research paper reflection

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

research paper reflection

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.

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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:

common reflection paper format

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.

how to write a reflection paper

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.

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How to Write a Reflection Paper

Last Updated: July 8, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Alicia Cook . Alicia Cook is a Professional Writer based in Newark, New Jersey. With over 12 years of experience, Alicia specializes in poetry and uses her platform to advocate for families affected by addiction and to fight for breaking the stigma against addiction and mental illness. She holds a BA in English and Journalism from Georgian Court University and an MBA from Saint Peter’s University. Alicia is a bestselling poet with Andrews McMeel Publishing and her work has been featured in numerous media outlets including the NY Post, CNN, USA Today, the HuffPost, the LA Times, American Songwriter Magazine, and Bustle. She was named by Teen Vogue as one of the 10 social media poets to know and her poetry mixtape, “Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately” was a finalist in the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 3,780,114 times.

Reflection papers allow you to communicate with your instructor about how a specific article, lesson, lecture, or experience shapes your understanding of class-related material. Reflection papers are personal and subjective [1] X Research source , but they must still maintain a somewhat academic tone and must still be thoroughly and cohesively organized. Here's what you need to know about writing an effective reflection.

Things You Should Know

  • Write an introduction that outlines the expectations you had and provide a thesis statement in the last sentence.
  • State your conclusions in the body paragraphs of the paper. Explain how you arrived at your conclusions using logic and concrete details.
  • Conclude the paper with a concise summary of your overall experience.

Sample Outline and Paper

research paper reflection

Brainstorming

Step 1 Identify the main themes.

  • These sentences should be both descriptive yet straight to the point.

Step 2 Jot down material that stands out in your mind.

  • For lectures or readings, you can write down specific quotations or summarize passages.
  • For experiences, make a note of specific portions of your experience. You could even write a small summary or story of an event that happened during the experience that stands out. Images, sounds, or other sensory portions of your experience work, as well.

Alicia Cook

  • In the first column, list the main points or key experiences. These points can include anything that the author or speaker treated with importance as well as any specific details you found to be important. Divide each point into its own separate row.
  • In the second column, list your personal response to the points you brought up in the first column. Mention how your subjective values, experiences, and beliefs influence your response.
  • In the third and last column, describe how much of your personal response to share in your reflection paper.

Step 4 Ask yourself questions to guide your response.

  • Does the reading, lecture, or experience challenge you socially, culturally, emotionally, or theologically? If so, where and how? Why does it bother you or catch your attention?
  • Has the reading, lecture, or experience changed your way of thinking? Did it conflict with beliefs you held previously, and what evidence did it provide you with in order to change your thought process on the topic?
  • Does the reading, lecture, or experience leave you with any questions? Were these questions ones you had previously or ones you developed only after finishing?
  • Did the author, speaker, or those involved in the experience fail to address any important issues? Could a certain fact or idea have dramatically changed the impact or conclusion of the reading, lecture, or experience?
  • How do the issues or ideas brought up in this reading, lecture, or experience mesh with past experiences or readings? Do the ideas contradict or support each other?

Organizing a Reflection Paper

Step 1 Keep it short and sweet.

  • Verify whether or not your instructor specified a word count for the paper instead of merely following this average.
  • If your instructor demands a word count outside of this range, meet your instructor's requirements.

Step 2 Introduce your expectations.

  • For a reading or lecture, indicate what you expected based on the title, abstract, or introduction.
  • For an experience, indicate what you expected based on prior knowledge provided by similar experiences or information from others.

Step 3 Develop a thesis statement.

  • This is essentially a brief explanation of whether or not your expectations were met.
  • A thesis provides focus and cohesion for your reflection paper.
  • You could structure a reflection thesis along the following lines: “From this reading/experience, I learned...”

Step 4 Explain your conclusions in the body.

  • Your conclusions must be explained. You should provide details on how you arrived at those conclusions using logic and concrete details.
  • The focus of the paper is not a summary of the text, but you still need to draw concrete, specific details from the text or experience in order to provide context for your conclusions.
  • Write a separate paragraph for each conclusion or idea you developed.
  • Each paragraph should have its own topic sentence. This topic sentence should clearly identify your major points, conclusions, or understandings.

