Reflective writing

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Book: Reflective writing
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Date: Tuesday, 13 May 2014, 8:44 AM
Table of contents
What is reflective writing?
Why do lecturers set reflective assignments?
What will I be asked to reflect on?
Examples of reflective questions
Using "I" and tenses in reflection
Examples of reflective writing
How do I start my reflective writing?
What is reflective writing?
Reflective writing differs from more 'objective' kinds of university writing as it encourages you to reflect upon your own thoughts, actions and experiences that relate to
the content you are learning in your units.
Used widely in areas like Health and Education, reflective writing helps you to recognise the connections between what you already know and have experienced
and what you are in the process of learning. It asks you to consider the connections between the theoretical aspects of your course and practical situations and
experiences.
Reflection helps you become more active and aware in the learning process, focusing on not only what you
have learned, but also on how you learnt it.
In that way, reflective writing prompts you to trace your own learning journey as you turn abstract theoretical concepts into more meaningful ideas by using your own
knowledge and experiences to bring them to life. The reverse is also true: reflective writing helps you interpret real-life events and practical situations using relevant
theories from the unit.
Why do lecturers set reflective assignments?
Lecturers ask you to write reflectively for a range of reasons:
To examine your learning processes, including not only what you have learnt, but how you learnt it.
To make connections: between what you already know and what you are learning; between theory and practice; between course material and personal
experiences.
To think carefully about what you are doing, how you are doing it, and why you are doing it.
To clarify your understanding identifying the questions you have, and what you have yet to learn.
To learn from mistakes and lessons: avoid repeating mistakes and identify successful principles and strategies to use again.
To become an active learner: engage in the learning process by asking questions, raising doubts, and thinking critically about one's own ideas.
To encourage you to become a reflective practitioner in your future field. This is the key to life-long learning, growth and meaningful change.
What will I be asked to reflect on?
Reflective writing is often based on description and analysis of the following:
A practical learning experience within the course
clinical placement in nursing
teaching practicum in education
community project in pharmacy
field experience in counselling
classroom observation in TESOL
group project in design
A review of your learning in a course or unit
your perceptions of the course and the content
comparisons and connections between what you
are learning and your prior knowledge
An analysis of developments in your
assumptions, values, beliefs and attitudes
A response to a text
your understanding of the main ideas
what you agree or disagree with
how the main ideas are relevant to those in other
readings
A past experience
learning a second language
encountering a foreign culture



Examples of reflective questions
Example 1: Education
Choose a major educational practice with which you are familiar. Describe this practice and critically reflect upon how this practice
influences your work. In doing so you should outline your approach to reflection of educational practices. You should describe the
theory and/or ideology influencing the ways in which the social constructions of effective teaching and learning or how the educational
practices are presented.
Here, you are asked to describe an educational practice, and then critically reflect on how this practice influences your work. In other words, how do you apply this
practice - consciously or unconsciously - in your day-to-day work. Perhaps firstly, you could outline how you reflect (i.e. what is your approach, or what do you do on
a daily basis that helps you to reflect). The practices you discuss need to be related to their underlying theories or ideologies. Your writing should therefore combine
description and analysis, personal observation and theoretical understanding.
Example 2: Nursing
Write a short essay in which you reflect upon your experience as a Clinical Supervisee. In your essay, include the following:
Choose one Clinical Supervision session;
Summarise the content of this session;
Outline how you prepared for this session;
Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the session;
Consider how you utilise your preferred learning style in the session to ensure you optimised learning;
Evaluate the session and identify two changes you might make to improve the session;
Ensure you include at least five scholarly references in your essay.
This assignment asks you to reflect upon your Clinical Supervision experience by firstly describing what happened, then evaluating your experience and identifying what
you learnt from it. Though based on your personal experience, this assignment requires using scholarly references to help you make connections between your experience
and issues related to your course content.
