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How To Write A Reflective Essay

Reflective writing critically discusses personal experiences and opinions in light of broader theories. It has three parts: description of the experience, interpretation including how it relates to existing knowledge and theories, and outcomes including conclusions drawn and how understanding has changed. The experience is described objectively, then reflected on subjectively, linking it to theory and considering implications. Personal opinions must be supported by evidence. Reflective writing develops understanding and can inform future practice.

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Meha Raj
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90 views

How To Write A Reflective Essay

Reflective writing critically discusses personal experiences and opinions in light of broader theories. It has three parts: description of the experience, interpretation including how it relates to existing knowledge and theories, and outcomes including conclusions drawn and how understanding has changed. The experience is described objectively, then reflected on subjectively, linking it to theory and considering implications. Personal opinions must be supported by evidence. Reflective writing develops understanding and can inform future practice.

Uploaded by

Meha Raj
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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REFLECTIVE WRITING

Purpose

Reflective writing or a Reflective Essay critically discusses personal experience and opinion in light of broader literature, theories or subject materials. Conventions
and expectations may differ across contexts, so always check expectations about the format with your lecturer or tutor.

Structure
Description Interpretation Outcome
• In summary, what do you think about this
Describe the selected experience, practice or theory. Write a personal response that reflects your overall assessment of what happened
situation/ experience or practice?
by:
• What conclusions can you draw? How can you
justify these?
Explain clearly: • In hindsight, would you do something differently
• Explaining how the practice specifically links to your own experiences or
• What happened? emerging practice or existing theory? next time and why?
• What was I doing/ involved in? When? Where? • Explaining what specifically worked (or didn’t work)? • How has your participation or experiences shaped
• What did you observe? • Describing how you felt, and what made you feel that way? How did your own understanding of the discipline?
• What seems significant to pay attention to? others respond, and what made them feel that way. • How has the experience impacted on or shaped
• Reflecting on how the experience connects with your own knowledge, your understanding of …
understanding or practice? And in what ways? • What new questions have emerged for you as a
If you are reflecting on a written text you might attempt to: • Providing an explanation for what happened? How does the relevant result of your reflections?
theory, literature and/or research inform your thinking about this. • What have you learnt about yourself as a learner?
• Considering the ideas in terms of their logic, usefulness, theoretical • What are the take home messages you have
• Examine how the writer’s prior experience has shaped his or
soundness and implications. uncovered in relation to the topic, concept or
her views. Does this affect the validity of the ideas
theory?
presented?
• What actions result?
It is acceptable to provide an opinion but it must be supported with evidence or How could you use this reflection to further develop your
examples. practice or understanding in the future?

If your reflection relates to observation, link what you observed to your own ideas
about your own emerging practice

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Academic Language for Reflection Discipline Examples

"...This was quite possibly due to ... Alternatively,..." Guidance, Counselling and Careers Development

http://libguides.jcu.edu.au/c.php?g=162419&p=1065386
"...The problem here, I believe, was the fact that..."

"...While it may be true that..."

"...On the one hand, ..., yet on the other..." Useful Links

Models of Reflection
"...In thinking back, ... On reflection, ..."
http://libguides.jcu.edu.au/c.php?g=162385&p=1066932
"...I guess that being …. like X has made me aware of..."
Reflective writing in Psychology
It is acceptable to use the personal pronoun ‘I’ in reflective
writing, as long as it is not overly used. Always attempt to http://libguides.jcu.edu.au/c.php?g=162521&p=1066847
vary your sentence beginnings.
Reflective Practice

http://libguides.jcu.edu.au/counselling?p=1065117

Reflective Writing: a basic introduction

https://www.jcu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/120478
/jcu_128366.pdf

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