Step 5 Conclude with a summary.

  • The conclusions or understandings explained in your body paragraphs should support your overall conclusion. One or two may conflict, but the majority should support your final conclusion.

As You Write

Step 1 Reveal information wisely.

  • If you feel uncomfortable about a personal issue that affects the conclusions you reached, it is wisest not to include personal details about it.
  • If a certain issue is unavoidable but you feel uncomfortable revealing your personal experiences or feelings regarding it, write about the issue in more general terms. Identify the issue itself and indicate concerns you have professionally or academically.

Step 2 Maintain a professional or academic tone.

  • Avoid dragging someone else down in your writing. If a particular person made the experience you are reflecting on difficult, unpleasant, or uncomfortable, you must still maintain a level of detachment as you describe that person's influence. Instead of stating something like, “Bob was such a rude jerk,” say something more along the lines of, “One man was abrupt and spoke harshly, making me feel as though I was not welcome there.” Describe the actions, not the person, and frame those actions within the context of how they influenced your conclusions.
  • A reflection paper is one of the few pieces of academic writing in which you can get away with using the first person pronoun “I.” That said, you should still relate your subjective feelings and opinions using specific evidence to explain them. [8] X Research source
  • Avoid slang and always use correct spelling and grammar. Internet abbreviations like “LOL” or “OMG” are fine to use personally among friends and family, but this is still an academic paper, so you need to treat it with the grammatical respect it deserves. Do not treat it as a personal journal entry.
  • Check and double-check your spelling and grammar after you finish your paper.

Step 3 Review your reflection paper at the sentence level.

  • Keep your sentences focused. Avoid squeezing multiple ideas into one sentence.
  • Avoid sentence fragments. Make sure that each sentence has a subject and a verb.
  • Vary your sentence length. Include both simple sentences with a single subject and verb and complex sentences with multiple clauses. Doing so makes your paper sound more conversational and natural, and prevents the writing from becoming too wooden. [9] X Research source

Step 4 Use transitions.

  • Common transitional phrases include "for example," "for instance," "as a result," "an opposite view is," and "a different perspective is."

Step 5 Relate relevant classroom information to the experience or reading.

  • For instance, if reflecting on a piece of literary criticism, you could mention how your beliefs and ideas about the literary theory addressed in the article relate to what your instructor taught you about it or how it applies to prose and poetry read in class.
  • As another example, if reflecting on a new social experience for a sociology class, you could relate that experience to specific ideas or social patterns discussed in class.

Expert Q&A

Alicia Cook

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  • ↑ https://www.csuohio.edu/writing-center/reflection-papers
  • ↑ https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/assignments/reflectionpaper
  • ↑ Alicia Cook. Professional Writer. Expert Interview. 11 December 2020.
  • ↑ https://www.trentu.ca/academicskills/how-guides/how-write-university/how-approach-any-assignment/how-write-reflection-paper
  • ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/thesis-statements/
  • ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/conclusions/
  • ↑ https://www.anu.edu.au/students/academic-skills/writing-assessment/reflective-writing/reflective-essays
  • ↑ https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/scholarlyvoice/sentencestructure

About This Article

Alicia Cook

To write a reflection paper, start with an introduction where you state any expectations you had for the reading, lesson, or experience you're reflecting on. At the end of your intro, include a thesis statement that explains how your views have changed. In the body of your essay, explain the conclusions you reached after the reading, lesson, or experience and discuss how you arrived at them. Finally, finish your paper with a succinct conclusion that explains what you've learned. To learn how to brainstorm for your paper, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Reflective writing is a process of identifying, questioning, and critically evaluating course-based learning opportunities, integrated with your own observations, experiences, impressions, beliefs, assumptions, or biases, and which describes how this process stimulated new or creative understanding about the content of the course.

