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10402: English for Academic Purpose

Week 8

Topic: Reflective Writing – Reflective Essays

Introduction

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).

An increasing number of courses require students to write reflectively. Reflective writing may be an
occasional requirement or it may be a core feature of most or all assignments in your discipline. Reflection
is the core feature of reflective writing, and it involves looking back and evaluating your actions, in light of
the relevant literature in your subject, with a view to improving your practice, task or analysis. Concepts of
„reflection‟ may vary among disciplines but you will usually be asked to write a reflective essay where
relatively complex (often practical) tasks are concerned.

What is reflective writing?

Reflective writing is evidence of reflective thinking. Reflective writing is used to analyze and examine an
event, memory, or observation; the writer reflects on the meaning and impact of the occasion. The purpose
of reflective writing is to interrogate your own learning and demonstrate the ability to apply theory or
conceptual processes to your practice or task in a meaningful way. Whether you‟re training to be a health
specialist, a lawyer, a scientist, a business person, an engineer, a teacher, a historian or any other
professional, you will be expected to be a reflective practitioner. This means questioning your everyday
practice and implementing new knowledge gained through this reflection in your job/research/study.

The most common form of reflective writing that students are required to undertake is „reflective essays‟.
The main aim of assigning reflective essays to students is to get them to think about what they are learning,
and to probe deeper into an experience. Aside from the academic domain, reflective essays are also used
in the professional sphere to help workers learn.

Reflective Writing Skills

In an academic context, reflective thinking usually involves skills in:

o Evaluation - Looking back at something (often an event, i.e. something that happened, but it could
also an idea or object).
o Analysis - Analyzing the event or idea (thinking in depth and from different perspectives, and trying to
explain, often with reference to a model or theory from your subject).
o Critical Thinking - Thinking carefully about what the event or idea means for you and your ongoing
progress as a learner and/or practicing professional.

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Models of Reflection

There are many different models of reflection and it is vital that you follow any guidelines offered in your
course. One such model of Reflection is Graham Gibbs Reflective Model 1988, which includes 6 stages of
reflections. These stages of reflection are illustrated below.

Reflective Writing Steps

Reflective writing is thus more personal than other kinds of academic writing. We all think reflectively in
everyday life, of course, but perhaps not to the same depth as that expected in good reflective writing at
university level. There are a number of steps involved in reflective writing:

1. Think of an event which could become the topic of your essay. When you have chosen an event, ask
yourself how you feel about it, how it affected (or did not affect) your life and why? This will help you
create a thesis, which will serve as the focal point of your essay.

2. Brainstorm your ideas using a „mind map.‟ Write down your thesis and draw a circle around it. Now
identify your main arguments and ideas which will support it and help readers follow the evolution of
your thoughts and experiences, group them into paragraphs which you will write later, and connect
them to your central circle. Creating this type of flow diagram will help you see the overall structure of
your essay more clearly. Finally, decide on the logical sequence of these paragraphs and order them
accordingly.

3. Write a strong opening paragraph. Your introduction must be eye-catching, so the readers become
engaged immediately.

4. State your supporting arguments, ideas, and examples in the body paragraphs. Emphasize only one
point or experience, as well as reflections on it, within each paragraph.

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5. In the first sentence of the conclusion, briefly summarize your thoughts. Think about what you have
learned and how your experience might be useful to others. Finish your essay with a rhetorical question
to your readers about how they might act in a similar situation. Alternatively, ask them to think about a
related topic on their own.

Reflective Writing Example

Below is a basic reflective writing example;

Specific tasks were shared out amongst members of my team. Initially, however, the tasks were
not seen as equally difficult by all team members. Cooperation between group members was at
risk because of this perception of unfairness. Social interdependence theory recognises a type of
group interaction called „positive interdependence‟, meaning cooperation (Johnson & Johnson,
1993, cited by Maughan & Webb, 2001), and many studies have demonstrated that “cooperative
learning experiences encourage higher achievement” (Maughan & Webb, 2001). Ultimately, our
group achieved a successful outcome, but to improve the process, we perhaps needed a
chairperson to help encourage cooperation when tasks were being shared out. In future group
work, on the course and at work, I would probably suggest this.

Reference

Maughan, C., & Webb, J. (2001). Small group learning and assessment. Retrieved August 01,
2007, from the Higher Education Academy website:
www.ukcle.ac.uk/resources/temp/assessment.html

Reflective Writing Structure

Reflective thinking – especially if done in discussion with others – can be very „free‟ and unstructured and
still be very useful. Even reflective writing can be unstructured, for example when it is done in a personal
diary. In assignments that require reflective writing, however, tutors normally expect to see carefully-
structured writing.

The example of basic reflective writing above can be broken down into three parts: description,
interpretation and outcome.

1. Description (keep this bit short!)

What happened? Specific tasks were shared out amongst members

What is being examined? of my team. Initially, however, the tasks were not
seen as equally difficult by all team members.

