reflective essay thesis statement; a brief description of what the essay is about.

Example:  My summer volunteering experience at the animal shelter inspired me to pursue this type of work in the future.

Chronological events are the best way to explain the structure of body paragraphs. Respond to the bold questions in the ‘reflection’ section of the table to create a linear storyline.

Here’s an example of what the body paragraph outline should look like:

• Explicit expectations about the shelter

Example:  I thought it was going to be boring and mundane.

• The first impression
• Experience at the shelter

Example:  Finding and rescuing Buffy.

• Other experiences with rescuing animals
• Discoveries

Example:  Newly found passion and feelings toward the work.

• A newly developed mindset

Example:  How your thoughts about animal treatment have changed.

Tips on How to Stay Productive While Working Remotely

Here’s How You Can Submit a Well-Written Reflective Essay for University

Even though writing a reflective essay may seem difficult at first, once you have a clear idea of what you will write and more importantly, how to write, it often gets easier as you go along. Here are five key writing tips to keep in mind when writing a reflective essay.

Choosing a Topic for Reflection

As a busy student, when was the last time you drowned yourself in thoughts and reflected on past experiences? Here is an assignment that intentionally puts you in that position.

Think about all of the experiences which have shaped you – a life-changing event, an interaction with someone you admire, a movie character that appealed to you, a book that gave you perspective, or any other experience which contributed to your character or thought process.

You should choose a topic that will help you reflect on your growth as an individual. Start brainstorming and record every idea that comes to mind.

Organize your thoughts in a mind map

The next step is to create a mind map to help you organize your essay once you have a rough idea of what you want to write.

You can use your mind map to quiz yourself by asking questions of relevance and putting together perspectives for your essay.

The purpose of this exercise is to give you an idea of what you want your essay to be about. It is important to keep pushing yourself to think more deeply and find meaning in your experiences in order to create a successful reflective essay.

From becoming a Writer Today, here are some tips on using mind maps to write better and faster

Start Freewriting

Sometimes, all you have to do is start writing. Essentially, that’s what freewriting is all about.

After brainstorming, creating a mind map, and organizing your thoughts, open a blank document and start writing. Do not stop to think or to edit – just write as your thoughts come to you.

The best part of freewriting is that it results in a steady flow of ideas you may not have thought of otherwise.

In other words, whether or not you’re motivated to write or are constantly second-guessing your ideas, it helps to let your ideas guide you and put them down on paper.

Structure the Essay

It’s time to put your ideas and thoughts into words and give them a proper structure. A reflective essay should have the following parts:

You should begin your essay with a hook to grab the reader’s attention. While setting the tone for the rest of the essay, your thesis statement should introduce the past experience you will be reflecting on;

In this section, you will elaborate on the experience and its significance, as well as its impact on your life. Avoid rambling on and on about the experience for readers to want to read more of your essay, you need to use your storytelling skills. If you can, use examples to strengthen your narrative;

A summary of your reflections is provided in the concluding paragraph. In your essay, you should describe how the experience shaped your life and how you intend to take your learnings and apply them.

Proofread, Proofread and Proofread

Be sure to proofread your reflective essay before submitting it. Before finalizing it, you need to do thorough proofreading. You will be surprised to see how many silly mistakes are made in the first draft.

Be on the lookout for grammatical, spelling, and sentence formation mistakes. Make sure your essay flows well and avoids plagiarism. If you want a fresh set of eyes on your essay, have a family member or friend read it too.

Reflective Essay Topics

Many students find choosing the right topic for a reflective essay difficult. Writing a reflective essay requires creativity and strong writing skills to express your emotions.

Reflective essays can be inspired by nature, places, relationships, and events. Here are some tips that will help you choose the right essay topic.

• Decide on a topic idea for your reflective essay that you are familiar with. You will find it easier to write an essay about a topic you are interested in. Never choose a topic that is new to you. This makes the writing phase difficult.
• Research your topic: Try to recollect minor details about it. Remember all the things that are related to your topic, and include them in your essay. Take notes about your topic.
• Pick a topic that you can explain from a unique viewpoint: Choose a topic that you can explain from a different perspective. Writing something unique that demonstrates your personality in an interesting way is a good technique. Share a memorable and meaningful experience from your life.

Topics for Reflective Essays for Middle School Students

Essay topics can be difficult to choose for some students. The following list of topics can be classified according to grade level. Pick from them and make topic selection easier.

Topics for Reflective Essays in Grade 7

• Taking a trip
• To go scuba diving
• Within your hometown
• Was something you were proud of
• Even when you were lost
• To your favorite cartoon
• During that time you lied
• When you were hunting
• Did your family play an important role in your life?
• Spending time outdoors

Topics for Reflective Essays in Grade 8

• Running in the outdoors
• While picking berries
• Will be your biggest loss
• Who is your biggest inspiration?
• What is your greatest fear?
• Tell me about your most exciting moment.
• What is your least favorite course?
• When you go on a date
• To a birthday party
• Which is your favorite online space?

Topics for Reflective Essays in Grade 9

• A new school
• Makes me think about the future.
• You participated in or watched a sporting event.
• You moved to a new city.
• You had an unforgettable dream.
• You were running and hunting.
• You cannot forget that dream.
• It was your childhood home.
• Watching the sunrise
• An award ceremony

Topics for Reflective Essays in Grade 10

• Defending someone in a situation
• While playing with friends
• It was a memorable dream
• About lying and hiding
• The most recent meal
• While getting lost in the dark
• As an intern at a hospital
• Or when someone’s life inspired you to change your own
• Challenges as a college freshman
• By participating in sports

Topics for Reflective Essays for College Students

For college students, the most difficult part of writing a reflective essay is choosing a topic. Some students are better at choosing the essay topic than others, but some will get stuck in this phase.

Here are some excellent reflective essay topics for college students for your convenience. Choose one and write a well-written essay.

• First time writing a thesis statement
• Your favorite video game
• The impact of social media on students
• A place you always try to avoid
• What was the best birthday memory you had?
• What is your favorite restaurant?
• The moment when you were proud of yourself
• The bravest moment of your life
• The most beautiful thing you have ever seen
• A time you were embarrassed

Getting Higher Scores for an Essay: Tested Tips from Students

Topics for Reflective Essays for High School Students

The choice of a topic for a reflective essay can be confusing for high school students. Your topic should be engaging and you should be able to explain your personal experience easily. Here is a list of good topics for high school students; choose something from the list for your essay.

• Shop at your favorite outlet store
• To relive your favorite childhood memory
• Of the most memorable holiday
• That scared you?
• That’s when you met your best friend
• And what you love about yourself
• Is playing with friends.
• What’s your favorite book?
• I loved playing in the mud as a kid.
• Having to move to a new town or city

Topics for Reflective Essays about Places

Reflective essays should be based on strong emotions and memories. You could write an essay about a day spent at your favorite café, favorite restaurant, etc.

It is easy to write a reflective essay about a place where you have really good memories. Here are some topic ideas that you can use and write an essay on.

• Your grandparents’ house
• A skating rink
• A place where you feel safe
• A favorite vacation spot
• A popular lunch spot
• On your first day at the circus
• The mall or your favorite store
• Your first trip abroad
• Best park in your town
• Your most memorable adventure

Topics for Reflective Essays about Events

A good way to grab the reader’s attention is to write about any event. Your essay can be about a birthday party, a farewell, or any other event that you have enough information about.

If you are writing a reflective essay about an event, include vivid details. Here are some interesting topics for reflection essays, choose one and write a good essay.

• Unexpected gift
• To travel on vacation
• While you were lost
• The first time you voted
• On your trip to the zoo
• When you got a new job
• It was one of your most memorable trips
• During the holiday season
• When you moved to a new city
• Or when you swam fishing

Topics for Reflective Essays on Nature

A reflective essay should provide the reader with a deeper and more meaningful experience. In addition to making your writing process more interesting, writing about nature also stimulates your imagination.

The following are some good reflective essay topics about nature:

• Mountain climbing
• Ocean diving
• Hiking in the woods
• Climbing rocks
• And watching the sunset
• While running in the forest.
• Spending quality time with your pet.
• Taking a hike in the woods
• And going swimming
• While watching animals at a zoo

How to write a term paper

Topics for reflection on relationships

As relationships are filled with strong emotions, writing a reflective essay about them means expressing those emotions. The following are some good reflective essay topics about relationships:

• A wonderful family reunion
• When you spoke publicly for the first time
• What friendship means to me
• When you were punished by your parents
• During a family reunion
• When you apologized
• For a time you spent with friends without parental supervision
• Tell me about your relationship with a family member
• An angry conversation
• Or a genuinely funny laugh

Some reflective essay topics are the same as some of the questions you may ask in a job interview.

Examples of Reflective Essay

Check out some examples for inspiration now that you know what it takes to write a reflective essay.

An Example of a Reflective Essay on “My Little Brother”

Essay example reflecting on the arrival of a younger sibling, written at a middle or high school level.

“There have been many life-changing experiences in my short life. Every new experience has been the first experience at one point in time. For good or for bad, each event altered the course of my life. But, the most transformative event was the birth of my youngest brother.”.

Joel is someone my parents often refer to as a happy accident. My mother became pregnant when I was 13 and my other brother, Jake, was 10. We were what you would call a well-rounded family of four. In almost every way, we fit the ideal classification. My youngest brother’s striking blue eyes were the moment when we realized what we were missing.

Honestly, I resented having another sibling. It wasn’t necessary to add to our family, and my mother, already 38 at the time, was considered high risk because of her age. A pregnancy full of complications sent my life on a rollercoaster-like ride that my 13-year-old mind could not comprehend. Now I can see how forging through those loops helped me cope with the unforeseen challenges of life.

My mother took me to the hospital instead of my father on the day Joel was born. I was the next best alternative because Jake and my father were both feverish; it wasn’t a planned move. With each contraction, I gained a new appreciation for just how strong and powerful a woman could be at her weakest. Through holding her hand and feeding her ice chips, I gained a connection with my mother that I didn’t realize we lacked.

Almost simultaneously, my new baby brother entered this world. One doesn’t realize how much you need something until it’s sitting in your lap. Secondly, my life after this moment would never be the same the moment he curled his chubby little finger around mine, I understood the meaning of the words “happy accident.”.y.

Life has given me many experiences that have shaped me as a person. But, nothing so profoundly changed my views and outlook on life as the birth of my youngest brother. Joel’s arrival was a life-altering event that caused me to see the world through new eyes.”

Assignment Writing Purposes You Need to Know

Reflective Essay Example for “ Reading My Favorite Book”

This reflective essay example about a favorite book is something you might find at the middle or high school level.

When it comes to books, I don’t understand the appeal. Every time I was given an assignment, I would read one after another, not understanding what all the fuss was about. Nevertheless, the moment I read Pride and Prejudice, it was as if my literary eyes were opened for the first time. It stirred love within me for classics I didn’t realize could exist.

When I was first given the assignment of reading Pride and Prejudice, like many of my friends, I scoffed. With an eye roll, I internally calculated how much time I would have to read the book and write a report. I sighed at the loss of time with my friends for a stupid classic.

Cracking open the cover, I was determined to hate it before even reading the first words. By the time I reached page 3, I nearly stopped reading. But there was something about Elizabeth Bennet that quietly piqued my interest. I can’t say where, but somewhere along the way, my eyes devoured the pages instead of trudging along.

The moment I reached the end, I was ecstatic and disappointed at the same time. Their ending had been perfect, but I realized I would miss them. Not just them, but I would also miss being a part of their world.

It was the first time the characters of a story had affected me this way, so I tried to shake it off. However, after several days, that sadness carried me to the classics section of the school library. The moment I cracked open my next classic, my soul instantly felt more at ease, and I’ve never looked back.

I never thought I’d say a book changed me, but in this case, it’s true. The love I found in Pride and Prejudice introduced me to a beautiful world of classic literature I can’t imagine living without. Despite not reading Pride and Prejudice for a while, it will always be my favorite book.

In the conclusion of your reflective essay, you should focus on bringing your piece together. This will include providing a summary of both the points made throughout and what you have learned as a result. Try to include a few points on why and how your attitudes and behaviors have been changed.

Consider also how your character and skills have been affected, for example: what conclusions can be drawn about your problem-solving skills? What can be concluded about your approach to specific situations? What might you do differently in similar situations in the future? What steps have you taken to consolidate everything that you have learned from your experience?

Keep in mind that your tutor will be looking out for evidence of reflection at a very high standard.

Congratulations – you now have the tools to create a thorough and accurate plan which should put you in good stead for the ultimate phase indeed of any essay, the writing process.

Oxbridge Notes  offers a wide array of meticulously crafted study resources tailored for law students, providing invaluable support for academic endeavors. Our platform boasts a comprehensive collection of notes, essays, and revision materials covering a diverse range of legal topics, meticulously curated by top students and academics from esteemed universities. Whether you’re preparing for exams, writing essays, or seeking to deepen your understanding of legal concepts, Oxbridge Notes is your trusted companion on the journey to legal excellence.

How do you start off a reflective essay?

As is the case with all essays, your reflective essay must begin with an introduction that contains both a hook and a thesis statement. The point of having a ‘hook’ is to grab the attention of your audience or reader from the very beginning.

Can you say I in a reflective essay?

In your reflective essay, you should use the first person with terms like I, me, my, and mine. The essay is an account of something that actually happened to you as well as your thoughts on the event.

What is an example of a reflection?

Common examples include the reflection of light, sound, and water waves. The law of reflection says that for specular reflection the angle at which the wave is incident on the surface equals the angle at which it is reflected. Mirrors exhibit specular reflection.

How do you start the first paragraph of a reflective essay?

Describe the subject matter of the paper in more detail. Include one or two sentences after the first sentence in which you describe the basic features of whatever topic you will be discussing in your essay. Describe them in terms of your feelings, and how you felt and experienced whatever you are discussing.

How many paragraphs should a reflective essay have?

The number of paragraphs depends on the requested essay length. However, it is recommended to write at least three paragraphs in this part. In the body, present your main points, arguments, and examples. This is the part of an essay where you express all your main ideas, develop them, and express your feelings and emotions.

What are the three parts of a reflective essay?

However, some major elements go into a typical reflective essay: introduction, body, and conclusion.

How Do You Write A Reflective Essay?

To write a reflective essay, follow these steps:

• Choose a topic: Select a specific event, experience, or concept that you want to reflect upon.
• Brainstorm and outline: Reflect on your chosen topic and jot down key points, thoughts, and emotions associated with it. Create an outline to organize your ideas.
• Introduction: Begin with an engaging hook to grab the reader’s attention. Provide background information and context related to the topic. End the introduction with a clear thesis statement that expresses the main insights or lessons you will discuss.
• Body paragraphs: Each paragraph should focus on a specific aspect or experience related to your topic. Reflect on your thoughts, feelings, and observations, and support them with specific examples or evidence. Analyze the significance and impact of these experiences.
• Use reflection techniques: Incorporate reflection techniques such as asking yourself questions, exploring the “why” behind your thoughts and emotions, and connecting your experiences to broader concepts or theories.
• Conclusion: Summarize your key insights and reflections from the essay. Emphasize personal growth, lessons learned, or changes in perspective. Leave the reader with a thought-provoking statement or a call to action.

Which Of These Best Describes A Reflective Essay?

A reflective essay is best described as a type of academic or personal writing that allows individuals to examine and reflect upon their experiences, thoughts, and emotions. It involves introspection, self-analysis, and the exploration of lessons learned or personal growth. Reflective essays provide a platform for individuals to communicate their insights and understanding of a particular event, concept, or life experience.

What Is A Reflective Essay And Examples?

A reflective essay is a form of writing where individuals express their thoughts, feelings, and observations about a specific experience, event, or topic. It goes beyond simply describing the experience and delves into analyzing the impact, significance, and lessons learned. Reflective essays encourage self-reflection and introspection, allowing writers to gain deeper understanding and insight.

Examples of reflective essay topics include:

• Reflecting on a life-changing travel experience and its impact on personal growth.
• Analyzing the challenges and successes encountered during a group project and the lessons learned.
• Reflecting on the influence of a particular book, film, or artwork and its effect on personal perspectives.
• Examining the role of personal values and beliefs in decision-making processes.

What Are The Parts Of A Typical Reflective Essay?

A typical reflective essay consists of the following parts:

• Introduction: It provides an engaging hook, background information, and context for the topic. The introduction ends with a clear thesis statement that states the main insights or lessons to be discussed.
• Body paragraphs: Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect or experience related to the topic. Writers reflect on their thoughts, feelings, and observations, supporting them with examples or evidence. They analyze the significance and impact of these experiences and connect them to broader concepts or theories.
• Conclusion: The conclusion summarizes the key insights and reflections from the essay. It emphasizes personal growth, lessons learned, or changes in perspective. A thought-provoking statement or a call to action is often included to leave a lasting impression on the reader.

What Is A Goal Of The Introduction In A Reflective Essay?

The goal of the introduction in a reflective essay is to capture the reader’s attention and provide them with the necessary background information and context related to the topic. It should set the stage for the reflective journey that follows. The introduction concludes with a clear thesis statement that outlines the main insights or lessons the writer will discuss in the essay. It acts as a roadmap, guiding the reader through the writer’s reflections.

What Idea Would Most Likely Make The Best Reflective Essay?