Write a short essay in which you reflect upon your experience as a Clinical Supervisee. In your essay, include the following:
Choose one Clinical Supervision session;
Summarise the content of this session;
Outline how you prepared for this session;
Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the session;
Consider how you utilise your preferred learning style in the session to ensure you optimised learning;
Evaluate the session and identify two changes you might make to improve the session;
Ensure you include at least five scholarly references in your essay.
Example 3: Counselling
Why is self awareness and reflection important in the study of counselling? Discuss this question using reflective writing in a mini-essay
form. Reflective writing utilises the pronoun I and sources of evidence including both scholarly articles (at least 4) and personal
experience.
This assignment asks you to discuss two key concepts in counselling: self awareness and reflection. Your discussion starts with exploring your personal thoughts and
beliefs about the significance of these two concepts to demonstrate your understanding of their role in the study of counselling. Yet, you need to go beyond simply saying
what you think and believe. You are required to support your views and ideas with reference to scholarly articles on these concepts.
Using "I" and tenses in reflection
Reflective writing concerns your thoughts and actions and is usually presented in a more informal or personal style than a traditional academic essay. It is okay to include
personal and subjective comments and use personal pronouns, such as I think, I feel or I believe.
Reflective writing often requires use of past and present tenses, depending on whether you are describing the past events or making a comment. Future tense is often
used towards the end to speculate actions to be taken in the future.
At the same time, the assignment should still adhere to basic academic conventions. You need to make references to academic texts as your reflective writing assignment
task requires. You should avoid using colloquial language. And always use the appropriate reference style for the unit.
In the examples below, see how the students have used to tense appropriately, depending on their purpose.
Past tense is used when recounting a particular experience or incident.
We both had feelings of dependency on each other and had a mutual care for each other, but knew that we could not continue on with the
relationship, so we terminated the relationship so to speak because basic contact would be too emotionally difficult.
Present tense is used when making a general comment, relating to theories, course topics.
The issue of termination is an important aspect of the counselling process because it marks the end of a relationship between a counseller
and client.
Future tense is used when speculating about the future.
In my future practice I will need to adhere to the principle of respect for patients regardless of their age, occupation and cultural
background.
Because reflective writing asks you to make connections between past and present, theory and practice, very often you will use a combination of past, present and future
tenses in a single paragraph.
Nevertheless, if the termination is marked by emotional honesty, respect for the feelings of the other, and a gentleness that speaks to the
vulnerability of the moment (Davies, 2005, p. 783), as it was in my case, then the end of the relationship can be seen positively, as a new
beginning where both parties learn to become more independent and grow as individuals.
Examples of reflective writing
Take a careful look at the following three paragraphs: one from a standard academic essay, one from a reflective journal, and one from a reflective essay. Can you spot
the differences among these three pieces of writing in terms of language, style and tone?
Example 1 - Academic essay
Termination is an important aspect of the counseling process because it marks the end of a relationship
between a counseler and client. According to Anthony and Pagano (1998), the termination process can
be a painful and emotional experience as clients can often experience feelings of abandonment and
hopelessness and counselers can experience feelings of guilt. A client and counseler relationship is at a
deep level where the feelings and problems of the client are being experienced also by the counseler
through empathic measures. As Davies (2005, p. 786) points out, counseling involves both participants
in the psychoanalytic process in a profoundly mutual, deeply felt, and deeply loving (at times, hating)
relationship. Thus, termination of such a relationship can be a life-altering experience. This is similar to
the termination of a relationship between close partners. Termination, seen from this light, stands as one
of the very few moments in life when we actively choose to permanently end such a mutually loving
relationship (Davies, 2005, p. 786). Nevertheless, if the termination is marked by emotional honesty,
respect for the feelings of the other, and a gentleness that speaks to the vulnerability of the moment
(Davies, 2005, p. 783), then the end of the relationship can be seen positively, as a new beginning
where both parties learn to become more independent and grow as individuals. Similarly, the
termination of the counseler and client relationship can also be seen in a positive light.
Introduces topic: 'termination'
Discusses expert observations and explanations of why it can
be painful. Then discusses another expert explanation that
adds depth to the previous one.