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2. Interpretation

What is most important / interesting / useful / Cooperation between group members was at risk
relevant about the object, event or idea? because of this perception of unfairness. Social
How can it be explained e.g. with theory? interdependence theory recognises a type of group
How is it similar to and different from others? interaction called „positive interdependence‟,
meaning cooperation (Johnson & Johnson, 1993,
cited by Maughan & Webb, 2001), and many studies
have demonstrated that “cooperative learning
experiences encourage higher achievement”
(Maughan & Webb, 2001).

3. Outcome

What have I learned from this? Ultimately, our group achieved a successful
What does this mean for my future? outcome, but to improve our achievement, we
perhaps needed a chairperson to help encourage
cooperation when tasks were being shared out. In
future group work (on the course and at work), I
would probably suggest this.

This is just one way of structuring reflective writing. There are others and you may be required to follow a
particular model. Whichever approach to reflection you use, however, try to bear in mind the following four
key points (all of which were made by course tutors who set and mark reflective work):

• Reflection is an exploration and an explanation of events – not just a description of them.

• Genuinely reflective writing often involves „revealing‟ anxieties, errors and weaknesses, as well as
strengths and successes. This is fine (in fact it‟s often essential!), as long as you show some
understanding of possible causes, and explain how you plan to improve.
• It is normally necessary to select just the most significant parts of the event or idea on which you‟re
reflecting. (The next page has some suggestions on how to do this in your writing.) If you try to „tell the
whole story‟ you‟re likely to use up your words on description rather than interpretation.
• It is often useful to „reflect forward‟ to the future as well as „reflecting back‟ on the past.

Reflective Writing Language

The following are just a few suggestions for words and phrases that might be useful in reflective writing.
Using any of these words and phrases will not in itself make you a good reflective writer, of course! The
vocabulary aid is structured according to the three-part analysis that is modelled on the previous page of
this handout.

1. Description (brief)

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 This is not suggesting that specific vocabulary be used for any descriptive elements of your reflective
writing, because the range of possible events, ideas or objects on which you might be required to
reflect is so great. However, if you are describing an idea, such as a theory or model, it is usually best
to use the present tense. For example;

„Social interdependence theory recognises…‟ (not „recognised‟).

Events, of course, are nearly always described using the past tense.

2. Interpretation (probably the most important bit)

aspect(s)
element(s)
meaningful experience(s) was (were)
significant issue(s)
For me, the (the most) important idea(s)
relevant
useful
arose from…
learning happened when…
resulted from…
________________________________________________________________________________

Previously, thought (did not think)…

At the time, felt (did not feel)…
At first, I knew (did not know)…
Initially, noticed (did not notice)…
Subsequently, questioned (did not question)…
Later, realized (did not realize)…

[Alternatively,]This might be because of…

[Equally,] is perhaps due to…
could be explained by…
is probably related to…
__________________________________________________________________________________

This is similar to… because…

Is unlike…
__________________________________________________________________________________

[Un] like… this reveals…

demonstrates…
__________________________________________________________________________________

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3. Outcome

read… feel…
experienced… think…
Having applied… I now realize…
discussed… wonder
analyzed… questioned…
learned know…
____________________________________________________________________________________

[Additionally,]
[Furthermore,] I have learned that…
[Most Importantly]
_____________________________________________________________________________________

I have significantly my skills in…

Slightly developed my understanding of…
Improved my knowledge of…
However, I have not (sufficiently) my ability to…
_____________________________________________________________________________________

This means that…

This makes me feel…
_____________________________________________________________________________________

This knowledge is essential to me as a learner because

This understanding could be important to me as a practitioner because
This skill will be useful
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Did not…
Have not yet…
Because I am not yet certain about… I will now need to…
Am not yet confident about…
Do not yet know…
Do not yet understand…
_____________________________________________________________________________________

As a next step, I need to…

_____________________________________________________________________________________

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Reflective Essay

Writing reflectively for the purposes of an assignment, such as reflective essay should not involve merely
describing something that happened. Nor does it mean pouring out everything you think and feel in a totally
unstructured way. Reflective writing requires a clear line of thought, use of evidence or examples to
illustrate your reflections, and an analytical approach. You are aiming to strike a balance between your
personal perspective, and the requirements of good academic practice and rigorous thinking. This means:
 developing a perspective, or line of reasoning
 demonstrating that you are well informed, have read relevant literature and reflected on its relevance to
your own development
 showing that you recognize that situations are rarely simple and clear-cut
 writing about the link between your experiences/practice and your reading
 writing in an appropriate style.

Refer to the sample reflective essay, which is from a nursing student‟s reflective essay. Consider how the
writer develops a line of reasoning based on their own thoughts and experiences, and then links it to wider
reading. Remember that different disciplines have different requirements and styles. This is an example of
just one approach or style.

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