The best idea for a reflective essay is a topic that holds personal significance and offers opportunities for introspection and deep reflection. An idea that involves a transformative experience, a significant life event, or a challenging situation often makes for a compelling reflective essay. It should be something that evokes strong emotions, prompts critical thinking, and allows for self-analysis. The best reflective essays are those that offer meaningful insights, growth, or lessons learned.

What Makes A Good Reflective Essay?

A good reflective essay possesses several key qualities:

• Authenticity: It reflects the writer’s genuine thoughts, emotions, and observations.
• Depth of reflection: It goes beyond surface-level descriptions and delves into meaningful analysis, exploring the “why” behind the experiences.
• Coherence and organization: The essay is well-structured, with clear paragraphs and logical flow of ideas.
• Use of specific examples: It supports reflections with specific examples, evidence, or anecdotes to enhance understanding and engagement.
• Connection to broader concepts or theories: It links personal experiences to broader concepts, theories, or societal issues to demonstrate critical thinking and understanding.
• Insight and personal growth: The essay offers meaningful insights, lessons learned, or personal growth as a result of the reflection.

By incorporating these elements, a good reflective essay effectively communicates the writer’s introspection and provides a thought-provoking reading experience.

Safe Freelancing: What Students Need to Know About Freelance Scammers

Related Post

How to Write a Reflective Journal with Tips and Examples

• How To Create a Reflective Journal

One of the most commonly used and therapeutic ways to utilize your journal is to reflect upon experiences you deem profound or that had an impact on your life. Getting it all down on paper can really give you a completely different perspective on things. Writing in your journal can be an incredibly useful tool to help you better understand yourself and the world you operate in. Reflective learning journals are also a great way to find creative solutions to difficult problems.

So, what exactly is a Reflective Journal?

A reflective journal (aka a reflective diary) is the perfect place to jot down some of life's biggest thoughts. In a reflective journal, you can write about a positive or negative event that you experienced, what it means or meant to you, and what you may have learned from that experience.

A well-written journal can be an important tool. As with any tool, to get the most benefits, you need practice. This could mean forcing yourself to write, at first, but after a while, it will become like second nature. Write down your entry as soon as possible after the event. This way, the details will still be fresh in your mind, which will help later in your analysis.

5 Reasons To Write a Reflective Journal

Reflective journals are most often used to record detailed descriptions of certain aspects of an event or thought. For example, who was there, what was the purpose of the event, what do you think about it, how does it make you feel, etc. Write down everything, even if you don't have a clear idea of how this information will be helpful. 

Here are some of the most common reasons why people find reflective journals so useful:

• To make sense of things that happened. What you write should sound as if you are describing the details to someone who wasn't there. Be as descriptive as possible. Just the act of writing down the details of what happened may give you perspective that you may not have otherwise considered had you just continued to think about it.
• To speculate as to why something is the way it is.  Your views can come from your own common sense, or from something you have heard at a lecture or read in a book. Either way, speculating why something is the way it is can be a very useful exercise in reasoning.
• To align future actions with your reflected values and experiences.  After positing your interpretation, continue to observe the subject of your speculation to decide whether you want to stick to your original views, or make changes. That is one of the great things about an online journal--you can make changes to your entries at any time.
• To get thoughts and ideas out of your head.  Writing down your thoughts can help relieve pressure or help resolve problems. It will also help you focus the task at hand.
• To share your thoughts and ideas with others.  Getting opinions from others about what you wrote can help you clarify your feelings for a deeper understanding of yourself.

The Reflective Journal Thought Process

When writing a reflective journal, you are simply documenting something that has happened in your life that requires you to make a change or consider the impact of your decision. Your journal, in many ways, is a dialogue that you are having with yourself. You are forcing your brain to think critically about something and to produce written words accordingly.

The worst thing you can do to a creative flow is to start inputting criticism before your thought is complete. Allow yourself the time to make a mistake and keep going. Who cares if you didn't phrase that exactly how you should have or you didn't spell that word right? Those things just aren't important here. Find whatever works for you.

4 Tips To Get Your Reflective Journaling Started

Writing a reflective journal requires not only that you describe a learning experience, but also that you analyze the topics covered and articulate your feelings and opinions about the subject matter. There is no set structure for writing a reflective journal, as the diary is meant for your own use. The writing process is entirely free-form. However, there are certain guidelines to follow that will make you more successful at this. Here are some basic tips at how to write a reflective journal. 

1. Always Keep the Journal Nearby

The first step in learning how to write a reflective journal is as simple as being prepared to jot down your thoughts and opinions on something you are learning anytime the mood strikes. For example, if you have an insightful observation about a book you're reading while on the bus, it pays to have your journal with you. Penzu's free diary software  come in handy in such a situation, as online and mobile entries can be made in your Penzu journal from any location.

2. Make Regular Entries

While you can write in whatever form and style you please, it's important to write regular entries, even if a moment of inspiration doesn't arise. This ensures you are reviewing content and actively thinking about what you have learned. This will develop your writing and critical thinking skills while keeping you organized. In the end, this should enable you to better understand specific topics you are studying.

3. Participate, Observe, Summarize and Contemplate

While reflecting is the main part of keeping a reflective diary, it's also vital that you first participate in a learning activity, make observations and summarize facts and experiences. For example, if you are writing a lab for science class, be sure to first cover what you did and what the goal and outcome of the experiment was prior to elaborating on your ideas and opinions of what was discovered. Reflective journaling is first about participating and observing before writing.

4. Review Regularly

Take time to read over previous journal entries and see how new experiences, additional knowledge and time have altered how you think and feel about the material you've been analyzing and contemplating. This will make the journal more valuable to you personally, as it will shed light on how you've grown. 

Reflective Journal Topic Examples

To create a reflective journal that really provides detail on your overall perspective on a variety of different situations, consider using one of the prompts below to help with your thought process.

• Write about which relationships have the most meaning to you and why. Include ways you can grow to help maintain these close relationships and get rid of the toxic relationships currently in your life.
• Write about what you are learning at school or in college.
• Write about someone in your life who has experienced a positive change and how you can learn from their situation.
• Write about what you want out of the next five years of your life and what you can do to achieve these goals.

If you’re looking for more topic examples, check out these great reflective journal prompts

Reflective Journal Example

The passage below is a sample reflective diary entry about losing a job:

“This week I lost my job because my employer thought I was not consistent in my work. At first I was a little upset, because I'm always on time, and I complete what I can by the end of the day. I couldn't figure out what she meant by stating that I wasn't consistent in my work. After thinking about the situation, I realized that I can only complete the work assigned to the best of my ability. What she doesn't realize is that the problem started because I constantly received incomplete reports. Whoever ends up with my former job will have the same issues if that problem isn't addressed first. However, knowing that I did what I could will allow me to continue to move forward with a positive outlook for the future.

A reflective journal is a personal account of an educational experience that offers a variety of benefits, from enhancing your writing skills and helping you retain information to allowing you to express your thoughts on new ideas and theories.

When keeping a reflective journal, it's important that you have privacy and convenience. Penzu's online account and mobile platform offer secure access and the ability to write entries from anywhere, and your diary will never get lost or stolen.

There's no time like the present - start your free online journal today!

Loved by millions!

Get access to your diary wherever you are – download the free Penzu app for your all of your iOS and Android devices today!

Related Articles

Reflective Journal Prompts

Reflective Journal Template

Reflective Learning Journal

Journal Basics

What is a Journal?

Journal Entries

Benefits of Journaling

Journal Types

How To Start and Write a Journal

• Journal Examples
• Journal Prompts

Ideas for Journals

Travel Journal

Create a collection of adventures, stories, memories, and discovery while you travel. You’ll remember more about your trips and appreciate everything you experienced.

5 Year Journal

A five year journal can help you remember the people and events that matter to you.

• Bible Journal

Bible journals can provide you with a therapeutic way to better cope with everyday situations, understand your feelings and establish a connection between your life and the biblical content.

Prayer Journal

Deepen your relationship with God by writing down your prayers every day. Learn by reflecting on prayers that have been answered, and others that haven’t.

Gratitude Journal

We'll explain what a gratitude journal is, how to figure out what you're grateful for (and why), and some guidelines for keeping one through Penzu.

• Free Signup
• What is a Journal
• Pregnancy Journal
• Reflective Journal
• Dream Journal
• Five Year Journal
• Secret Diary
• Electronic Diary
• Diary Templates
• Wedding Diary
• School Diary
• Health Diary

Copyright Penzu Inc. 2024

• Jump to menu
• Student Home
• Accept your offer
• How to enrol
• Student ID card
• Set up your IT
• Orientation Week
• Fees & payment
• Academic calendar
• Special consideration
• Transcripts
• The Nucleus: Student Hub
• Referencing
• Essay writing
• Learning abroad & exchange
• Professional development & UNSW Advantage
• Employability
• Financial assistance
• International students
• Equitable learning
• Postgraduate research
• Health Service
• Events & activities
• Emergencies
• Volunteering
• Clubs and societies
• Accommodation
• Health services
• Sport and gym
• Arc student organisation
• Security on campus
• Maps of campus
• Careers portal
• Change password

Reflective Writing Guide

A great deal of your time at university will be spent thinking; thinking about what people have said, what you have read, what you yourself are thinking and how your thinking has changed. It is generally believed that the thinking process involves two aspects: reflective thinking and critical thinking. They are not separate processes; rather, they are closely connected (Brookfield 1987).

Figure 1: The Thinking Process (adapted from Mezirow 1990, Schon 1987, Brookfield 1987)

Reflective thinking

Reflection is: 

• a form of personal response to experiences, situations, events or new information.
• a 'processing' phase where thinking and learning take place.

There is neither a right nor a wrong way of reflective thinking, there are just questions to explore.

Figure 1 shows that the reflective thinking process starts with you. Before you can begin to assess the words and ideas of others, you need to pause and identify and examine your own thoughts.

Doing this involves revisiting your prior experience and knowledge of the topic you are exploring. It also involves considering how and why you think the way you do. The examination of your beliefs, values, attitudes and assumptions forms the foundation of your understanding. 

Reflective thinking demands that you recognise that you bring valuable knowledge to every experience. It helps you therefore to recognise and clarify the important connections between what you already know and what you are learning. It is a way of helping you to become an active, aware and critical learner.

What is reflective writing?

Reflective writing is:.

• documenting your response to experiences, opinions, events or new information
• communicating your response to thoughts and feelings
• a way of exploring your learning
• an opportunity to gain self-knowledge
• a way to achieve clarity and better understanding of what you are learning
• a chance to develop and reinforce writing skills
• a way of making meaning out of what you study

Reflective writing is not:

• just conveying information, instruction or argument
• pure description, though there may be descriptive elements
• straightforward decision or judgement, e.g. about whether something is right or wrong, good or bad
• simple problem-solving
• a summary of course notes
• a standard university essay.

See next: How do I write reflectively?

Essay and assignment writing guide.

• Essay writing basics
• Essay and assignment planning
• Answering assignment questions
• Editing checklist
• Writing a critical review
• Annotated bibliography
• How do I write reflectively?
• Examples of reflective writing
• ^ More support

News and notices

Guide to Using Microsoft Copilot with Commercial Data Protection for UNSW Students Published:  20 May 2024

Ethical and Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence at UNSW Published:  17 May 2024

Scholarly Resources 4 Students | scite.ai 21 May 2024

Discover your Library: Main Library 21 May 2024

Guide on How to Write a Reflection Paper with Free Tips and Example

A reflection paper is a very common type of paper among college students. Almost any subject you enroll in requires you to express your opinion on certain matters. In this article, we will explain how to write a reflection paper and provide examples and useful tips to make the essay writing process easier.

Reflection papers should have an academic tone yet be personal and subjective. In this paper, you should analyze and reflect upon how an experience, academic task, article, or lecture shaped your perception and thoughts on a subject.

Here is what you need to know about writing an effective critical reflection paper. Stick around until the end of our guide to get some useful writing tips from the writing team at EssayPro — a research paper writing service

What Is a Reflection Paper

A reflection paper is a type of paper that requires you to write your opinion on a topic, supporting it with your observations and personal experiences. As opposed to presenting your reader with the views of other academics and writers, in this essay, you get an opportunity to write your point of view—and the best part is that there is no wrong answer. It is YOUR opinion, and it is your job to express your thoughts in a manner that will be understandable and clear for all readers that will read your paper. The topic range is endless. Here are some examples: whether or not you think aliens exist, your favorite TV show, or your opinion on the outcome of WWII. You can write about pretty much anything.

There are three types of reflection paper; depending on which one you end up with, the tone you write with can be slightly different. The first type is the educational reflective paper. Here your job is to write feedback about a book, movie, or seminar you attended—in a manner that teaches the reader about it. The second is the professional paper. Usually, it is written by people who study or work in education or psychology. For example, it can be a reflection of someone’s behavior. And the last is the personal type, which explores your thoughts and feelings about an individual subject.

However, reflection paper writing will stop eventually with one very important final paper to write - your resume. This is where you will need to reflect on your entire life leading up to that moment. To learn how to list education on resume perfectly, follow the link on our dissertation writing services .

Unlock the potential of your thoughts with EssayPro . Order a reflection paper and explore a range of other academic services tailored to your needs. Dive deep into your experiences, analyze them with expert guidance, and turn your insights into an impactful reflection paper.

Free Reflection Paper Example

Now that we went over all of the essentials about a reflection paper and how to approach it, we would like to show you some examples that will definitely help you with getting started on your paper.

Reflection Paper Format

Reflection papers typically do not follow any specific format. Since it is your opinion, professors usually let you handle them in any comfortable way. It is best to write your thoughts freely, without guideline constraints. If a personal reflection paper was assigned to you, the format of your paper might depend on the criteria set by your professor. College reflection papers (also known as reflection essays) can typically range from about 400-800 words in length.

Here’s how we can suggest you format your reflection paper:

How to Start a Reflection Paper

The first thing to do when beginning to work on a reflection essay is to read your article thoroughly while taking notes. Whether you are reflecting on, for example, an activity, book/newspaper, or academic essay, you want to highlight key ideas and concepts.

You can start writing your reflection paper by summarizing the main concept of your notes to see if your essay includes all the information needed for your readers. It is helpful to add charts, diagrams, and lists to deliver your ideas to the audience in a better fashion.

After you have finished reading your article, it’s time to brainstorm. We’ve got a simple brainstorming technique for writing reflection papers. Just answer some of the basic questions below:

• How did the article affect you?
• How does this article catch the reader’s attention (or does it all)?
• Has the article changed your mind about something? If so, explain how.
• Has the article left you with any questions?
• Were there any unaddressed critical issues that didn’t appear in the article?
• Does the article relate to anything from your past reading experiences?
• Does the article agree with any of your past reading experiences?

Here are some reflection paper topic examples for you to keep in mind before preparing to write your own:

• How my views on rap music have changed over time
• My reflection and interpretation of Moby Dick by Herman Melville
• Why my theory about the size of the universe has changed over time
• How my observations for clinical psychological studies have developed in the last year

The result of your brainstorming should be a written outline of the contents of your future paper. Do not skip this step, as it will ensure that your essay will have a proper flow and appropriate organization.

Another good way to organize your ideas is to write them down in a 3-column chart or table.

Do you want your task look awesome?

If you would like your reflection paper to look professional, feel free to check out one of our articles on how to format MLA, APA or Chicago style

Writing a Reflection Paper Outline

Reflection paper should contain few key elements:

Introduction

Your introduction should specify what you’re reflecting upon. Make sure that your thesis informs your reader about your general position, or opinion, toward your subject.

• State what you are analyzing: a passage, a lecture, an academic article, an experience, etc...)
• Briefly summarize the work.
• Write a thesis statement stating how your subject has affected you.

One way you can start your thesis is to write:

Example: “After reading/experiencing (your chosen topic), I gained the knowledge of…”

Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs should examine your ideas and experiences in context to your topic. Make sure each new body paragraph starts with a topic sentence.

Your reflection may include quotes and passages if you are writing about a book or an academic paper. They give your reader a point of reference to fully understand your feedback. Feel free to describe what you saw, what you heard, and how you felt.

Example: “I saw many people participating in our weight experiment. The atmosphere felt nervous yet inspiring. I was amazed by the excitement of the event.”

As with any conclusion, you should summarize what you’ve learned from the experience. Next, tell the reader how your newfound knowledge has affected your understanding of the subject in general. Finally, describe the feeling and overall lesson you had from the reading or experience.

There are a few good ways to conclude a reflection paper:

• Tie all the ideas from your body paragraphs together, and generalize the major insights you’ve experienced.
• Restate your thesis and summarize the content of your paper.

We have a separate blog post dedicated to writing a great conclusion. Be sure to check it out for an in-depth look at how to make a good final impression on your reader.

Need a hand? Get help from our writers. Edit, proofread or buy essay .

How to Write a Reflection Paper: Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: create a main theme.

After you choose your topic, write a short summary about what you have learned about your experience with that topic. Then, let readers know how you feel about your case — and be honest. Chances are that your readers will likely be able to relate to your opinion or at least the way you form your perspective, which will help them better understand your reflection.

For example: After watching a TEDx episode on Wim Hof, I was able to reevaluate my preconceived notions about the negative effects of cold exposure.

Step 2: Brainstorm Ideas and Experiences You’ve Had Related to Your Topic

You can write down specific quotes, predispositions you have, things that influenced you, or anything memorable. Be personal and explain, in simple words, how you felt.