Identifies the similarities between termination and other life
experiences - but not the students' own
Explains and concludes, using expert opinion, how
termination can be positive.
Example 2 - Reflective journal
The issue of termination is an important aspect of the counselling process because it marks the end of a
relationship between a counseller and client. Although I have never been in a counselling relationship
where the termination process was an important factor, I can relate this process to that of a breakup
with my partner when he moved interstate. We both had feelings of dependency on each other and had
a mutual care for each other, but knew that we could not continue on with the relationship, so we
terminated the relationship so to speak because basic contact would be too emotionally difficult.
Similarly, a client and counseller relationship is at a deep level where the feelings and problems of the
client are being experienced also by the counseller through empathic measures. Thus, termination of
such a relationship can be a life-altering experience. Nevertheless, if both parties respect each other and
are honest in voicing their reasons for ending the relationship, as it was in my case, then the end of the
relationship can be seen positively, as a new beginning where both parties learn to become more
independent and grow as individuals. I feel that my experience was quite similar to a counselling
relationship in that we were both on the same level without one party being subordinate to the other and
the complete separation ultimately helped me to grow as a person.
Introduces topic: 'termination'. Discusses own lack of
experience with termination specifically, but tries to relate
it to own experience of a break up.
Explains in detail why the two might be similar.
Again relating termination to a romantic relationship,
discusses how endings can be positive.

Concludes by stating, overall, why the relationships are
similar.
Example 3 - Weaving the two styles together in a Reflective essay
The issue of termination is an important aspect of the counselling process because it marks the end of a
relationship between a counseller and client. The process of termination can be a quite painful and
emotional experience as clients can often experience feelings of abandonment and hopelessness and
counsellers can experience feelings of guilt (Anthony & Pagano 1998). Personally, I feel that this is
perfectly understandable as a client and counseller relationship is at a deep level where the feelings and
problems of the client are being experienced also by the counseller through empathic measures. As
Davies (2005, p. 786) points out, counseling involves both participants in the psychoanalytic process in
a profoundly mutual, deeply felt, and deeply loving relationship. Thus, termination of such a
relationship can be a life-altering experience. This is similar, I believe, to the termination of a relationship
between close partners; an experience I have undergone myself. Nevertheless, if the termination is
marked by emotional honesty, respect for the feelings of the other, and a gentleness that speaks to the
vulnerability of the moment (Davies, 2005, p. 783), as it was in my case, then the end of the
relationship can be seen positively, as a new beginning where both parties learn to become more
independent and grow as individuals. Similarly, the termination of the counseller and client relationship
can also be seen in a positive light
Introduces topic: 'termination'.
Discusses expert observations and explanations of why it can
be painful. Explains, using reasoning, how the student can
personally relate. Then, uses expert explanations to back
that up.
Raises own experience of a romantic breakup and suggests
the two are similar.
Draws particularly on the way in which the breakup was
framed positively - supports this with theory. Then
concludes by suggesting that counselling termination can be
equally positive.
How do I start my reflective writing?
You base your reflective writing on a reflective thinking process. And the reflective process starts with yourself.
Reflection involves taking a pause to examine your own thoughts, beliefs, values, attitudes and assumptions, which form the foundation of your understanding. Revisit
your prior experiences and knowledge, and consider how you think and why you think the way you do. There is no absolute right or wrong way of reflective thinking.
But the key questions in reflective thinking are often how and why rather than what.
Some guiding questions for reflective thinking are:
What happened during that event or experience? And why did it happen?
What was my role in the event? And why did I adopt that particular role?
What were my feelings during that experience? And why did I feel that way?
What were my thoughts during that experience? And why did I think that way?
How do I interpret what I experienced or observed?
What might this experience mean in the context of my course?
What other perspectives, theories or concepts could be applied to interpret the situation?
How can I learn from this experience?
The event or experience in itself is not important.
What is important is your reaction to it, and how it has shaped your thinking and learning. What your
lecturer is looking for is how well you can analyse and reflect on events in order to learn from them, or
how much you are able to relate your study of theories to real life situations and practices.