A reflective paper describes and explains in an introspective, first person narrative, your reactions and feelings about either a specific element of the class [e.g., a required reading; a film shown in class] or more generally how you experienced learning throughout the course. Reflective writing assignments can be in the form of a single paper, essays, portfolios, journals, diaries, or blogs. In some cases, your professor may include a reflective writing assignment as a way to obtain student feedback that helps improve the course, either in the moment or for when the class is taught again.

How to Write a Reflection Paper . Academic Skills, Trent University; Writing a Reflection Paper . Writing Center, Lewis University; Critical Reflection . Writing and Communication Centre, University of Waterloo; Tsingos-Lucas et al. "Using Reflective Writing as a Predictor of Academic Success in Different Assessment Formats." American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education 81 (2017): Article 8.

Benefits of Reflective Writing Assignments

As the term implies, a reflective paper involves looking inward at oneself in contemplating and bringing meaning to the relationship between course content and the acquisition of new knowledge . Educational research [Bolton, 2010; Ryan, 2011; Tsingos-Lucas et al., 2017] demonstrates that assigning reflective writing tasks enhances learning because it challenges students to confront their own assumptions, biases, and belief systems around what is being taught in class and, in so doing, stimulate student’s decisions, actions, attitudes, and understanding about themselves as learners and in relation to having mastery over their learning. Reflection assignments are also an opportunity to write in a first person narrative about elements of the course, such as the required readings, separate from the exegetic and analytical prose of academic research papers.

Reflection writing often serves multiple purposes simultaneously. In no particular order, here are some of reasons why professors assign reflection papers:

  • Enhances learning from previous knowledge and experience in order to improve future decision-making and reasoning in practice . Reflective writing in the applied social sciences enhances decision-making skills and academic performance in ways that can inform professional practice. The act of reflective writing creates self-awareness and understanding of others. This is particularly important in clinical and service-oriented professional settings.
  • Allows students to make sense of classroom content and overall learning experiences in relation to oneself, others, and the conditions that shaped the content and classroom experiences . Reflective writing places you within the course content in ways that can deepen your understanding of the material. Because reflective thinking can help reveal hidden biases, it can help you critically interrogate moments when you do not like or agree with discussions, readings, or other aspects of the course.
  • Increases awareness of one’s cognitive abilities and the evidence for these attributes . Reflective writing can break down personal doubts about yourself as a learner and highlight specific abilities that may have been hidden or suppressed due to prior assumptions about the strength of your academic abilities [e.g., reading comprehension; problem-solving skills]. Reflective writing, therefore, can have a positive affective [i.e., emotional] impact on your sense of self-worth.
  • Applying theoretical knowledge and frameworks to real experiences . Reflective writing can help build a bridge of relevancy between theoretical knowledge and the real world. In so doing, this form of writing can lead to a better understanding of underlying theories and their analytical properties applied to professional practice.
  • Reveals shortcomings that the reader will identify . Evidence suggests that reflective writing can uncover your own shortcomings as a learner, thereby, creating opportunities to anticipate the responses of your professor may have about the quality of your coursework. This can be particularly productive if the reflective paper is written before final submission of an assignment.
  • Helps students identify their tacit [a.k.a., implicit] knowledge and possible gaps in that knowledge . Tacit knowledge refers to ways of knowing rooted in lived experience, insight, and intuition rather than formal, codified, categorical, or explicit knowledge. In so doing, reflective writing can stimulate students to question their beliefs about a research problem or an element of the course content beyond positivist modes of understanding and representation.
  • Encourages students to actively monitor their learning processes over a period of time . On-going reflective writing in journals or blogs, for example, can help you maintain or adapt learning strategies in other contexts. The regular, purposeful act of reflection can facilitate continuous deep thinking about the course content as it evolves and changes throughout the term. This, in turn, can increase your overall confidence as a learner.
  • Relates a student’s personal experience to a wider perspective . Reflection papers can help you see the big picture associated with the content of a course by forcing you to think about the connections between scholarly content and your lived experiences outside of school. It can provide a macro-level understanding of one’s own experiences in relation to the specifics of what is being taught.
  • If reflective writing is shared, students can exchange stories about their learning experiences, thereby, creating an opportunity to reevaluate their original assumptions or perspectives . In most cases, reflective writing is only viewed by your professor in order to ensure candid feedback from students. However, occasionally, reflective writing is shared and openly discussed in class. During these discussions, new or different perspectives and alternative approaches to solving problems can be generated that would otherwise be hidden. Sharing student's reflections can also reveal collective patterns of thought and emotions about a particular element of the course.