For example: • A lot of people think that even a small amount of carbohydrates will make people gain weight • A specific moment when I struggled with an excess weight where I avoided carbohydrates entirely • The consequences of my actions that gave rise to my research • The evidence and studies of nutritional science that claim carbohydrates alone are to blame for making people obese • My new experience with having a healthy diet with a well-balanced intake of nutrients • The influence of other people’s perceptions on the harm of carbohydrates, and the role their influence has had on me • New ideas I’ve created as a result of my shift in perspective

Step 3: Analyze How and Why These Ideas and Experiences Have Affected Your Interpretation of Your Theme

Pick an idea or experience you had from the last step, and analyze it further. Then, write your reasoning for agreeing or disagreeing with it.

For example, Idea: I was raised to think that carbohydrates make people gain weight.

Analysis: Most people think that if they eat any carbohydrates, such as bread, cereal, and sugar, they will gain weight. I believe in this misconception to such a great extent that I avoided carbohydrates entirely. As a result, my blood glucose levels were very low. I needed to do a lot of research to overcome my beliefs finally. Afterward, I adopted the philosophy of “everything in moderation” as a key to a healthy lifestyle.

For example: Idea: I was brought up to think that carbohydrates make people gain weight. Analysis: Most people think that if they eat any carbohydrates, such as bread, cereal, and sugar, they will gain weight. I believe in this misconception to such a great extent that I avoided carbohydrates entirely. As a result, my blood glucose levels were very low. I needed to do a lot of my own research to finally overcome my beliefs. After, I adopted the philosophy of “everything in moderation” as a key for having a healthy lifestyle.

Step 4: Make Connections Between Your Observations, Experiences, and Opinions

Try to connect your ideas and insights to form a cohesive picture for your theme. You can also try to recognize and break down your assumptions, which you may challenge in the future.

There are some subjects for reflection papers that are most commonly written about. They include:

• Book – Start by writing some information about the author’s biography and summarize the plot—without revealing the ending to keep your readers interested. Make sure to include the names of the characters, the main themes, and any issues mentioned in the book. Finally, express your thoughts and reflect on the book itself.
• Course – Including the course name and description is a good place to start. Then, you can write about the course flow, explain why you took this course, and tell readers what you learned from it. Since it is a reflection paper, express your opinion, supporting it with examples from the course.
• Project – The structure for a reflection paper about a project has identical guidelines to that of a course. One of the things you might want to add would be the pros and cons of the course. Also, mention some changes you might want to see, and evaluate how relevant the skills you acquired are to real life.
• Interview – First, introduce the person and briefly mention the discussion. Touch on the main points, controversies, and your opinion of that person.

Writing Tips

Everyone has their style of writing a reflective essay – and that's the beauty of it; you have plenty of leeway with this type of paper – but there are still a few tips everyone should incorporate.

Before you start your piece, read some examples of other papers; they will likely help you better understand what they are and how to approach yours. When picking your subject, try to write about something unusual and memorable — it is more likely to capture your readers' attention. Never write the whole essay at once. Space out the time slots when you work on your reflection paper to at least a day apart. This will allow your brain to generate new thoughts and reflections.

• Short and Sweet – Most reflection papers are between 250 and 750 words. Don't go off on tangents. Only include relevant information.
• Clear and Concise – Make your paper as clear and concise as possible. Use a strong thesis statement so your essay can follow it with the same strength.
• Maintain the Right Tone – Use a professional and academic tone—even though the writing is personal.
• Cite Your Sources – Try to cite authoritative sources and experts to back up your personal opinions.
• Proofreading – Not only should you proofread for spelling and grammatical errors, but you should proofread to focus on your organization as well. Answer the question presented in the introduction.

'If only someone could write my essay !' you may think. Ask for help our professional writers in case you need it.

Do You Need a Well-Written Reflection Paper?

Then send us your assignment requirements and we'll get it done in no time.

How To Write A Reflection Paper?

How to start a reflection paper, how long should a reflection paper be.

Daniel Parker

is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

Related Articles

We use cookies to improve your experience on our site and to show you personalised advertising. To find out more, read our privacy policy and cookie policy

• Academic skills and study support
• Online study skills resources
• Assessments

Reflective writing

This resource defines what reflective writing is, what value it offers you and strategies on how to do it.

What is reflective writing?

Reflective writing differs from other kinds of university writing that you may be more familiar with. It involves “consciously thinking about and analysing what one has done (or is doing)” and uses the first person (Bolton 2005). A reflective piece of writing requires you to map the progress and changes in your thinking about a subject, topic, or a learning journey and make sense of it. However, reflective writing is more than a description of your observations or thoughts. More than merely summarising what happened, it involves critically evaluating such experiences, thinking about the connection between theory and practice, and linking these ideas with what you have learned from your coursework. Reflection involves thinking about why we do things and whether they have gone as we thought they would, why we think they may have worked well, and how we might do them differently next time (Grellier and Goerke 2006).

Note how the following example goes beyond merely describing the events. Also notice how the student is using the ‘first person’ (e.g. ‘I’, 'me').

What a reflection isn’t

• a diary entry, emotional dump, a rant or a place to vent
• straightforward decision or judgement (e.g. about whether something is right or wrong, good or bad)
• a summary of course notes
• a standard university essay
• just conveying information, instruction or argument
• pure description, though there may be some descriptive elements.

In contrast to the previous example, the excerpt below demonstrates a poor example of reflection. The student is venting rather than reflecting. The student does not offer any insight into what has happened by drawing on the literature to explain the ‘why’. You would expect this in a personal diary - but not in an academic setting.

I am so over this group assignment. The others are just soooo annoying! We’re supposed to do this presentation together & nobody is doing anything! I tried to get them to consider me as a leader and John started complaining about how we live in a democratic system and we shouldn’t hassle each other (like what, who says that!?). He thinks things will happen spontaneously. I was only trying to help get this stupid assignment done & they don’t even appreciate the seriousness of this. I can’t afford to fail. I’ve always been a good student and I don’t want my WAM to fall because of these frustrating and lazy people. I have to think of my future!

What value does reflective writing offer me?

You may be asking yourself ‘why do I have to do this?’ or thinking ‘I am not going to learn anything from this task - what a waste of time’. However, you may be surprised to know that most successful people, such as Richard Branson, reflect on a daily basis. They reflect upon what worked and what didn’t; they then use this to learn and to improve themselves. Reflective writing allows you to stand back and assess your work in a more detached light especially if you go that step further and read scholarly papers that help you to think through some of the themes that affect the task you’re working on. Examining both your positive and negative experiences can help you understand why you tend to approach things in certain ways and avoid others. Reflecting is a valuable skill to possess not only during university, but in your professional and personal life as well.

Reflective writing can:

• improve critical and lateral thinking
• challenge current thinking and bring to light alternative solutions
• be an opportunity to gain self-knowledge and to learn from failures and past mistakes
• achieve clarity, a deeper understanding of what you are learning and make meaning out of what you study
• demonstrate to your lecturers your understanding so they can guide and assist you more effectively
• reveal how you have changed when you look back on it at a later date
• give you confidence in dealing with the uncertainties of professional life
• bring about a greater awareness of personal values, relationships, ethics, prejudices, assumptions, decision-making processes that can influence how you work
• offer an analysis of your fears and knowledge/skills gaps.

Reflective practice and learning styles

We are all different and none of us learns in any one way. Some of us (convergent learners) like to answer the ‘what?’ and ‘how?’ questions whereas others (divergent learners) like to answer the ‘why?’ and ‘how?’ questions. This is why not everyone will find reflective writing easy, but it is a highly valued skill that you must develop.

What will I be asked to reflect on?

• A practical learning experience within a course (e.g. clinical placement in nursing)
• A response to a text (e.g. what you agree or disagree with)
• A past experience (e.g. going on exchange)
• A review of your learning in a subject or on a topic (e.g. comparisons between new and prior knowledge)

Types of reflections

The type of reflection you will be asked to do will depend on your field of study and your lecturer’s preference. You may be asked to keep a learning journal or logbook, to engage in peer review or self-assessment, or simply asked to write a reflective essay. Lecturers can ask you to organise reflective writing in a structured or unstructured way. A structured way could involve the use of guiding questions or topics that you must answer. An unstructured way involves the lecturer asking you to ‘write a reflection’ on a given activity or experience.

You may also use a reflective framework, which can be a useful tool to guide and structure your reflection; however, if you are planning to use a reflective framework that has not been provided by the subject lecturer, it would be best to check with the lecturer’s first. Have a look through the frameworks below to consider how you might be able to use them in future reflective tasks.

EXAMPLES OF REFLECTIVE FRAMEWORKS

• Rolfe’s minimal model : a basic starting point to get you thinking reflectively
• DIEP : a useful guide to write a critical or academic reflection, such as an essay, by putting each topic into four paragraphs
• Kolb’s reflective cycle : a useful guide for practical experiences, such as internships or placements
• Gibb’s reflective cycle or video : a useful guide for learning journals and practical experiences, such as group work
• The 5Rs framework : a useful framework for reflecting on coursework or practical experiences, such as projects 

Further resources

• Examples of reflective writing, such as an engineering report, social science fieldwork report and a learning journal
• A brief overview of reflective writing and some quick tips
• The difference between essays, reports and reflective writing
• Bolton, G 2005, Reflective practice: writing and professional development , SAGE, London.
• Grellier, J and Goerke, V 2006, Communication Skills Toolkit: Unlocking the Secrets of Tertiary Success , Thomson, Melbourne.

How to Write Reflective Logs and Diaries

What are reflective logs and reflective diaries.

Reflective Logs and Reflective Diaries (as they are sometimes called) are common requirements in UK university assessments. For many courses, it is essential for students to be able to effectively analyse their own progress and apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations. This will enable them to become strong, independent practitioners.

A Reflective Log is a perfect way to encourage this approach alongside with reflective reports . It is essentially a log or diary that contains regular entries by the student, detailing their experiences and emotions with regard to their learning process. Reflective Logs and Reflective Diaries should also include references to relevant theories to connect the student’s academic knowledge with their practical work. The log can be used to verify a student’s intellectual engagement with the course material or practical assignments, as well as their independent work outside of lectures and seminars.

How to Write a Reflective Log

It is normally expected that students will maintain a Reflective Log throughout a module or module component. Diary entries should be made at regular intervals. Some courses will require students to hand in their entries periodically throughout the course, while others will simply set a final deadline for submission of the log as a whole.

Students often have the option of entering their Reflective Logs and Reflective Diaries online. Many find quicker and easier than a traditional hand-written diary. For others, the physical process of writing something by hand can help stimulate their reflective mindset. Furthermore, some courses provide structured log entry forms that students must use.

Regardless of which format is chosen, the Reflective log should be kept diligently and students should aim to include as much critical reflective material as possible, often supported with reference to academic resources and lecture materials.

What to Include in Reflective Logs?

The specific content requirements of a reflective log vary depending on the course and subject matter, but the overall approach is always the same. Typically, students are asked to note down their personal responses to lectures or training sessions. This involves a brief summary of the activity and a serious and detailed account of the student’s exploration of it. Unlike other forms of academic assignment, in Reflective Logs students are encouraged to express their thoughts and emotions. In many ways, a Reflective Log provides a self-analysis of the student and their skill development.

You should also be sure to provide some kind of evidence to support your claims. These can be references to particular achievements or mentions of theoretical course material. This will ensure your log or diary is not too informal or casual. It will also meet the academic standards expected at a higher level of study.

In addition, special attention should be paid to any activities where the student was particularly challenged or struggled to complete tasks effectively. This is an essential part of the learning process. Examiners want to see that a student was resourceful enough to apply their acquired knowledge to eventually overcome any initial failings.

Keys to Success

• Be Critical – A Reflective Log requires a slightly less formal approach than essays or exams. That said, you should still be sure that it is a serious and critical piece of scholarly work. The best way to do this is to focus more on the analysis of events than their description. Although you need to state what actions were undertaken, this should be brief and to the point. Save the extended descriptions for your analysis of those descriptions.
• Be Specific – Also make sure that you are very specific in your language use. For example, it is not sufficient to write that you felt anxious or worried during a particular task. Instead, be very clear about which aspects concerned you and why. Also, state how you dealt with that anxiety. Similarly, if a found a task very easy, be sure to consider why you felt that way, and how you could improve even more. Write about the ways that specific elements of tasks were useful to your skill development. Note how they helped you understand the theoretical content of the module.
• Be Thorough – A Reflective Log normally requires students to write about all the processes surrounding their practical experience. You are expected to include thorough discussions of the planning stages, the tasks themselves, the outcome of tasks, your critical reflection on them, and a subsequent plan for your future development.
• Use Evidence – The log or diary should also include a good amount of supporting evidence to back up your reflective claims. Most obviously you can refer to concrete examples of your actions or experiences. Rather than simply stating you became confident using a certain method, describe precisely what actions you undertook. What elements of that action helped you to become practised at specific skills. You can also use evidence from established sources, such as scholarly journals, theoretical texts, and industry publications. These can be used to support your assertions of your own development, both through reference to relevant theories and to common approaches to practice within your field.
• Develop a Structure – Writing a Reflective Log will be much easier if you develop a consistent structure that can be used for all the entries. Some students find it helpful to divide each entry into the stages of the task (planning, action, reflection, etc) and write about them separately. Others prefer to divide the entries according to the thematic content of the writing (description, reflection, evidence, analysis). Having a consistent approach like this makes the actual task of writing much quicker, and it also ensures a clear format for readers and examiners.

What to Do if you Fall Behind with your Reflective Log

While students are expected to maintain the log as an ongoing activity throughout a course, sometimes circumstances prohibit this. Although neglecting to maintain a Reflective Log is not something that should be encouraged, it is possible to catch up if you’ve failed to make entries on a regular basis. In actuality, this makes the task of writing Reflective Logs and Reflective Diaries much more difficult, but it IS possible.

If you fall behind, the easiest way to catch up on Log entries is to review your notes for each date and try to remember the experiences and emotions you felt at that time. If you are writing several log entries all at once, try to recollect your feelings about the subject matter at the date of the entry.

What is Expected of my Reflective Diary?

Part of the expectation for Reflective Logs is to track a student’s learning process over the course of a module. Therefore, when writing overdue log entries it is very important to demonstrate an evolution of knowledge and confidence. You can do this by remembering your feelings at various stages of the course and expressing some concerns about your abilities early on. In later entries, you can use a more confident and self-assured tone.

Writing Reflective Logs and Reflective Diaries is a very useful experience for most UK students. It helps them understand their own strengths and weaknesses. It is a relatively simple assignment and a good opportunity to improve your course marks overall!

Matin Hampton, University of Portsmouth, 2013. Reflective Writing: A Basic Introduction. Retrieved from https://www.port.ac.uk/student-life/help-and-advice/study-skills/written-assignments/reflective-writing-introduction. Last Accessed 01 Oct, 2020.

Ursula Lucas and Leng Tan, 2007. Developing a Reflective Capacity Within Undergraduate Education: The role of work-based placement learning. York: Higher Education Academy.

Pete Watton, Jane Collings and Jenny Moon, 2001. Reflective Writing: Guidance Notes for Students.

You may also like

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Higher education students’ reflective journal writing and lifelong learning skills: insights from an exploratory sequential study.

• 1 Kinneret College on the Sea of Galilee, Kinneret, Israel
• 2 Hadassah Academic College, Jerusalem, Israel

Reflective journal (RJ) writing has been recognized as an effective pedagogical tool for nurturing students’ lifelong learning skills. With the paucity of empirical work on the dimensionality of reflective writing, this research sought to qualitatively analyze students’ RJ writing and design a generic reflection scheme for identifying dimensions of reflective thinking. Drawing on the theoretical scheme, another aim was to design and validate a questionnaire to measure students’ perceptions of their reflective writing experiences. The last aim was to quantitatively measure the link between perceived reflective writing and students’ tendency to use RJs in their future careers and personal lives. This exploratory sequential research included the following steps: First, experts’ review and analysis of 1312 RJ entries were attained. This step led to the design of a theoretical scheme of reflective writing and a 31-item questionnaire, used to gather data from 171 students (second-year pre-service teachers and third-year health managers). Partial Least Squares analysis corroborated the structure suggested by the theoretical scheme: two timelines–reflections regarding the current course assignments and those related to the student’s future development. Students’ tendency to use reflective skills in their future professional lives was highly connected to their long-term reflections, including learning experiences linked to academic, professional, personal, and multicultural development. The current study’s suggested validated generic scheme can be adapted and integrated into different curricula, thereby possibly increasing the potential of infusing RJ instructional strategies into higher education curricula, improving the quality of reflection in student journals, and promoting lifelong learning skills.

Introduction

The ability to reflect on one’s learning is a fundamental skill necessary for lifelong learning ( Ryan, 2015 ). Therefore, encouraging students to engage in reflective practices has been acknowledged as an essential goal in higher education for effectively preparing students for their subsequent professional experiences ( Adie and Tangen, 2015 ). While the potential of reflective practices to engender lasting and effective changes in students’ lives is widely recognized ( Waggoner-Denton, 2018 ), a somewhat opaque landscape emerges in terms of identifying the dimensionality of reflection and the potential connection between using reflective writing and subsequent adoption of reflective practice into students’ personal or professional lives ( Griggs et al., 2018 ). Indeed, while some previous investigation has explored the issues of measuring reflection and assessing student reflective journal (RJ) writing (e.g., Kember et al., 2008 ), a widely accepted method for identifying and assessing reflection does not exist ( Waggoner-Denton, 2018 ).

To address these issues, the present research sought to analyze pre-service teachers’ and health managers’ RJ writing and design a generic reflection scheme for identifying dimensions of reflective thinking. Drawing on the theoretical scheme, another aim was to design and validate a questionnaire to measure students’ perceptions of their reflective writing experiences. The last aim was to quantitatively measure the links between perceived reflective writing and students’ tendency to use RJs in their future professional and personal lives.

This exploratory sequential mixed-methods study aims to make two contributions to higher education literature on reflective practices. The first is to design and validate a comprehensive and generic practical scheme for prompting questions designed to promote future professionals’ higher-order thinking skills by using written journals. The second is to provide insights into how pre-service teachers and health managers reflect upon their learning and how they perceive this experience. This study could also shed light on the potential connections between perceived reflective learning processes and the tendency to use skills acquired during these processes in future professional and personal settings.

Literature Review

Reflectivity: a license for lifelong learning.

Lifelong learning is an approach whereby the individual engages in a continuous process of adjusting his/her capabilities in relation to the changing expectation of the work and learning environments ( Archer, 2007 ). From this stems the broad definition of lifelong learning as learning activities experienced throughout life aimed at improving “knowledge, skills and competence, within a personal, civic, social and/or employment-related perspective” ( Commission of the European Communities [CEC], 2001 , p. 9). This definition relates to all areas of life that could be relevant to the individual’s and society’s coping with 21st-century challenges.

Arguably, in the current fluid and changing conceptual age ( McWilliam, 2017 ), individuals must actively manage their capabilities in a meaningful manner. Individuals who are able to reorient themselves in new ways are more likely to have a sense of agency ( Ryan, 2015 ). Effective choices require a reflective approach to learning; hence, lifelong learning generally necessitates self-regulation and self-assessment. Reflection, which is regarded as a formative self-assessment, is deemed essential in contemporary higher education settings. Self-assessment is our utilization of the information and feedback we receive from multiple sources. Schön (1983) maintained that through reflection, the practitioner can make new sense of uncertain situations.

Reflective Journals

One active learning method designed to promote higher-order thinking skills is the RJ, also referred to as learning diaries/journals, or learning/response logs. RJ is perceived as a vehicle for reflection ( Moon, 2006 ). RJs were defined as “written documents that students create as they think about various concepts, events, or interactions over a period of time for the purposes of gaining insights into self-awareness and learning” ( Thorpe, 2004 , p. 328). Journal writing is related to metacognition as it, “slows the pace of learning, increases the sense of ownership of learning, and… has been described as a bridge across which learners can move from the specific to the general, while developing a habit of reflection” ( Cowan, 2014 . p. 54).

This tool aims to express the self-observation of the learning process and evidence of reflection ( Wallin and Adawi, 2018 ). An essential benefit of this assessment tool is the creation of an environment where students feel encouraged and safe to express their concerns and explore their thoughts, to reflect on their beliefs, values, experiences, and assumptions that influence their learning, as well as their development and progress over time ( Minott, 2008 ). RJs can also affect the behavior, as indicated by Fabriz et al. (2014) , during the reflection stage, the learners evaluate their work and judge if the goal has been attained. Following this judgment, they react and regulate their behavior with regard to further learning processes. Thus, the outcome of a prior learning process informs the subsequent learning process.

Indeed, research into the use of RJs to encourage higher-order thinking skills is a growing field in higher education research and practice ( Bell et al., 2011 ). Therefore, engaging students in reflective practices has been recognized as a central goal for learning and transformation and for preparing students effectively for their future professional lives ( McCarthy, 2011 ; Ryan, 2015 ); for improving students’ lifelong learning and professional practice in higher education ( Ryan, 2011 ); for effectively functioning in a diverse and complex practice environment ( McGuire et al., 2009 ) and; for gaining pedagogical insights from learning activities ( Hume, 2009 ).

While previous work on critical reflection is fragmented and lacks a clear and widely accepted definition, some studies have explored the issues of measuring reflection and evaluating student RJs. For example, drawing on previous work ( Boud et al., 1985 ; Mezirow, 1991 ), Wong et al. (1995) designed a protocol that required identifying instances of the use of elements such as attending to feelings, association, and integration. However, it was argued by Kember et al. (2000 , 2008) that employing this scheme is challenging for those unfamiliar with the literature. Therefore, they developed criteria to evaluate the existing coding schemes employed to assess students’ reflective practice in a nursing education context. Their first attempt to develop a protocol, in which the categories were too fine-grained, led to the developing of a simpler scheme with fewer categories. A questionnaire they developed to measure levels of reflective thinking was designed and then validated with four scales: habitual action/non-reflection, understanding, reflection, and critical reflection. To achieve consistency between the quantitative and qualitative methods of determining levels of reflection, a four-category scheme was developed and recommended to be performed at the whole-journal level to ascertain the highest level of reflection of each individual student ( Kember et al., 2008 ).

Several studies have employed this coding scheme ( Thorpe, 2004 ; Samkin and Francis, 2008 ; Bell et al., 2011 ), using a small sample size of students in only a few disciplines. For example, Bell et al. (2011) evaluated the validity of this coding scheme in a business education context, by coding students’ RJ entries based on the proposed scheme. It should be noted that the assessment process required three independent coders. Each coder was familiarized with the theoretical framework of Kember et al.’s (2000 ; 2008 ) coding scheme. The coders then independently coded one page of the entry. The codes allocated by the coders were compared. Yet, the authors asserted that it may not be practical to do such detailed coding with a larger cohort of students. Moreover, they argued that it is not appropriate to use the scheme as a mechanism for assessment, and they questioned the grading process by contending, for example, that the highest level of reflection does not necessarily represent the broad spectrum of reflection that may be encompassed in the student’s writing.

While in the studies mentioned above unstructured reflective writing was assessed (i.e., in which students were simply prompted to “reflect” on their performance without detailed guidance on what to include in their entries) other researchers such as Waggoner-Denton (2018) , who incorporated a reflective learning journal into an introductory statistics course, pointed out a major challenge in this learning method, for researchers and students alike. Some students, they argued, may find the writing process to be particularly burdensome. To circumvent this problem, it was suggested to provide students with more specific prompts for their journal entries ( Learning to Learn Project, 2002 ), for example, “what strategy have I used in learning this topic?” or “what is learning?” These structured journals may assist students in recognizing difficulties and prevent more personal reflection from occurring ( Waggoner-Denton, 2018 ). Self-monitoring prompts help students think about their learning approaches and processes, thereby making them visible ( English and Kitsantas, 2013 ; Moussa-Inaty, 2015 ; Wallin and Adawi, 2018 ).

Other researchers also underscored the effectiveness of using prompts in RJs. For example, Molee et al. (2011) assessed students’ depth of learning and critical thinking through reflection in service-learning courses at a public university. Prompting questions were used to help students address their academic enhancement, personal growth, or civic engagement as they examine each specific learning objective in their reflection process. The participants followed specific prompts to guide their reflections. For example, they were asked to provide objective descriptions of their experiences by answering questions such as Who? What? Where? When? Analytic evaluations were prompted by asking the students to make a reasoned judgment. The researchers also used questions to help students revise their reflections (e.g., “what goals shall I set in accordance with what I have learned, to improve myself, the quality of my learning, or the quality of my future experiences or service?” p. 243). Based on their study, prompting questions were found useful in documenting student learning. Yet, students had difficulty evaluating their learning and thinking critically. The authors ascribed these limitations to the novelty of the tool and to participants’ insufficient experience with reflection processes.

Similarly, Krauskopf et al. (2018) investigated the meta-cognitive awareness of teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). The authors supported the notion that prompting teachers to reflect on the personal perceptions of their professional knowledge might improve their performance in lesson designing. Prompting questions stimulated reflective discussion, engaged the participants in meta-cognitive development, and enabled them to create subjective interpretations of their knowledge, thus supporting their individualized growth. The findings suggested that the process aided teachers in reflecting on their professional knowledge and in determining their own professional development. In a similar vein, Verpoorten et al. (2012) assessed the effects of prompting questions in an online course. The structured opportunities for reflection were perceived as useful to reflection and learning. The authors suggested nesting prompts in the study material during learning activities to induce ongoing mental tingling for self-evaluation.

The Dimensionality of Reflective Writing

Drawing on metacognition theory, the Learning to Learn Project (2002) , and recently the Assessment Tools for Higher Education Learning Environments ( Assessment Tools for Higher Education Learning Environments [ASSET], 2020 ) ERASMUS+ project teams created a bank of prompt questions systematically organized around three dimensions of essential metacognitive abilities for independent, reflective learners. These dimensions of metacognitive reflection are awareness, evaluation, and regulation ( Brown, 1987 ; Jacobs and Paris, 1987 ; Magiera and Zawojewski, 2011 ). Awareness, or metacognitive knowledge, is a state in which the individual is aware of what s/he knows (tasks, specific knowledge). Evaluation is a process in which a person is thinking about the effectiveness and limitations of his or her mind, and the effectiveness of his/her chosen strategy. Metacognitive regulation is a state in which a person thinks about his/her strategic planning and goal setting and involves the actions s/he takes in order to learn ( Sandi-Urena et al., 2011 ; Purnomo and Bekti, 2017 ). While there is considerable literature on metacognitive abilities for reflective learners, scholars (e.g., Archer, 2010 ) argued that reflective tasks often exclude affective dimensions of learning and are mainly focused on the cognitive level rather than the emotional one. As students learn in different ways in diverse learning styles, it is important to enable them to reflect on their own learning styles, skills, situation, and motivations.

In addition to the cognitive and affective levels, for learning to produce ongoing benefits for both the learner and the work or learning environment, it must involve the learner’s active engagement. Reflective learning processes should prompt a deliberative action. Critical reflection is only achieved if action ensues. Metacognitive thinking skills alone will fail to address the social contexts and structures that influence learning. Thus, these processes should include a reflective interplay between individuals and social structures to understand and change courses of action chosen by individuals ( Ryan, 2015 ).

In contrast to the numerous studies on the topic of metacognitive reflection dimensions in science education ( Magiera and Zawojewski, 2011 ; Zohar and Barzilai, 2013 ; Stanton et al., 2015 ), there is a dearth of empirical work related to these components in the context of reflective writing in teacher education. The importance of incorporating reflection into teacher education is highlighted for example by Bailes et al. (2010) , who asserted that complex situations often occur in schools, and the need to engage in lifelong learning underlies the rationale for integrating reflection into teacher education. The review of literature since 1995 of reflective practice in teacher education ( Standal and Moe, 2013 ) which pointed to pre-service teachers’ inability to reflect critically, substantiates the call to use reflection in teacher training programs.

Metacognitive reflection dimensions are also considered core competencies of healthcare professionals ( Lajoie et al., 2019 ). Medical residents are expected to identify their own knowledge gaps and to seek help from supervisors when they need it ( Bransen et al., 2020 ). To this end, they must continuously define their own learning needs, set personal goals, and engage in the most precise and appropriate learning activities for them. It means, in essence, that they have to self-regulate their learning and become metacognitively active participants in their own learning processes ( Lucieer et al., 2016 ). Therefore, self-regulated learning (SRL) is considered a core competence essential to the safeguarding of patient care ( Sandars and Cleary, 2011 ; Ericsson, 2015 ; Alt and Naamati-Schneider, 2021 ).

Despite the importance of these reflection components, students often struggle to regulate their learning in clinical learning environments due to the unpredictable and dynamic nature of clinical workplace environments ( Lucieer et al., 2016 ; Bransen et al., 2020 ). When they commence the clinical part of training, students tend to experience difficulties while interacting with patients and medical staff. In addition, they are required to transfer what they have learned to the workplace setting, to this end, they need to learn new material by using self-directed approaches to learning. In the early years of medical practice, medical staff bears many responsibilities related to the delivery of patient care. These are accompanied by an increased number of tasks initiated and performed independently. Hence aside from providing safe and efficient patient care, they are required to exhibit self-directed learning skills ( Teunissen and Westerman, 2011 ). Therefore, healthcare curricula are increasingly called upon to support metacognitive reflection as a central learning outcome by employing reflective writing to enable students to give meaning to their learning experiences ( Rajhans et al., 2020 ). The current study addresses one of such curricula–health systems management, aimed to train students at a high scientific and applied level in the fields of management based on knowledge and understanding related to public health, health systems, health policy and communication in therapist-patient relationships in clinical environments and clinical organizations. This training is necessary to produce graduates with integrated management and care abilities in this unique field. In recent years, the field of health systems management and health leadership development has evolved with the understanding that health systems and health organizations should be treated with a broader vision that includes a combination of clinical and managerial skills ( Kuhlmann and von Knorring, 2014 ; Gilbert et al., 2019 ).

Reflective Writing and Transfer of Learning

A central goal of education is to provide learning experiences that are useful beyond the specific conditions of initial learning ( Marton, 2006 ; Lobato, 2012 ). These experiences should be accompanied by reflective thinking that might instigate new ideas and actions for improvement. This notion was forward by Kolb (1984) who offered a model of experiential learning and suggested that learners must first reflect before they can move onto active experimentation. The model includes four cyclical stages of experiential learning: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and planning active experimentation. According to Kolb (1984) , “Learners […] must be able to reflect on and observe their experiences from many perspectives (RO). They must be able to create concepts that integrate their observations into logically sound theories (AC), and they must be able to use these theories to make decisions and solve problems (AE).” (p. 30).

Thus, the reflective practice encourages the learner to continue to learn from experience and bridge the gap between theory and practice and become a lifelong learner ( Kolb, 1984 ). Based on this theory, Brown et al. (2011) argued that reflection should be considered a pre-requisite for transfer of knowledge and skills across classroom and work contexts and that incorporating a reflection tool into the training design could facilitate transfer. Similarly, other researchers ( Asfeldt et al., 2018 ; Slade et al., 2019 ; Morris, 2020 ) underscored the importance of critical reflection in the process of learning and discussed its vital role as a mediator of meaning-making.

Griggs et al. (2018) examined the potential connection between reflective learning and the subsequent adoption of reflective practice in work. Their study examined RJs of 75 participants in a leadership development program, to assess their utility for facilitating transfer. Among other results, their findings suggested that organizational training can benefit from using reflective tools, such as RJs, to enhance transfer. The participants have been encouraged and taught to “see things differently” (p. 9) and critically evaluate other perspectives and recognize the complexity of reality. The combination of expert knowledge with instruction on how to use reflective tools contributed to the emergence of mature professionals relative to the perspectives they held prior to their professional program. The researchers argued, however, that the evidence to support and inform reflective practice in curriculum interventions remains largely theoretical. They stressed the lack of empirical data to indicate that the development of reflection in an academic context has long-term and definitively benefits most learners. Thus, in contrast to the plethora of literature on the teaching and learning of reflection ( Hume, 2009 ; McGuire et al., 2009 ; Bailes et al., 2010 ; Brown et al., 2011 ; Dyment and O’Connell, 2011 ; McCarthy, 2011 ; Cowan, 2014 ; Adie and Tangen, 2015 ; Ryan, 2015 ), the dearth of evidence concerning transfer is inescapable.

Thus, arguably, when students are guided to reflect deeply on their learning, they are further encouraged to contextualize their learning in relation to their current academic and future professional lives ( Dyment and O’Connell, 2011 ; Adie and Tangen, 2015 ). Based on this notion, another set of dimensions for questions to prompt students to engage in reflection processes was set by the Learning to Learn Project (2002) team. The first, “Explore a learning experience,” deals with the specific and the immediate. This helps improve students’ current performance. The second concerns lifelong learning skills or long-term issues, which help students recognize the relevance of their learning to their academic, professional, or personal development.

Research Aims, Questions, and Hypotheses

Accompanying the lack of consensus regarding the optimal means of assessment of reflective practices is a paucity of empirical work on the dimensionality of reflective writing, in general, and in higher education, in particular. Therefore, this research sought to analyze students’ RJ writing, design a reflection scheme, and design and validate a questionnaire based on the scheme, aimed at measuring higher education students’ perceptions of reflective writing experiences. Moreover, unlike much of the existing research on RJ writing, this study sought to quantitatively measure the connection between perceived reflective writing and students’ tendency to transfer their acquired RJ writing skills to their future professional and personal lives, according to their own reporting. To this end, an exploratory sequential research design was employed in which the researcher begins with qualitative data and then collects quantitative information. This design is often used to identify themes, design an instrument, and subsequently test it ( Creswell, 2012 ).

In line with previous research, asserting that activities that foster deep learning such as reflective writing may lead to greater transfer (e.g., Brown et al., 2011 ; Griggs et al., 2018 ), two hypotheses were evaluated. It was expected that students’ perceived reflective writing skills they have gained during the learning process will be positively connected to their perceived tendency to transfer RJ writing practices to their work environment–professional lives ( H1 ), and to their personal lives ( H2 ). An effort will be made to detect different trajectories within each sample group, as presented below.

Materials and Methods

Participants.

Data were gathered from 141 students, of whom 75 undergraduate second-year Education students (pre-service teachers) from one major college located in northern Israel, and 66 undergraduate third-year students of Management of Health Service Organizations program from a central academic college in Israel. Students in this track are exposed to management studies and specific studies in the fields of environment and clinical care and are therefore required to develop relevant and specific abilities required in these fields, as part of adapting health systems to the needs of the changing professional requirements. Their extensive training enables the development of management and organizational skills alongside the development of personal vision as therapists in clinical environments. Most of the students in this track are therefore students who come from clinical therapeutic fields and are part of the health system and have a background and experience in clinical organizations, and they seek to advance and expand their academic knowledge beyond the therapeutic field to the administrative field. Such an integrated degree enables advancement in the field while having a broad multidisciplinary vision, taking into account systemic considerations.