Bolton, Gillie. Reflective Practice: Writing and Professional Development . London: Sage, 2010; Chang, Bo. "Reflection in Learning." Online Learning 23 (2019), 95-110; Cavilla, Derek. "The Effects of Student Reflection on Academic Performance and Motivation." Sage Open 7 (July-September 2017): 1–13; Culbert, Patrick. “Better Teaching? You Can Write On It “ Liberal Education (February 2022); McCabe, Gavin and Tobias Thejll-Madsen. The Reflection Toolkit . University of Edinburgh; The Purpose of Reflection . Introductory Composition at Purdue University; Practice-based and Reflective Learning . Study Advice Study Guides, University of Reading; Ryan, Mary. "Improving Reflective Writing in Higher Education: A Social Semiotic Perspective." Teaching in Higher Education 16 (2011): 99-111; Tsingos-Lucas et al. "Using Reflective Writing as a Predictor of Academic Success in Different Assessment Formats." American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education 81 (2017): Article 8; What Benefits Might Reflective Writing Have for My Students? Writing Across the Curriculum Clearinghouse; Rykkje, Linda. "The Tacit Care Knowledge in Reflective Writing: A Practical Wisdom." International Practice Development Journal 7 (September 2017): Article 5; Using Reflective Writing to Deepen Student Learning . Center for Writing, University of Minnesota.

How to Approach Writing a Reflection Paper

Thinking About Reflective Thinking

Educational theorists have developed numerous models of reflective thinking that your professor may use to frame a reflective writing assignment. These models can help you systematically interpret your learning experiences, thereby ensuring that you ask the right questions and have a clear understanding of what should be covered. A model can also represent the overall structure of a reflective paper. Each model establishes a different approach to reflection and will require you to think about your writing differently. If you are unclear how to fit your writing within a particular reflective model, seek clarification from your professor. There are generally two types of reflective writing assignments, each approached in slightly different ways.

1.  Reflective Thinking about Course Readings

This type of reflective writing focuses on thoughtfully thinking about the course readings that underpin how most students acquire new knowledge and understanding about the subject of a course. Reflecting on course readings is often assigned in freshmen-level, interdisciplinary courses where the required readings examine topics viewed from multiple perspectives and, as such, provide different ways of analyzing a topic, issue, event, or phenomenon. The purpose of reflective thinking about course readings in the social and behavioral sciences is to elicit your opinions, beliefs, and feelings about the research and its significance. This type of writing can provide an opportunity to break down key assumptions you may have and, in so doing, reveal potential biases in how you interpret the scholarship.

If you are assigned to reflect on course readings, consider the following methods of analysis as prompts that can help you get started :

  • Examine carefully the main introductory elements of the reading, including the purpose of the study, the theoretical framework being used to test assumptions, and the research questions being addressed. Think about what ideas stood out to you. Why did they? Were these ideas new to you or familiar in some way based on your own lived experiences or prior knowledge?
  • Develop your ideas around the readings by asking yourself, what do I know about this topic? Where does my existing knowledge about this topic come from? What are the observations or experiences in my life that influence my understanding of the topic? Do I agree or disagree with the main arguments, recommended course of actions, or conclusions made by the author(s)? Why do I feel this way and what is the basis of these feelings?
  • Make connections between the text and your own beliefs, opinions, or feelings by considering questions like, how do the readings reinforce my existing ideas or assumptions? How the readings challenge these ideas or assumptions? How does this text help me to better understand this topic or research in ways that motivate me to learn more about this area of study?