Eighty-one percent of the students were females. The distribution regarding ethnicity was: 23.6% Jewish students, 75% Muslim students, and 1.4% Christian students (Arabic native speakers), with a mean age of 25.58 ( SD = 6.89) years. The questionnaire was submitted to them by the end of the course. Prior to obtaining participants’ written consent, it was specified that the questionnaires were anonymous, and the participants were assured that no specific identifying information about the courses would be processed. The research was approved by the college’s Ethics Committee.

The procedure included the design of a new measurement to assess students’ perceptions of reflective writing experiences. RJ was used in two courses (see descriptions below). Experts’ review and analysis of the RJ entries were attained. This step led to the design of a theoretical scheme of reflective writing. Next, the RJ scale’s item formulation was based on the newly developed scheme. The instrument was distributed to a pilot group (38 students) to check for the overall clarity of the items; however, no changes were made because the pilot group participants reported no problems regarding the clarity of the scale’s items. The sample included 19 Education students and 19 Health students (80% females). To this end, convenience sampling was used–a non-probability sampling. The participants have voluntarily chosen to participate as a part of the pilot group. This type of sampling is most useful for pilot testing ( Creswell and Plano Clark, 2011 ; Zhou, 2019 ).

To formulate items related to transfer of learning, two statements were phrased. Next, to ascertain the structural validity and reliability of the newly developed questionnaire data were collected from pre-service teachers and Health Management students.

The pre-service teachers were enrolled in a mandatory two-semester course. The course included lectures and two group assignments. In the current course, 75 students were enrolled in the class. Regarding the pre-service teachers’ tasks, during the first month of the first semester, the RJ was mandatory but unstructured. In the second month, the instructor initiated a discussion about reflective writing and emphasized that the journals could help students perform better, learn more effectively, organize their thoughts and emotions, and track and evaluate their progress throughout the course. Students were told that reflective learning is about contemplating on what, why, and how they are learning ( Waggoner-Denton, 2018 ). A semi-structured RJ was provided, including several prompt questions, which the students could choose from to answer in each entry ( Learning to Learn Project, 2002 ; Assessment Tools for Higher Education Learning Environments [ASSET], 2020 ). These questions aimed to lead students to pinpoint the problems they were encountering during the learning process and to consider plans and remedies to solve them (e.g., “what strategy did you apply in learning this topic?”; “how can you make this strategy more effective?”; or “what techniques can you use to link your learning to prior knowledge and skills?”). Detecting personal blind spots and mental mind traps were also considered when developing the prompts (e.g., “describe the problems and challenges you had as a learner during the course or assignment”; or “evaluate the things about yourself you would like to improve”).

Yet, students could ponder upon things that had the greatest personal significance to them and freely convey them in writing. During the course, the students submitted a journal entry after each lesson in the first semester (805 entries in total). Entries were typically a single paragraph in length. In the second semester, students were required to submit four journal entries throughout the course. In this phase, an additional set of prompt questions was used, inviting students to think of learning experiences related to their future professional career or personal lives, using the above-mentioned semi-structured RJ method. During the second semester, a total of 264 entries were submitted. The instructor reviewed the entries after each lesson and ensured that each student had received at least two sets of feedback during the semester. Entries were typically three to four short paragraphs in length.

Concerning the health management course, 78 students of a Management of Health Service Organizations program (covering patient-doctor relations, quality of service in the healthcare system, and ethics and patient rights) were enrolled in a third-year course entitled “Assimilation of service quality in health systems” during the first semester. The course included lectures and two group assignments. The students were presented with a problem relevant to their course content, dealing with accreditation . The students in this research were asked to argue for or against the implementation of the accreditation process within hospitals. In the first assignment, the participants were asked to detail five arguments to establish their decision by using a concept map. In the second assignment, relying on the materials taught in their courses, the students were asked to obtain the necessary supporting information to substantiate their arguments. The students were asked to relate to their personal learning process by writing a RJ in which they were instructed by the lecturer to write about their self-perceived progress from their preliminary argument to a more complex one and describe their challenges and gains in light of the experience. Students were required to write and submit four journal entries throughout the course by using a set of prompt questions using the above-mentioned semi-structured RJ method (243 entries in total were obtained). The instructors in both courses were trained by Erasmus+ project’s experts ( Assessment Tools for Higher Education Learning Environments [ASSET], 2020 ). This project was aimed at adapting learning and assessment methods to different courses in higher education settings. Therefore, the content and activities in each course were not identical, as each lecturer could employ an activity according to his/her course objectives and use RJs to encourage reflective writing among students.

Data Analysis

In this study we used a mixed-method exploratory sequential research design. The qualitative data analysis was used to analyze the gathered materials and identify meaningful categories ( Glaser and Strauss, 1967 ). Drawing on the deductive approach, a categorical scheme suggested by the theoretical framework was used ( Learning to Learn Project, 2002 ). The inductive approach enabled identifying additional meaningful categories.

The journal entries (1312 in total) were reviewed, and their content was analyzed by four experts in the research field of health management, constructive learning, and assessment for lifelong learning. Inter-rater Cohen’s Kappa (k) reliability ( Cohen, 1960 ) was used. Based on this analysis, a theoretical scheme was designed. This step led to the formulation, addition, subtraction, and adaptation of items related to the identified categories. All item descriptions without consensus were excluded from the analysis. Descriptions that were identified as unclear or too similar to another description were omitted. As a result, the number of descriptions was reduced from 46 to 31. Two single-item variables were formulated to measure the students’ tendency to report the use of RJs in their future personal and professional lives: “I will use reflective writing in my personal life,” “I will use reflective writing in my work (e.g., in my current or future classroom).” A single-item construct is permitted in Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) ( Hair et al., 2017 ) used in this research for data analysis. Following Diamantopoulos et al.’s (2012) guidelines, a single-item construct should be considered to be used (rather than a multi-item scale) in research with a small sample size.

To assess factor structure validity and internal consistency of the developed questionnaire, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis using PLS-SEM ( Hair et al., 2017 ) with SmartPLS software were used. The latter technique was also used to assess the research hypotheses. This technique was chosen based on previous work ( Hair et al., 2017 ) showing that PLS-SEM is a powerful method to analyzing models using small sample sizes and which overcomes problematic model identifications when small samples are used.

Measurement Design and Evaluation

The journal entries (1312 in total) were reviewed, and their content was analyzed by four experts. Inter-rater Cohen’s Kappa (k) reliability ( Cohen, 1960 ), which is commonly assessed in psychological research, was used. The raters were asked to check the theoretical categorization, and to identify descriptions relating to those categories, or identify new categories that emerge from the data. In each step, the k values were interpreted as follows, k < 0.20 poor agreement; 0.21 < k < 0.40 fair agreement; 0.41 < k < 0.60 moderate agreement; 0.61 < k < 0.80 good agreement; 0.81 < k < 1.00 very good agreement. Results of 0.61 < k < 1 were considered acceptable for the purposes of the current study. All descriptions without consensus were discarded from the analysis.

The content analysis of the RJ entries revealed a reflection scheme comprising two dimensions: the first refers to students’ current experiences, or “short-term related reflections.” This dimension deals with students’ in-process experiences during the course. The reflection included the following levels:

(1) Cognitive–relates to the content of the course, learning skills, and learning purposes.

(2) Behavioral–refers to the student’s behavior during the learning process.

(3) Affective (emotional)–pertains to emotions that arose during the learning experience.

The second dimension concerns long-term related reflections and includes students’ learning experience in relation to their future from the aspects of:

(1) Academic development.

(2) Professional development.

(3) Personal development.

(4) Multicultural development.

In addition, three essential metacognitive abilities were foregrounded within the scheme:

(1) Awareness of one’s learning experience.

(2) Evaluation of the learning experience.

(3) Regulation in attitude and behavior to perform better in the future.

Table 1 illustrates the scheme and presents excerpts from the students’ RJ entries that substantiate its dimensions.

Table 1. Reflective writing scheme and students’ exemplary reflections.

Based on this analysis, the Reflective Journal Scale (RJs) was constructed including 31 items along two sub-scales: short-term (16 items) and long-term (15 items). All items were scored on a Likert-type score ranging from 1 = not true at all to 6 = completely true . Tables 2 , 3 show the scales of the RJs along with the items. The items of the scale were originally generated in Hebrew and subsequently translated to Arabic; yet, for the purpose of this manuscript, they were translated into English, and back-translated by professional translators.

Table 2. The short-term scale: factors, item descriptions, item loadings, and reliability results (Cronbach’s alpha) N = 141.

Table 3. The long-term scale: factors, item descriptions, item loadings, and reliability results (Cronbach’s alpha) N = 141.

Exploratory factor analysis is often used when the researcher has no expectations of the number or nature of the variables ( Henson and Roberts, 2006 ). Accordingly, all items ( N = 141) separately for each sub-scale were subjected to a principal axis factoring followed by a varimax rotation with an eigenvalue >1.00 as a criterion for determining the number of factors. The analysis of the short-term reflections sub-scale resulted in three factors, which accounted together for 63.20% of the variance. The results for the long-term reflections sub-scale showed four factors, which accounted together for 70.53% of the variance. Tables 2 , 3 present the item loadings (>0.40) on each of the factors and the computed internal consistencies (Cronbach’s alpha) for each factor, indicating sufficient reliability within the factors. Based on this analysis, item 17 was omitted due to a low loading result on its respective factor.

Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling was used to establish confirmatory validity for the RJs ( N = 141). Given the complexity of the constructs, in this analysis a hierarchical component model (HCM, Hair et al., 2017 ) was designed (Model 1, Figure 1 ). Informed by the above-described exploratory factor analysis, this measurement model included the following lower-order components (LOCs): Cognitive, Behavioral, and Affective levels–which captured the subdimensions of the short-term related reflections (short term scale) higher-order component (HOC); and academic, professional, personal, and multicultural–which captured the subdimensions of the long-term related reflections (long term scale) HOC. The short- and long-term HOCs informed the perception of RJ writing factor. This model can be considered a reflective-reflective HCM type which indicates reflective relationships between the LOCs and the HOCs, and all first-order constructs are measured by reflective indicators. To represent the perception of RJ writing factor’s HOCs, all the indicators from the LOCs were assigned to them in the form of a repeated indicators approach ( Hair et al., 2017 , p. 283). Bootstrapping routine indicated significant positive links between all LOCs and HOCs ( p = 0.000) ranging from β = 0.727 to β = 0.951.

Figure 1. Model 1. Analysis results of the examination of the reflective measurement model by SmartPLS.

Model Evaluation

The reflective measurement model assessment included composite reliability to evaluate internal consistency, individual indicator reliability (provided in Tables 2 , 3 ), and average variance extracted (AVE) to evaluate convergent validity. The evaluation also included discriminant validity by using the heterotrait-monotrait (HTMT) ratio of correlation ( Hair et al., 2017 ). Composite reliability takes into account the different outer loadings of the indicator variables, and varies between 0 and 1, with higher values indicating higher levels of reliability. Values of 0.60–0.70 are acceptable in exploratory research ( Hair et al., 2017 , p. 112). In the current analysis, the values ranged from 0.91 to 0.96.

Average variance extracted is defined as “the grand mean value of the squared loadings of the indicators associated with the construct” ( Hair et al., 2017 , p. 114). Thus, it is equivalent to the communality of the construct. An AVE value should be higher than 0.50 (i.e., the construct explains more than half of the variance of its indicators). AVE was calculated for the seven latent constructs (on the left, Figure 1 ) accompanied by their indicators and ranged from 0.612 to 0.846. Finally, HTMT was used to calculate the ratio of the between-trait correlations to the within-trait correlations. It is the mean of all correlations of indicators across constructs measuring different constructs. The threshold level of the HTMT should be below 0.90. HTMT was calculated for the seven latent constructs (on the left, Figure 1 ) and as shown in Table 4 , all values were below 0.90.

Table 4. Results of discriminant validity by using the heterotrait-monotrait (HTMT) ratio of correlation ( N = 141).

To assess H1 and H2 , Model 2 ( Figure 2 ) was constructed for the total sample ( N = 141). This parsimonious path model includes two independent constructs, represented in the model as cycles: The Short-term scale accompanied by its three indicators: Cognitive level, Behavioral level, and Affective level; and the Long-term scale with its four indicators: Personal Development, Academic Development, Professional Development, and Multicultural Development. The dependent constructs are RJ usage in professional life, and RJ usage in personal life. Relationships between the constructs as well as between the constructs and their assigned indicators are shown as arrows. In PLS-SEM, single-headed arrows, as shown between the constructs, are considered predictive relationships, and with strong theoretical support, can be construed as causal relationships. As illustrated in Figure 2 , paths were specified based on the proposed assumptions.

Figure 2. Model 2. Analysis results of the examination of the research hypotheses by SmartPLS ( N = 141).

Table 5 presents the bootstrapping routine results of the direct effects (Model 2). Both dependent variables (RJ usage in professional life and RJ usage in personal life) were positively explained by the independent variables. The highest coefficient result was shown between the Long-term scale and RJ usage in professional life, the lowest was detected between the Short-term Scale and RJ usage in professional life. H1 and H2 were confirmed.

Table 5. Significance analysis of the direct effects for each model.

Model 2 Evaluation

Collinearity was examined by the variance inflation factor (VIF) values of all sets of predictor constructs in the structural model. The results showed that the VIF values of all combinations of endogenous and exogenous constructs are below the threshold of 5 ( Hair et al., 2017 ) ranging from 1.00 to 2.52. The coefficient of determination ( R 2 ) value was also examined. R 2 for RJ usage in professional life (0.483) and RJ usage in personal life (0.350) can be considered moderate ( Hair et al., 2017 ). In addition to measuring the R 2 values, the change in the R 2 value when a specified exogenous construct is omitted from the model was used to evaluate its impact on the endogenous constructs. This measure is referred to as the f 2 effect size when values of 0.02, 0.15, and 0.35, respectively, represent small, medium, and large effects. Small effect size results were indicated between the Long-term Scale and RJ usage in personal life (0.031), the Short-term Scale and RJ usage in professional life (0.038), and between the Short-term Scale and RJ usage in personal life (0.078). A large effect was indicated between the Long-term Scale and RJ usage in professional life (0.162). Finally, the blindfolding procedure was used to assess the predictive relevance ( Q 2 ) of the path model. Values larger than 0 suggest that the model has predictive relevance for a certain endogenous construct ( Hair et al., 2017 ). The Q 2 value for RJ usage in professional life was 0.470 and for RJ usage in personal life Q 2 = 0.332.

To assess H1 and H2 for the pre-service teachers’ data Model 3 ( Figure 3 ) was constructed. This model is identical to Model 2, however, includes data gathered from pre-service teachers. Table 5 illustrates the results of this analysis. Both dependent variables (RJ usage in professional life and RJ usage in personal life) were positively and significantly explained by the independent variables. The highest coefficient result was shown between the Long-term scale and RJ usage in professional life.

Figure 3. Model 3. Analysis results of the examination of the research hypotheses by SmartPLS (pre-service teachers sample N = 75).

Model 3 Evaluation

Variance inflation factor values of all combinations of endogenous and exogenous constructs were found below the threshold of 5 and equal to 1.751. R 2 for RJ usage in personal life (0.411) and R 2 for RJ usage in professional life (0.483) can be considered moderate. Small effect size results were indicated between the Long-term Scale and RJ usage in personal life (0.067), and between the Short-term Scale and RJ usage in professional life (0.116). Large effects were indicated between the Short-term Scale and RJ usage in personal life (0.186), and between the Long-term Scale and RJ usage in professional life (0.212). The Q 2 value for RJ usage in professional life was 0.436 and for RJ usage in personal life Q 2 = 0.360.

To assess H1 and H2 for Health Management students Model 4 ( Figure 4 ) was constructed. This model is identical to Model 2, however, includes data gathered from Health Management students. Table 5 illustrates the results of this analysis. The dependent variables were significantly informed by the Long-term scale. Other coefficient results were found non-significant.

Figure 4. Model 4. Analysis results of the examination of the research hypotheses by SmartPLS (Health Management sample N = 66).

Model 4 Evaluation

Variance inflation factor values of all combinations of endogenous and exogenous constructs were found below the threshold of 5 and equal to 4.040. R 2 for RJ usage in personal life (0.389) and R 2 for RJ usage in professional life (0.605) can be considered moderate. Small f 2 effect size results were indicated between the Short-term Scale and each dependent variable and were equal to 0.006. A higher result was obtained between the Long-term scale and RJ usage in personal life (0.109). A large effect was indicated between the Long-term scale and RJ usage in professional life (0.302). The Q 2 value for RJ usage in professional life was 0.567 and for RJ usage in personal life Q 2 = 0.338. H1 and H2 were corroborated.

The present study’s overarching goal was to develop and validate a measurement to assess higher education students’ perceptions of RJ writing and their intention to transfer the knowledge and skills they acquired through the process to their work environment and/or personal lives. It also aimed to provide scores supporting evidence of reliability and validity that captures theoretical and new components of the construct. Drawing on the deductive approach, the qualitative data analysis was found to corroborate the dimensions suggested by the theory, i.e., the two timelines of reflections regarding the course assignments (the short-term scale) and those related to the students’ expected future development (the long-term scale).

Based on the inductive approach, pertaining to the short-term dimension, the current study elaborates on previous research by suggesting incorporating reflective writing in the learning process that provides students with opportunities to reflect on emotional aspects they experience during their learning. Previous and contemporary psychological studies on emotions in the fields of education and health professions ( Mortari, 2015 ; Huang et al., 2020 ; Barbagallo, 2021 ; Karnieli-Miller et al., 2021 ; Szenes and Tilakaratna, 2021 ) underscored the educative significance of affective self-assessment which is a reflective practice that enables students to explore and gain awareness of their own emotions. This practice includes managing emotions with self-regulating strategies. The present study adds to the corpus of knowledge by suggesting the use of RJ writing as a tool that enables students to reflect on emotions during their learning process. As illustrated by this study’s empirical model, emotional reflections are considered part of students’ in-process experiences during the course and may increase their tendency to use such reflective practices during their personal lives. Mortari (2015) explained this connection by stating that “educating a person to care for himself/herself is educating that person to understand the emotional life of the mind” (p. 159). Therefore, as suggested by this research, RJs can be considered a vital pedagogical tool that enables students to reflect on their emotions during their studies and to further integrate this practice into the fabric of their everyday lives.

Regarding the long-term scale, beyond the three contextual aspects found in theory (academic, professional, and personal), the analysis also revealed a contextual element referring to the development of a student’s multicultural openness. This element of accepting the “other” is considered an integral part of any discussion of lifelong learning ( Alt and Raichel, 2018 ) and is typically treated as a desired learning outcome of higher education ( Bowman, 2014 ). In the current research, multicultural students comprised the sample, therefore, it might be inferred that in such diverse learning environments, students may benefit from practices that enable them to reflect on cultural aspects related to their learning. According to the empirical model, this practice is perceived to be part of students’ long-term related reflections which include students’ learning experience in relation to their future and may increase their propensity to transfer reflective skills to their professional lives. This premise can be strengthened by Rushton and Duggan (2013) who suggested using reflective practices to enable multicultural students to engage more effectively in their personal and professional development. RJ writing is considered a “safe” practice where multicultural students felt they were able to openly communicate cultural challenges they encountered. Another pivotal aspect is the importance of incorporating reflection into the education of teachers, who may use this valuable practice in their future learning environments when working with diverse students and families ( Miller-Dyce and Owusu-Ansah, 2016 ).

The quantitative analysis corroborated the validity of the theoretical scheme of both scales (the long-term and short-term scales alike), in two different samples of pre-service teachers and health managers. Hence, whereas previous theoretical studies suggested some of the reflective dimensions, this study comprehensibly corroborated a holistic scheme incorporating cognitive, behavioral, and affective short-term and long-term related reflections, including students’ learning experience with relation to their future academic, professional, personal, and multicultural development.

In line with previous research suggesting that reflective writing may lead to a greater transfer of knowledge and skills to future settings ( Brown et al., 2011 ; Griggs et al., 2018 ), it was expected that students’ positive perceptions of the reflective writing skills they had gained during the process would be positively connected to their tendency to transfer the skills to their professional and personal lives. According to the PLS models, pre-service teachers and health managers mainly underscored the importance of long-term reflective skills for their tendency to use them in their future professional lives. This implies that encouraging students to think of a learning experience in the context of their long-term development might increase their tendency to use reflective skills in their future careers. Thus, it might be inferred that having students reflect on their learning experiences and, more importantly, discover how these experiences might be linked to their intrapersonal and interpersonal development ( National Research Council, 2012 ) might help them recognize the benefit of this tool and encourage them to transfer RJ skills to future activities.

Limitations and Recommendations for Future Research

Several limitations and directions for future research warrant mentioning. First, this study offers a new measurement scale that captures students’ perceptions of reflective writing skills. Future studies could further substantiate its validity by showing how it might be connected to scores from another instrument designed to assess a construct it would theoretically be related to; for example, deep approaches to learning ( Biggs et al., 2001 ). Second, in this study, students’ perception of transfer, and not their actual behavior, was measured; thus, observations of activities in a practical workplace setting were not gleaned. Based on the theory of planned behavior ( Ajzen, 1991 ) one may expect individuals to behave based on their pre-existing attitudes and behavioral intentions. However, future work should consider attaining observational data to further strengthen these assumptions. Third, the three dimensions of awareness, evaluation, and regulation, suggested by theory ( Magiera and Zawojewski, 2011 ) and foregrounded in the qualitative analysis conducted in the current study, were not validated in the quantitative analysis. The use of unrestrictive approaches such as structural similarity analysis could help reveal insights often overlooked by classical factor analysis methods ( Tucker-Drob and Salthouse, 2009 ), and are therefore recommended to uncover these dimensions.

Fourth, this study was conducted in a single country and was limited to health and education students; therefore, the results cannot necessarily be generalized to students of other regions and study tracks. Cross-cultural validation of the results is required to corroborate the structural and measurement models introduced in this study.

Conclusion and Implications

With the paucity of empirical work, the overarching aim of this research was to design a generic reflection scheme for identifying dimensions of reflective thinking and to validate a questionnaire to measure students’ perceptions of their reflective writing experiences. Lastly, this study sought to assess the connection between perceived reflective writing and students’ tendency to transfer this skill to their future careers and personal lives. The newly developed questionnaire items might collectively offer a bank of prompting questions organized in a validated theoretical scheme. Teachers may choose statements from the newly designed scale and formulate them as questions to inspire and assess different levels of reflective thinking in their students in line with the learning outcomes set by them. The questions can assist teachers in structuring the journals and helping students correctly understand and carry out the process of reflective thinking.

This study may also mitigate the main barrier in using RJ practices as formative assessment tools. RJ has been identified as a time-consuming task for teachers who need to invest extra time in checking and feedbacking such assignments when large groups of students are involved. Feedbacking is essential for students as it helps them identify their strengths and weaknesses during the learning process, while also being beneficial for teachers, who can use this information to adapt their instructional strategies to different ability learners ( Alt and Raichel, 2021 ). To tackle this challenge, teachers may use the proposed scheme developed in the current study and gradually administer the questions provided. For instance, during a continuous assignment, they can ask their students to submit several entries, each relating to a different level or dimension indicated in the scheme. Moreover, online learning environments could offer opportunities for reflection, helping students to focus on learning and to guide their engagement in reflection ( Saito and Miwa, 2007 ; Cheng, 2017 ). Reflection could be also combined with peer review (a form of reflective learning based on the theory of experiential learning, Kolb, 1984 ) and peer feedback to positively affect students’ SRL outcomes ( van den Boom et al., 2007 ; Yang, 2010 ).

Reflective writing has been identified as an effective pedagogical tool to spur students’ flexibility, adaptability, planning ability, and self-regulation of learning. These capabilities are becoming an essential and inseparable part of the array of tasks that characterize professionals in the 21st century. The current study’s suggested validated generic scheme can be adapted and integrated into different curricula, thereby possibly increasing the potential of infusing RJ instructional strategies into higher education curricula, improving the quality of reflection in student journals, and promoting lifelong learning skills.

Data Availability Statement

The datasets presented in this study can be found in online repositories. The names of the repository/repositories and accession number(s) can be found below: doi: 10.17632/8sndpz4s8k.1 .

Ethics Statement

The studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by Kinneret College Ethics Committee. The patients/participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.

Author Contributions

DA: conceptualization, data curation, writing–original draft preparation, and writing–reviewing and editing. NR: conceptualization, data curation, methodology, writing–original draft preparation, and writing–reviewing and editing. LN-S: data curation, methodology, and writing–original draft preparation. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s Note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Adie, L., and Tangen, D. (2015). “The use of multimodal technologies to enhance reflective writing in teacher education,” in Teaching Reflective Learning in Higher Education , ed. M. E. Ryan (New York, NY: Springer), 127–138. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-09271-3_9

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organ. Behav. Hum. Decis. Process. 50, 179–211. doi: 10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T

Alt, D., and Naamati-Schneider, L. (2021). Health management students’ self-regulation and digital concept mapping in online learning environments. BMC Med. Educ. 21:110. doi: 10.1186/s12909-021-02542-w

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Alt, D., and Raichel, N. (2018). Lifelong Citizenship: Lifelong Learning as a Lever for Moral and Democratic Values. Leiden: Brill and Sense Publishers.

Google Scholar

Alt, D., and Raichel, N. (2021). Equity and Formative Assessment in Higher Education: Advancing Culturally Responsive Assessment . Cham: Springer.

Archer, M. (2007). Making Our Way Through the World: Human Reflexivity and Social Mobility. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/CBO9780511618932

Archer, M. (2010). “Introduction: the reflexive re-turn,” in Conversations about Reflexivity , ed. M. Archer (London: Routledge), 1–14. doi: 10.1163/9789087906429_002

Asfeldt, M., Hvenegaard, G., and Purc-Stephenson, R. (2018). Group writing, reflection, and discovery: a model for enhancing learning on wilderness educational expeditions. J. Exp. Educ. 41, 241–260. doi: 10.1177/1053825917736330

Assessment Tools for Higher Education Learning Environments [ASSET] (2020). Erasmus+ Capacity Building in the Field of Higher Education. Brussels: Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.

Bailes, C. N., Hulsebosch, P., and Martin, D. S. (2010). Reflective journal writing: deaf pre-service teachers with hearing children. Teach. Educ. Spec. Educ. 33, 234–247. doi: 10.1177/0888406409356763

Barbagallo, M. S. (2021). Nursing students’ perceptions and experiences of reflective practice: a qualitative meta-synthesis. Teach. Learn. Nurs. 16, 24–31. doi: 10.1016/j.teln.2020.07.006

Bell, A., Kelton, J., McDonagh, N., Mladenovic, R., and Morrison, K. (2011). A critical evaluation of the usefulness of a coding scheme to categorise levels of reflective thinking. Assess. Eval. Higher Educ. 36, 797–815. doi: 10.1080/02602938.2010.488795

Biggs, J. B., Kember, D., and Leung, D. Y. P. (2001). The revised two factor study process questionnaire: R-SPQ-2F. Br. J. Educ. Psychol. 71, 133–149. doi: 10.1348/000709901158433

Boud, D., Keogh, R., and Walker, D. (1985). Reflection: Turning Experience into Learning. London: Kogan Page.

Bowman, N. A. (2014). Conceptualizing openness to diversity and challenge: its relation to college experiences, achievement, and retention. Innov. Higher Educ. 39, 277–291. doi: 10.1007/s10755-014-9281-8

Bransen, D., Govaerts, M. J., Sluijsmans, D. M., and Driessen, E. W. (2020). Beyond the self: the role of co-regulation in medical students’ self-regulated learning. Med. Educ. 54, 234–241. doi: 10.1111/medu.14018

Brown, A. (1987). “Metacognition, executive control, self-regulation, and other more mysterious mechanisms,” in Metacognition, Motivation, and Understanding , eds F. Weinert and R. Kluwe (Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum), 65–116.

Brown, T., McCracken, M., and O’Kane, P. (2011). ‘Don’t forget to write’: how reflective learning journals can help to facilitate, assess and evaluate training transfer. Hum. Resour. Dev. Int. 14, 465–481. doi: 10.1080/13678868.2011.601595

Cheng, G. (2017). The impact of online automated feedback on students’ reflective journal writing in an EFL course. Internet Higher Educ. 34, 18–27. doi: 10.1016/j.iheduc.2017.04.002

Cohen, J. (1960). A coefficient of agreement for nominal scales. Educ. Psychol. Meas. 20, 37–46. doi: 10.1177/001316446002000104

Commission of the European Communities [CEC] (2001). Making A European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality. Brussels: Communication from the commission.

Cowan, J. (2014). Noteworthy matters for attention in reflective journal writing. Active Learn. Higher Educ. 15, 53–64. doi: 10.1177/1469787413514647

Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research , 4th Edn. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill.

Creswell, J. W., and Plano Clark, V. L. (2011). Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research , 2nd Edn. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Diamantopoulos, A., Sarstedt, M., Fuchs, C., Wilczynski, P., and Kaiser, S. (2012). Guidelines for choosing between multi-item and single-item scales for construct measurement: a predictive validity perspective. J. Acad. Mark. Sci. 40, 434–449. doi: 10.1007/s11747-011-0300-3

Dyment, J. E., and O’Connell, T. S. (2011). Assessing the quality of reflection in student journals: a review of the research. Teach. High. Educ. 16, 81–97. doi: 10.1080/13562517.2010.507308

English, M. C., and Kitsantas, A. (2013). Supporting student self-regulated learning in problem- and project-based learning. Interdiscip. J. E Learn. Learn. Objects 7, 128–150. doi: 10.7771/1541-5015.1339

Ericsson, K. A. (2015). Acquisition and maintenance of medical expertise: a perspective from the expert-performance approach with deliberate practice. Acad. Med. 90, 1471–1486. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000000939

Fabriz, S., Van Ewijk, C. D., Poarch, G., and Büttner, G. (2014). Fostering self-monitoring of university students by means of a standardized learning journal – a longitudinal study with process analyses. Eur. J. Psychol. Educ. 29, 239–255. doi: 10.1007/s10212-013-0196-z

Gilbert, M. H., Dextras-Gauthier, J., Fournier, P. S., Côté, A., Auclair, I., and Knani, M. (2019). Organizational constraints as root causes of role conflict: the situation of physician-managers and their responses. J. Health Organ. Manage. 33, 204–220. doi: 10.1108/JHOM-07-2017-0169

Glaser, B., and Strauss, A. (1967). The Discovery of Grounded Theory Strategies for Qualitative Research. Mill Valley, CA: Sociology Press. doi: 10.1097/00006199-196807000-00014

Griggs, V., Holden, R., Lawless, A., and Rae, J. (2018). From reflective learning to reflective practice: assessing transfer. Stud. High. Educ. 43, 1172–1183. doi: 10.1080/03075079.2016.1232382

Hair, J. F. Jr., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., and Sarstedt, M. (2017). A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) , 2nd Edn. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Henson, R. K., and Roberts, J. K. (2006). Use of exploratory factor analysis in published research: common errors and some comment on improved practice. Educ. Psychol. Meas. 66, 393–416.

Huang, X., Lee, J. C. K., and Frenzel, A. C. (2020). Striving to become a better teacher: linking teacher emotions with informal teacher learning across the teaching career. Front. Psychol. 11:1067. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01067

Hume, A. (2009). Promoting higher levels of reflective writing in student journals. High. Educ. Res. Dev. 28, 247–260. doi: 10.1080/07294360902839859

Jacobs, J. E., and Paris, S. G. (1987). Children’s metacognition about reading: issues in definition, measurement, and instruction. J. Educ. Psychol. 22, 255–278. doi: 10.1207/s15326985ep2203&4_4

Karnieli-Miller, O., Michael, K., Gothelf, A. B., Palombo, M., and Meitar, D. (2021). The associations between reflective ability and communication skills among medical students. Patient Educ. Couns. 104, 92–98. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2020.06.028

Kember, D., Leung, D. Y. P., Jones, A., Loke, A. Y., McKay, J., Sinclair, K., et al. (2000). Development of a questionnaire to measure the level of reflective thinking. Assess. Eval. High. Educ. 25, 381–395. doi: 10.1080/713611442

Kember, D., McKay, J., Sinclair, K., and Wong, F. K. Y. (2008). A four-category scheme for coding and assessing the level of reflection in written work. Assess. Eval. High. Educ. 33, 369–379. doi: 10.1080/02602930701293355

Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. Hoboken, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Krauskopf, K., Foulger, T. S., and Williams, M. K. (2018). Prompting teachers’ reflection of their professional knowledge. A proof-of-concept study of the graphic assessment of TPACK instrument. Teach. Dev. 22, 153–174. doi: 10.1080/13664530.2017.1367717

Kuhlmann, E., and von Knorring, M. (2014). Management and medicine: why we need a new approach to the relationship. J. Health Serv. Res. Policy 19, 189–191. doi: 10.1177/1355819614524946

Lajoie, S. P., Zheng, J., Li, S., Jarrell, A., and Gube, M. (2019). Examining the interplay of affect and self regulation in the context of clinical reasoning. Learn. Instr. 72:10219. doi: 10.1016/j.learninstruc.2019.101219

Learning to Learn Project (2002). Reflective Learning Journal (Teacher Guide). Hung Hom: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Lobato, J. (2012). The actor-oriented transfer perspective and its contributions to educational research and practice. Educ. Psychol. 47, 232–247. doi: 10.1080/00461520.2012.693353

Lucieer, S. M., Jonker, L., Visscher, C., Rikers, R. M., and Themmen, A. P. (2016). Self-regulated learning and academic performance in medical education. Med. Teach. 38, 585–593. doi: 10.3109/0142159X.2015.1073240

Magiera, M. T., and Zawojewski, J. S. (2011). Characterizations of social-based and self-based contexts associated with students’ awareness, evaluation, and regulation of their thinking during small-group mathematical modeling. J. Res. Math. Educ. 42, 486–520. doi: 10.5951/jresematheduc.42.5.0486

Marton, F. (2006). Sameness and differences in transfer. J. Learn. Sci. 15, 501–538. doi: 10.1207/s15327809jls1504_3

McCarthy, J. (2011). Reflective writing, higher education and professional practice. J. Educ. Built Environ. 6, 29–43. doi: 10.11120/jebe.2011.06010029

McGuire, L., Lay, K., and Peters, J. (2009). Pedagogy of reflective writing in professional education. J. Scholarsh. Teach. Learn. 9, 93–107.