2.  Reflective Thinking about Course Experiences

This type of reflective writing asks you to critically reflect on locating yourself at the conceptual intersection of theory and practice. The purpose of experiential reflection is to evaluate theories or disciplinary-based analytical models based on your introspective assessment of the relationship between hypothetical thinking and practical reality; it offers a way to consider how your own knowledge and skills fit within professional practice. This type of writing also provides an opportunity to evaluate your decisions and actions, as well as how you managed your subsequent successes and failures, within a specific theoretical framework. As a result, abstract concepts can crystallize and become more relevant to you when considered within your own experiences. This can help you formulate plans for self-improvement as you learn.

If you are assigned to reflect on your experiences, consider the following questions as prompts to help you get started :

  • Contextualize your reflection in relation to the overarching purpose of the course by asking yourself, what did you hope to learn from this course? What were the learning objectives for the course and how did I fit within each of them? How did these goals relate to the main themes or concepts of the course?
  • Analyze how you experienced the course by asking yourself, what did I learn from this experience? What did I learn about myself? About working in this area of research and study? About how the course relates to my place in society? What assumptions about the course were supported or refuted?
  • Think introspectively about the ways you experienced learning during the course by asking yourself, did your learning experiences align with the goals or concepts of the course? Why or why do you not feel this way? What was successful and why do you believe this? What would you do differently and why is this important? How will you prepare for a future experience in this area of study?

NOTE: If you are assigned to write a journal or other type of on-going reflection exercise, a helpful approach is to reflect on your reflections by re-reading what you have already written. In other words, review your previous entries as a way to contextualize your feelings, opinions, or beliefs regarding your overall learning experiences. Over time, this can also help reveal hidden patterns or themes related to how you processed your learning experiences. Consider concluding your reflective journal with a summary of how you felt about your learning experiences at critical junctures throughout the course, then use these to write about how you grew as a student learner and how the act of reflecting helped you gain new understanding about the subject of the course and its content.

ANOTHER NOTE: Regardless of whether you write a reflection paper or a journal, do not focus your writing on the past. The act of reflection is intended to think introspectively about previous learning experiences. However, reflective thinking should document the ways in which you progressed in obtaining new insights and understandings about your growth as a learner that can be carried forward in subsequent coursework or in future professional practice. Your writing should reflect a furtherance of increasing personal autonomy and confidence gained from understanding more about yourself as a learner.

Structure and Writing Style

There are no strict academic rules for writing a reflective paper. Reflective writing may be assigned in any class taught in the social and behavioral sciences and, therefore, requirements for the assignment can vary depending on disciplinary-based models of inquiry and learning. The organization of content can also depend on what your professor wants you to write about or based on the type of reflective model used to frame the writing assignment. Despite these possible variations, below is a basic approach to organizing and writing a good reflective paper, followed by a list of problems to avoid.

Pre-flection

In most cases, it's helpful to begin by thinking about your learning experiences and outline what you want to focus on before you begin to write the paper. This can help you organize your thoughts around what was most important to you and what experiences [good or bad] had the most impact on your learning. As described by the University of Waterloo Writing and Communication Centre, preparing to write a reflective paper involves a process of self-analysis that can help organize your thoughts around significant moments of in-class knowledge discovery.

  • Using a thesis statement as a guide, note what experiences or course content stood out to you , then place these within the context of your observations, reactions, feelings, and opinions. This will help you develop a rough outline of key moments during the course that reflect your growth as a learner. To identify these moments, pose these questions to yourself: What happened? What was my reaction? What were my expectations and how were they different from what transpired? What did I learn?
  • Critically think about your learning experiences and the course content . This will help you develop a deeper, more nuanced understanding about why these moments were significant or relevant to you. Use the ideas you formulated during the first stage of reflecting to help you think through these moments from both an academic and personal perspective. From an academic perspective, contemplate how the experience enhanced your understanding of a concept, theory, or skill. Ask yourself, did the experience confirm my previous understanding or challenge it in some way. As a result, did this highlight strengths or gaps in your current knowledge? From a personal perspective, think introspectively about why these experiences mattered, if previous expectations or assumptions were confirmed or refuted, and if this surprised, confused, or unnerved you in some way.
  • Analyze how these experiences and your reactions to them will shape your future thinking and behavior . Reflection implies looking back, but the most important act of reflective writing is considering how beliefs, assumptions, opinions, and feelings were transformed in ways that better prepare you as a learner in the future. Note how this reflective analysis can lead to actions you will take as a result of your experiences, what you will do differently, and how you will apply what you learned in other courses or in professional practice.