McWilliam, E. (2017). “Today’s children, tomorrow’s creatives: living, learning and earning in the conceptual age,” in Educating for the 21st Century , eds S. Choo, D. Sawch, A. Villanueva, and R. Vinz (Singapore: Springer), 7–23. doi: 10.1007/978-981-10-1673-8_1

Mezirow, J. (1991). Transformative Dimensions of Adult Learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Miller-Dyce, C., and Owusu-Ansah, A. (2016). Yes, we are still talking about diversity: diversity education as a catalyst for transformative, culturally relevant, and reflective preservice teacher practices. J. Transform. Educ. 14, 327–354. doi: 10.1177/1541344616650750

Minott, M. A. (2008). Valli’s typology of reflection and the analysis of pre-service teachers’ reflective journals. Aust. J. Teach. Educ. 33, 55–65. doi: 10.14221/ajte.2008v33n5.4

Molee, L. M., Henry, M. E., Sessa, V. I., and McKinney-Prupis, E. R. (2011). Assessing learning in service-learning courses through critical reflection. J. Exp. Educ. 33, 239–257. doi: 10.1177/105382590113300304

Moon, J. (2006). Learning Journals: A Handbook for Reflective Practice and Professional Development , 2nd Edn. London: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780203969212

Morris, T. H. (2020). Experiential learning–a systematic review and revision of Kolb’s model. Interact. Learn. Environ. 28, 1064–1077. doi: 10.1080/10494820.2019.1570279

Mortari, L. (2015). Emotion and education: reflecting on the emotional experience emotion and education. Eur. J. Educ. Res. 4, 157–176. doi: 10.12973/eu-jer.4.4.157

Moussa-Inaty, J. (2015). Reflective writing through the use of guiding questions. Int. J. Teach. Learn. High. Educ. 27, 104–113.

National Research Council (2012). Education for Life and Work: Developing Transferable Knowledge and Skills in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

Purnomo, D., and Bekti, S. (2017). Patterns change of awareness process, evaluation, and regulation on mathematics student. Int. Electron. J. Math. Educ. 12, 715–733. doi: 10.29333/iejme/644

Rajhans, V., Eichler, R., Sztrigler-Cohen, O., and Gordon-Shaag, A. (2020). A novel method of enhancing students’ involvement in reflective writing. Clin. Teach. 18, 174–179. doi: 10.1111/tct.13303

Rushton, D., and Duggan, C. (2013). Impact of culture on reflective writing in masters level students. Procedia 93, 956–963. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.09.310

Ryan, M. (2011). Improving reflective writing in higher education: a social semiotic perspective. Teach. High. Educ. 16, 99–111. doi: 10.1080/13562517.2010.507311

Ryan M. E. (ed.) (2015). Teaching Reflective Learning in Higher Education. New York, NY: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-09271-3

Saito, H., and Miwa, K. (2007). Construction of a learning environment supporting learners’ reflection: a case of information seeking on the Web. Comput. Educ. 49, 214–229. doi: 10.1016/j.compedu.2005.07.001

Samkin, G., and Francis, G. (2008). Introducing a learning portfolio in an undergraduate financial accounting course. Account. Educ. 17, 233–271. doi: 10.1080/09639280701577460

Sandars, J., and Cleary, T. J. (2011). Self-regulation theory: applications to medical education: AMEE guide no. 58. Med. Teach. 33, 875–886. doi: 10.3109/0142159X.2011.595434

Sandi-Urena, S., Cooper, M. M., and Stevens, R. H. (2011). Enhancement of metacognition use and awareness by means of a collaborative intervention. Int. J. Sci. Educ. 33, 323–340. doi: 10.1080/09500690903452922

Schön, D. A. (1983). The Reflective Practitioner. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Slade, M. L., Burnham, T. J., Catalana, S. M., and Waters, T. (2019). The impact of reflective practice on teacher candidates’ learning. Int. J. Scholarsh. Teach. Learn. 13:15. doi: 10.20429/ijsotl.2019.130215

Standal, Ø. F., and Moe, V. F. (2013). Reflective practice in physical education and physical education teacher education: a review of the literature since 1995. Quest 65, 220–240. doi: 10.1080/00336297.2013.773530

Stanton, J. D., Neider, X. N., Gallegos, I. J., and Clark, N. C. (2015). Differences in metacognitive regulation in introductory biology students: when prompts are not enough. CBE Life Sci. Educ. 14:ar15. doi: 10.1187/cbe.14-08-0135

Szenes, E., and Tilakaratna, N. (2021). Deconstructing critical reflection in social work and business: negotiating emotions and opinions in reflective writing. J. Engl. Acad. Purp. 49:100931. doi: 10.1016/j.jeap.2020.100931

Teunissen, P. W., and Westerman, M. (2011). Opportunity or threat: the ambiguity of the consequences of transitions in medical education. Med. Educ. 45, 51–59.

Thorpe, K. (2004). Reflective learning journals: from concept to practice. Reflective Pract. 5, 328–343.

Tucker-Drob, E. M., and Salthouse, T. A. (2009). Confirmatory factor analysis and multidimensional scaling for construct validation of cognitive abilities. Int. J. Behav. Dev. 33, 277–285.

van den Boom, G., Paas, F., and van Merriënboer, J. J. G. (2007). Effects of elicited reflections combined with tutor or peer feedback on self-regulated learning and learning outcomes. Learn. Instr. 17, 532–548.

Verpoorten, D., Westera, W., and Specht, M. (2012). Using reflection triggers while learning in an online course. Br. J. Educ. Technol. 43, 1030–1040.

Waggoner-Denton, A. (2018). The use of a reflective learning journal in an introductory statistics course. Psychol. Learn. Teach. 17, 84–93.

Wallin, P., and Adawi, T. (2018). The reflective diary as a method for the formative assessment of self-regulated learning. Eur. J. Eng. Educ. 43, 507–521.

Wong, F. K. Y., Kember, D., Chung, L. Y. F., and Yan, L. (1995). Assessing the level of reflection from reflective journals. J. Adv. Nurs. 22, 48–57.

Yang, Y. F. (2010). Students’ reflection on online self-correction and peer review to improve writing. Comput. Educ. 55, 1202–1210.

Zhou, Y. (2019). A mixed methods model of scale development and validation analysis. Measurement 17, 38–47.

Zohar, A., and Barzilai, S. (2013). A review of research on metacognition in science education: current and future directions. Stud. Sci. Educ. 49, 121–169.

Keywords : reflective journaling, lifelong learning, metacognitive reflective scaffolds, formative assessment, higher education

Citation: Alt D, Raichel N and Naamati-Schneider L (2022) Higher Education Students’ Reflective Journal Writing and Lifelong Learning Skills: Insights From an Exploratory Sequential Study. Front. Psychol. 12:707168. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.707168

Received: 09 May 2021; Accepted: 14 December 2021; Published: 07 January 2022.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2022 Alt, Raichel and Naamati-Schneider. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Dorit Alt, [email protected]

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

• Journal Types
• Reflective Journal

What is a Reflective Journal?

A reflective journal is a place to write down your daily reflection entries . It can be something good or bad that has happened to you that you can self-reflect on and learn from past experiences.

A reflective journal can help you to identify important learning events that had happened in your life. The events include your relationships, careers and personal life. By writing a reflective diary , you can find the source of your inspiration that defines you today. A reflective journal also provides a better understanding of your thought process.

Reasons to Write a Reflective Journal

• To understand the things that have happened.
• To reflect on why it happened this way.
• To align future actions with your values and lessons learned from your past experiences.
• To share and get your thoughts and ideas out of your head.

How to Reflect Effectively

According to Schön, there are two types of reflection, one during and one after an activity or event.

Reflection In-Action

When you are thinking about or reflecting while you are in an activity, you are using reflection in-action. Some reflection include:

• Experiencing
• Thinking on your feet
• Thinking about what to do next
• Acting straight away

Reflection On-Action

You can do reflect-on-action once the activity has finished based on what you can remember about it. Step back into the experience, explore your memory and retrieve what you can recall. Reflect and understand what has happened and draw lessons from the experience.

• Thinking about something that has happened
• Thinking what you would do differently next time
• Taking your time

Examples to Reflect Effectively

Before the experience.

• Think about the things that could have happened.
• What are the things that you feel might be a challenge?
• The things that you can do to prepare for these experiences.

During the Experience

• Observe what is happening at the moment, as you make a particular decision.
• Is it working out as expected? Are you dealing with the challenges well?
• Is there anything you should do, say or think to make the experience successful?

After the Experience

• Describe your thoughts immediately after, and/or later when you have more emotional distance from the event.
• Is there anything you would do differently before or during a similar event?
• What are the takeaways from this experience/lesson?

How to Write Reflectively

Use the three "W"s to write reflectively. The three "W"s are What , So What and What next .

What (Description)

Recall an event and write it down descriptively.

• What happened?
• Who was involved?

So what? (Interpretation)

Take a few minutes to reflect and interpret the event.

• What is most important / interesting / relevant / useful aspect of the event, idea or situation?
• How can it be explained?
• How is it similar to/different from others?

What's next? (Outcome)

Conclude what you can learn from the event and how you can apply it next time.

• What have I learned?
• How can it be applied in the future?

Reflective Journal Prompts

Here are the 10 writing prompts to guide you in self-reflection and self-discovery.

• What makes you unique?
• Name someone that means a lot to you and why?
• Write a letter to your younger self.
• What is something you can do to focus more on your health and well-being?
• What makes you feel at peace?
• List 10 things that make you smile.
• What does it mean to live authentically?
• What is your favourite animal, and why?
• How do you maintain your physical/mental health? What can you do to improve the methods of recovery?
• List the things that you want to achieve this week.

Over 100,000 5-star reviews

Get access to your diary wherever you are – download the free Journey app for your all of your iOS and Android devices today!

Journal Basics

Understand what a journal is, and it's functions

Understand the essence of journal entries.

Your guide to understanding how you can benefit from journaling

Explore the various journal types to serve your needs

Your guide to starting your very own journal today

Journaling prompts to guide you along your reflection

Diary Basics

Your guide to understanding and starting a diary of your own

Record your life with a series of diary entries

Key differences between a diary and a journal

Tips and tricks to start your very own diary today

Your guide to the many diary types you can explore

Discover the benefits of diary and journal software

Get started with your very own digital diary

Simple and effective templates to help you start writing and reflecting

Ideas for Journals

Focus on the positive things in your live.

Write one line a day for the next five years.

A bible journal is one that holds your thoughts and reflections after a religion class and feelings that concerns life.

Record your dreams on a regular basis and keep track of the dream's themes and patterns.

Document your adventures, road trips, places that you have visited, and discoveries that you made along the way.

A self-reflective journal helps you to create your life with intention.

Cultivating inner strength and resilience using stoic journal.

Reignite your relationship, deepen communication, and strengthen your bond.

Write a personalized experience of your pregnancy journey.

Equip yourself with on a journey towards improving your sleep

Managing anxiety through structured journal reflection.

Secure, encrypted and private journaling technology.

Ideas for Diaries

A guide to starting your very own school diary

Keep a log of all your daily meals to ensure a balanced nature diet.

Get motivated, organized and productive by journaling

Private journal secured with a lock for confidentiality.

A guide to starting your health and fitness journey

Streams of consciousness writing done first thing in the morning.

Journal Prompts

Inspiring list of over 100 prompts for enhancing journal creativity.

Prompts to guide reflection and gratitude entries in a daily journal.

Collection of prompts to inspire expressive writing for mental health.

List of 100 self-care journal prompts designed to inspire emotional wellness.

Healing through journaling guidance.

Invigorate your mornings with over 100 thoughtful and inspiring prompts.

Prompts inspire kids to write creatively about diverse topics daily.

Stay calm with 60 journal prompts for anxiety relief.

Explore beginner journaling with daily prompts for reflective writing practice.

Digital Planners

A way to organize your time and your life

Create your own faithful digital planning companion

Find the planner for you

Make every week your best week

Master time management with a productivity planner

A faithful guide on your fitness journey

The Critical Blog

The home of critical thinking, observations and reflections on my first year placement.

This essay was written by Adrian Bloxham and was the winning social work entry in this year’s Critical Writing Prize 2019. Adrian is studying for an MA at Anglia Ruskin University and he was nominated by his lecturer Dr Wendy Coxshall.

I am currently on placement in a Supported Housing Hostel for adults in Cambridgeshire. This assignment is based on my work with one particular resident who I will refer to using the pseudonym ‘Alice’. The case study will explore core social work tenets including relevant knowledge and skills, critical reflection, processes of oppression and discrimination, communication and partnership working. I will seek to examine and reflect on my interactions with Alice, primarily by applying a reflective model to a ‘critical incident’. I will also attempt to view Alice’s life, and my professional relationship with her, from a broader social work perspective. My initial observations and impressions of the hostel were largely defined by the levels of socio-economic deprivation that dominate many of the residents’ lives. In virtually all cases the people that live at the project either have an underlying mental health condition or experience drug or alcohol misuse, often there are a combination of these factors. The very nature of this type of accommodation means that the population is transient.  This often means that residents have little consistency and no control over who they live with, resulting in an enforced togetherness that can lead to feelings of insecurity, anxiety and fear (Bengtsson-Tops, et al., 2014). I observed during my early conversations with Alice that she often seemed subdued and that her mood fluctuated unpredictably. As the initial phase of my placement progressed I became increasingly aware of Alice’s persistent and chronic low self-esteem and her tendency to depressive episodes. I noted this in my journal and tried to “…think, to be self-aware and to question…” as a first step towards reflecting on practice (Rutter & Brown, 2012, p. 30). My vague sense of unease and concern about Alice and her general well-being crystalized early one morning as I arrived at work to find Alice upset and in tears in the communal lounge. I now recognise the ensuing conversation as a ‘critical incident’ that changed my learning and the way that I thought about the staff and my placement setting. What qualifies as a critical incident is not rigidly defined but the event should be important or significant in some way to the practitioner and should offer the opportunity for professional learning (Fook & Gardner, 2007, p. 77). During the course of this exchange Alice disclosed to me that she felt trapped, bullied by a member of staff and other residents, and that she was feeling utterly powerless with no hope of moving on from the hostel. Alice showed me a scar on her right wrist and stated that she had tried to commit suicide in the past and was now experiencing suicidal ideation once again. This type of situation, with all its complexities and difficulties, is described in the seminal work of Schön (1983) as the ‘swampy lowlands’ of practice (Schon, 1983). In more recent times ‘reflective practice’ has been developed further into a concept of ‘critical reflection’ (Payne, 2014). The application of critical reflection challenges accepted modes of thought, social organisation, dominant discourses and assumptions (Graham, 2017; Savaya & Gardner, 2012; Thompson, 2010). The two-stage reflective model developed by Fook & Gardner (2007) seeks to examine power relations and structures of domination, which in turn intrinsically challenges oppressive and discriminatory thought processes and practice (Graham, 2017, p.49; Fook, 2012, p.47). As will become apparent, forms of oppression and discrimination are a vital aspect of Alice’s narrative, and for this reason I propose to apply Fook & Gardner’s (2007) model to my critical incident and the subject of my case study. Alice’s disclosure was deeply concerning and very challenging for a number of reasons. My inexperience, the fact that Alice has a diagnosis of schizophrenia and the gravity of what she was saying all contributed to a feeling of unease. The first ‘stage’ of the reflective model is designed to question the underlying structural and social assumptions of the practitioner and analyse how and why feelings of discomfort and concern have been generated (Fook & Gardner, 2007, p.92). Adopting this process has helped me to identify possible assumptions that I suspect I may have held. For example, could my knowledge of Alice’s dysfunctional relationships in the past have resulted in me making assumptions about inherent personality ‘traits’? Did I view her mood swings and depression as simply emanating from her diagnosis of schizophrenia? Did my upbringing, that instilled and encouraged a deference to authority and ‘professional’ figures, blunt my critical faculties in relation to the ‘care’ and ‘support’ offered by individual staff members? It would also be remiss to discount the influence of gender and class on the assumptions I may have held. A closer critical analysis of the factors and experiences that have shaped Alice’s life expose the fundamental flaws and prejudices in my misplaced assumptions. As I began to work with Alice it became increasingly clear to me that she had experienced discrimination and oppression throughout her life. I learnt that Alice had endured severe and multiple adverse childhood experiences. Both of her parents committed suicide, she was raped and endured physically abusive relationships with two consecutive partners. This culminated in Alice being admitted to various psychiatric institutions in order to treat her schizophrenia and personality disorder. Eventually Alice became homeless, living on the street and addicted to heroin. The physical scars on Alice’s body as a result of these experiences can be understood from a postmodern perspective as embodied manifestations of power and oppression (Tangenburg & Kemp, 2002). Taking a postmodern perspective that conceptualises the body as the site of power relations (Foucalt, 1977) leads to an understanding that “…the body is fundamentally implicated in mechanisms of domination and control.” (Tangenburg & Kemp, 2002). Postmodernism rejects overarching general theories, instead adopting an approach that acknowledges individual narratives, social context and recognises multiple identities that may intersect (Graham, 2017; Fook, 2012). The intersection of Alice’s gender, her adverse experiences both as a child and as an adult, her diagnosis of schizophrenia and the fact that she has experienced poverty for the entirety of her life has led to oppression and discrimination at multiple levels. A reliance on members of staff who are experienced as oppressive reinforces feelings of hopelessness, stigma, discrimination and disempowerment (Williams, et al., 2015). Alice has been exploited by fellow residents who target her on the days when she receives benefits, this form of oppression takes place at a personal level and is often experienced by adults with serious mental illnesses in the “…forced intimacy of supportive housing.” (Forenza & Bermea, 2017). Oppression and discrimination also takes place at a wider level. People diagnosed with schizophrenia are often stigmatized by a discourse of ‘otherness’ which portrays people with mental health challenges as a ‘problem’ who must be ‘controlled’ by bio-medical, biogenetic models (Beresford & Wilson, 2002). Despite the dogged insistence of the dominant ‘medical model’ discourse, contemporary evidence points to a causal link between social factors and a diagnosis of schizophrenia (Read, 2010). Typical triggers include poverty, adverse childhood experiences, rape and physical or psychological violence (Read, 2010; Burns, et al., 2014). It is essential that social workers acknowledge this increasingly influential discourse which suggests that schizophrenia and other forms of mental illness are bio-psycho-social manifestations of social conditions and health inequalities, not an inherent physiological condition (Bywaters, 2015; Karban, 2017; Friedli, 2009; Marmot, 2010; Read 2010). Revisiting the assumptions that I outlined above has helped me to explore how I experienced the initial incident. Firstly, I now believe that I saw and understood the situation in simplistic, binary terms. Identifying assumptions and binary thinking, regardless of how uncomfortable this may be for the practitioner, is crucial and demonstrates reflexivity (Fook, 2012, p.107). By ‘deconstructing’ and ‘resisting’ this binary thinking the practitioner can then go on to address how change might be achieved and what values and assumptions have been challenged (Fook & Gardner, 2007). Arriving at an understanding of the multiple levels of oppression and discrimination that have shaped and distorted Alice’s life has not only heightened my awareness in this particular case but it has also changed the way I will approach practice situations in the future. The importance of recognising multiple perspectives and social contexts in a non-linear, fluid and multifaceted way leads to more ‘bottom up’ practice that in turn empowers marginalised people by recognising and legitimising their experiences and voice (Fook, 2012; Graham, 2017; Parton & O’Byrne, 2000). Alice’s deteriorating mental health led me to conclude that her social worker needed to be informed of the situation. The worker expressed a great deal of frustration at the lack of inter-agency communication, written or otherwise, and a failure to disclose key pieces of information. This can often be attributed to a defensiveness on the part of housing organisations “…due to fear of damaging reputation…or fear of over-reaction” (Parry, 2013, p.19). As a plethora of Serious Case Reviews illustrate, clarity of inter-professional and interagency communication is vital for safe practice (Moss, 2017; Hall & Slembrouck, 2009; Flynn, 2010). In the case of Alice there are three primary agencies involved. In addition to this, Alice also has contact with a psychiatrist and regular medical reviews with her GP. The number of professions and agencies involved with this single client illustrates the multiple points of contact and potential challenges that operating in this contemporary inter-agency environment presents. Understanding the communication process requires an acknowledgement of the complexity and meaning of language itself. That is to say, ‘communication’ is not neutral and does not necessarily have a universal meaning to each element of the agency or profession (Hall & Slembrouck, 2009). ‘Communication’ can be seen as a process whereby “…information passes from one person to another and is understood by them.” (White & Featherstone, 2005, p. 214). This rather simple statement camouflages the multi-layered nature of the exchange which involves an array of subjective attitudes and feelings which are projected onto the communicated information both from the perspective of ‘sender’ and ‘receiver’ (Sarangi & Slembrouck, 1996). The diversity of roles within Alice’s network highlights the danger that various professions and agencies may assign different levels of priority or even conceptualisations to the arising issues (Hudson, 2015). This means that each communication is potentially ‘categorised’ differently and therefore there is a danger that co-agencies conceive of a given situation in completely different ways (Hall & Slembrouck, 2009). I continued to learn more about Alice’s life over the following weeks.  I observed the patience and empathy that Alice’s social worker demonstrated during the interview process. Often Alice would experience what appeared to be moments of psychosis during which she seemed to be transported back in time to a particularly traumatic event which resulted in repetitive phrases and sentences being used to describe what had happened. Although these moments appeared to be traumatic for Alice she said on many occasions that she wanted to speak about her past. I noted the way that Alice’s social worker handled difficult or emotionally salient passages during interviews (Goss, 2011), particularly the use of silence and the importance of being patient rather than asking superfluous questions to fill uncomfortable pauses (Trevithick, 2012). The importance of ‘iatrogenic health’, the process whereby possibilities and opportunities are acknowledged and explored, is part of a constructive narrative approach founded on a postmodern perspective (Parton & O’Byrne, 2000). The whole thrust of the conversations, whilst acknowledging the trauma of the past and the difficulties of the present, were very much focused on the aim of Alice moving-on in both a literal and metaphorical sense. The social worker talked through the steps that needed to be taken by Alice and the support that she would need in order to achieve this goal, a process referred to as the amplification of personal agency (Parton & O’Byrne, 2000, p.60). This relationship-based work (Woodcock Ross, 2011) with Alice highlights the importance of partnership working and emphasises the need to avoid ‘top-down’ structural models (Hudson, 2015, p.102). Whilst the idea of ‘partnership’ suggests equality and collaboration, practitioners should still manage power relations with service users carefully, especially where a lack of confidence inhibits the service user from taking on the responsibility of partnership (Dalrymple & Burke, 2006). This aspect of partnership practice was and is very pertinent in the relationship between Alice and her social worker. The asymmetry between the social worker and service user emphasises the need for the practitioner to be cognizant of the inherent power imbalance in the relationship (Leung, 2011). Even where social work is undertaken with the best of intentions, for example in anti-oppressive practice, there is a danger that the voice and knowledge of the service user is lost by the intervention of the ‘expert’ practitioner (Wilson & Beresford, 2000). The difficulties Alice experienced at the hostel which culminated in such a troubled state of mind calls into question the place of adult safeguarding both within the organisation and in the wider context. The implementation of The Care Act 2014 introduced new responsibilities and statutory duties on local authorities and partner agencies with an emphasis on moving away from process-driven practice (Cass, 2015). The new legislation was adopted into Company policy, statutory guidance makes it clear that there is an onus on employers to ensure that staff working in a housing environment are adequately trained in recognising signs of abuse or neglect, which includes self-neglect under the terms of The Care Act 2014 (Department of Health, 2014). At the time of my critical incident Alice was failing to attend to personal hygiene on a regular basis, frequently appeared to be experiencing low mood and would often break down in tears even when engaging in mundane, everyday conversation. Supported housing is often regarded as a positive environment that promotes recovery-oriented practice (Harvey, et al., 2012), but it can also be experienced as an oppressive and hostile setting where staff are at best indifferent to the needs of service users or can actively act as the oppressor (Bengtsson-Tops, et al., 2014). This is especially concerning when one considers that housing staff may be the only service that residents have contact with (Cass, 2015). Risk assessments are an integral aspect of work with vulnerable people (Parry, 2013). Yet risks remain, in essence, unpredictable phenomena that defy reliably accurate outcomes (Munro & Rumgay, 2000). From a postmodern perspective, practitioners should not seek to totally eliminate risk by a ‘scientized’, calculated approach because this is doomed to failure (Parton, 1998, p. 23). Instead, there should be an acceptance that uncertainty and complexity are inherent in human interaction and therefore consideration should be given not only to ‘negative’ risk but also to the benefits of ‘positive’ risk (Macdonald & Macdonald, 2010). Risk management can be seen as a continuum (Nolan & Quinn, 2012), so whilst service user vulnerabilities must be taken into account when assessing risks there is also a balance to be struck. Planned risk-taking can and should promote a good quality of life, develop new skills and expand life experiences (Barry, 2007). Alice wishes to live independently and this is the preferred option for the social worker. However, a judgment will ultimately need to be made as to whether the rights and needs of a vulnerable service user are best served by advocating for Alice’s wishes or actively encouraging another course of action that is ‘safer’ for Alice (Kemshall, et al., 2013). This case study has demonstrated the complexity and breadth of contemporary social work. Whilst there is not universal agreement (Ixer, 2016), the central importance of critical reflection to the profession of social work is widely accepted (Thompson, 2010, p. 183). The opportunity to work with Alice has provided much to reflect on and learn from. My work with Alice has taught me many things, most notably the impact of personal and structural processes of oppression and discrimination. However, I believe the key lesson that I take from my professional relationship with Alice is to try and show the same level of astonishing resilience and generosity of spirit that Alice has demonstrated throughout her life to the present day. Works Cited Barry, M., 2007. Effective Approaches to Risk Assessment in Social Work: An International Literature Review. [Online]  Available at: www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/doc/194419/0052192.pdf BASW, 2014. The Code of Ethics for Social Work, Birmingham: BASW. Bengtsson-Tops, A., Ericsson, U. & Ehliasson, K., 2014. Living in supportive housing for people with serious mental illness: A paradoxical everyday life. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 1(23), pp. 409-418. Beresford, P. & Wilson, A., 2002. Genes Spell Danger: Mental health service users/ survivors, bioethics and control. Disability & Society, 17(5), pp. 541-553 Bywaters, P., 2015. Inequalities in Child Welfare: Towards a New Policy, Research and Action Agenda. British Journal of Social Work, 45(1), pp. 6-23. Cass, E., 2015. The role of housing in adult safeguarding. Housing, Care And Support, 18(2), pp. 51-55. Dalrymple, J. & Burke, B., 2006. Anti-Oppressive Practice Social Care and the Law. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Education. Department of Education, 2018. Knowledge and skills for child and family practitioners, London: HMSO. Department of Health, 2014. Care and Support Statutory Guidance. London: HMSO. Department of Health, 2015. Knowledge and Skills Statement for Social Workers in Adult Services. [Online]  Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_ data/file/411957/KSS.pdf Fook, J., 2012. Social Work: A Critical Approach to Practice. 1st ed. London: SAGE. Fook, J. & Gardner, F., 2007. Practising Critical Reflection: A Resource Handbook. 1st ed. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Forenza, B. & Bermea, A. M., 2017. An Exploratory Analysis of Unhealthy and Abusive Relationships for Adults with Serious Mental Illnesses Living in Supportive Housing. Community Mental Health , Volume 53, pp. 679-687. Friedli, L., 2009. Mental Health, Resilience and Inequalities, Copenhagen: World Health Organisation. Goss, J., 2011. Poetics in Schizophrenic Language: Speech, Gesture and Biosemiotics. Biosemiotics, 4(3), pp. 291-307. Graham, M. J., 2017. Reflective Thinking in Social Work: Learning from Student Narratives. 1st ed. Abingdon: Routledge. Hall, C. & Slembrouck, S., 2009. Professional Categorization, Risk Management and InterAgency Communication in Public Inquiries into Disastrous Outcomes. British Journal of Social Work, 39(1), pp. 280-298. Harvey, C., Killackey, E., Groves, A. & Herrman, H., 2012. A place to live: Housing needs for people with psychotic disorders identified in the second Australian national survey of psychosis. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 46(9), pp. 840-850. HCPC, 2017. Social workers in England, London: HCPC. Healy, K., 2012. Social Work Methods and Skills: The Essential Foundations of Practice. 1st ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. Hudson, A., 2015. Social Work: a “forgotten” piece of the integration jigsaw?. Journal of Integrated Care, 23(2), pp. 96-103. Ingram, R., 2013. Locating Emotional Intelligence at the Heart of Social Work Practice. British Journal of Social Work, Volume 43, pp. 987-1004. Ixer, G., 2016. The concept of reflection: is it skill based or values?. Social Work Education, 35(7), pp. 809-824. Karban, K., 2017. Developing a Health Inequalities Approach for Mental Health Social Work. British Journal of Social Work, Volume 47, pp. 885-902. Kemshall, H., Wilkinson, B. & Baker, K., 2013. Working with Risk. 1st ed. Cambridge: Polity Press. Laird, S., 2011. Anti-Racist and Anti-Oppressive Practice. 1st ed. Maidenhead: SAGE. Lam, C. M., Wong, H. & Leung, T. T. F., 2007. An Unfinished Reflexive Journey: Social Work Students’ Reflection on their Placement Experiences. British Journal of Social Work, 1(37), pp. 91-105. Leung, T., 2011. Client Participation in Managing Social Work Service-An Unfinished Quest. Social Work, 56(1), pp. 43-52. Lishman, J., 2009. Communication in Social Work. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. Macdonald, G. & Macdonald, K., 2010. Safeguarding: A Case for Intelligent Risk Management. British Journal of Social Work, 40(1), pp. 1174-1191. Marmot, M., 2010. Fair Society, Healthy Lives: Strategic Review of Health Inequalities in England post 2010. [Online]  Available at: www.parliament.uk/documents/fair-society-healthy-lives-full-report Moss, B., 2017. Communication Skills in Health and Social Care. 4th ed. London: SAGE. Munro, E., 2011. The Munro Review of Child Protection, Final Report, A child-centerd system, London: The Stationary Office. Munro, E. & Rumgay, J., 2000. Role of risk assessment in reducing homicides by people with mental illness. British Journal of Psychiatry, 176(2), pp. 116-120. Nerdrum, P., 1997. Maintenance of the Effect of Training in Communication Skills: A Controlled Follow-Up Study of Level of Communicated Empathy. British Journal of Social Work, 27(1), pp. 705-722. Nolan, D. & Quinn, N., 2012. The Context of Risk Management in Mental Health Social Work. Practice: Social Work in Action, 24(3), pp. 175-188. Norrie, C. et al., 2017. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Models of Organising Adult Safeguarding. British Journal of Social Work, 47(1), pp. 1205-1223. Parrish, M., 2014. Social Work Perspectives on Human Behaviour. 2nd ed. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Parrish, M., 2014. Social Work Perspectives on Human Behaviour. 1st ed. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Parry, I., 2013. Adult safeguarding and the role of housing. The Journal of Adult Protection, 15(1), pp. 15-25. Parton, N., 1998. Risk, Advanced Liberalism and Child Welfare: The Need to Rediscover Uncertainty and Ambiguity. British Journal of Social Work, 28(1), pp. 5-27. Parton, N. & O’Byrne, P., 2000. Constructive Social Work. 1st ed. Basingstoke: MacMillan Press Ltd. Payne, M., 2014. Modern Social Work Theory. 4th ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. Piat, M., Sabetti, J. & Padgett, D., 2017. Supported housing for adults with psychiatric disabilities: How tenants confront the problem of loneliness. Health Soc Care Community, Volume 26, pp. 191-198. Read, J., 2010. Can Poverty Drive You Mad? ‘Schizophrenia’, Socio-Economic Status and the Case for Primary Prevention. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 39(2), pp. 7-19. Rutter, L. & Brown, K., 2012. Critical Thinking and Professional Judgment for Social Work. 3rd ed. London: SAGE. Sarangi, S. & Slembrouck, S., 1996. Language, Bureaucracy & Social Control. 1st ed. Harlow: Addison Wesley Longman Limited. Savaya, R. & Gardner, F., 2012. Critical Reflection to Identify Gaps between Espoused Theory and Theory-in-Use. Social Work, 57(2), pp. 145-154. Savaya, R., Gardner, F. & Stange, D., 2011. Stressful Encounters with Social Work Clients: A Descriptive Account Based on Critical Incidents. Social Work: National Association of Social Workers, 56(1), pp. 63-72. Schon, D., 1983. The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. New York:Basic Books Schön, D., 1987. Educating The Reflective Practitioner. 1st ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Schwartz, S., 1982. Is there a schizophrenic language?. The Behavioural and Brain Sciences, 5(1), pp. 579-626. Skills for Care, 2015. The Social Work ASYE: Guidance for NQSWs completeing the ASYE in adults and child settings. [Online]  Available at: www.skillsforcare.org.uk Tangenburg, K. M. & Kemp, S., 2002. Embodied Practice: Claiming the Body’s Experience, Agency, and Knowledge for Social Work. Social Work, 47(1), pp. 9-18. Tannebaum, R. P., Hall, A. H. & Deaton, C. M., 2013. The Development of Reflective Practice in American Education. Ameican Educational History Journal, 40(2), pp. 241-259. Teater, B., 2014. Contemporary Social Work Practice. 1st ed. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Thompson, N., 2010. Theorizing Social Work Practice. 1st ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. Trevithick, P., 2012. Social Work Skills and Knowledge ; A Practice Handbook. 3rd ed. Maidenhead: Open University. White, S. & Featherstone, B., 2005. Communicating misunderstandings: Multi agency work as social practice. Child and Family Social Work, 10(2), pp. 207-216. Williams, C. C., Almeida, M. & Knyahnytska, Y., 2015. Towards a Biopsychosociopolitical Frame for Recovery in the Context of Mental Illness. British Journal of Social Work, 45(1), pp. i9-i26. Wilson, A. & Beresford, P., 2000. ‘Anti-Oppressive Practice”: Emancipation or Appropriation. British Journal of Social Work, 30(1), pp. 553-573. Woodcock Ross, J., 2011. Specialist Communication Skills for Social Workers: Focusing on Service Users’ Needs. 1st ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan.

Share this:

Leave a comment cancel reply.

• Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
• Subscribe Subscribed
• Copy shortlink
• Report this content
• View post in Reader
• Manage subscriptions
• Collapse this bar