Basic Structure and Writing Style

Reflective Background and Context

The first part of your reflection paper should briefly provide background and context in relation to the content or experiences that stood out to you. Highlight the settings, summarize the key readings, or narrate the experiences in relation to the course objectives. Provide background that sets the stage for your reflection. You do not need to go into great detail, but you should provide enough information for the reader to understand what sources of learning you are writing about [e.g., course readings, field experience, guest lecture, class discussions] and why they were important. This section should end with an explanatory thesis statement that expresses the central ideas of your paper and what you want the readers to know, believe, or understand after they finish reading your paper.

Reflective Interpretation

Drawing from your reflective analysis, this is where you can be personal, critical, and creative in expressing how you felt about the course content and learning experiences and how they influenced or altered your feelings, beliefs, assumptions, or biases about the subject of the course. This section is also where you explore the meaning of these experiences in the context of the course and how you gained an awareness of the connections between these moments and your own prior knowledge.

Guided by your thesis statement, a helpful approach is to interpret your learning throughout the course with a series of specific examples drawn from the course content and your learning experiences. These examples should be arranged in sequential order that illustrate your growth as a learner. Reflecting on each example can be done by: 1)  introducing a theme or moment that was meaningful to you, 2) describing your previous position about the learning moment and what you thought about it, 3) explaining how your perspective was challenged and/or changed and why, and 4) introspectively stating your current or new feelings, opinions, or beliefs about that experience in class.

It is important to include specific examples drawn from the course and placed within the context of your assumptions, thoughts, opinions, and feelings. A reflective narrative without specific examples does not provide an effective way for the reader to understand the relationship between the course content and how you grew as a learner.

Reflective Conclusions

The conclusion of your reflective paper should provide a summary of your thoughts, feelings, or opinions regarding what you learned about yourself as a result of taking the course. Here are several ways you can frame your conclusions based on the examples you interpreted and reflected on what they meant to you. Each example would need to be tied to the basic theme [thesis statement] of your reflective background section.

  • Your reflective conclusions can be described in relation to any expectations you had before taking the class [e.g., “I expected the readings to not be relevant to my own experiences growing up in a rural community, but the research actually helped me see that the challenges of developing my identity as a child of immigrants was not that unusual...”].
  • Your reflective conclusions can explain how what you learned about yourself will change your actions in the future [e.g., “During a discussion in class about the challenges of helping homeless people, I realized that many of these people hate living on the street but lack the ability to see a way out. This made me realize that I wanted to take more classes in psychology...”].
  • Your reflective conclusions can describe major insights you experienced a critical junctures during the course and how these moments enhanced how you see yourself as a student learner [e.g., "The guest speaker from the Head Start program made me realize why I wanted to pursue a career in elementary education..."].
  • Your reflective conclusions can reconfigure or reframe how you will approach professional practice and your understanding of your future career aspirations [e.g.,, "The course changed my perceptions about seeking a career in business finance because it made me realize I want to be more engaged in customer service..."]
  • Your reflective conclusions can explore any learning you derived from the act of reflecting itself [e.g., “Reflecting on the course readings that described how minority students perceive campus activities helped me identify my own biases about the benefits of those activities in acclimating to campus life...”].

NOTE: The length of a reflective paper in the social sciences is usually less than a traditional research paper. However, don’t assume that writing a reflective paper is easier than writing a research paper. A well-conceived critical reflection paper often requires as much time and effort as a research paper because you must purposeful engage in thinking about your learning in ways that you may not be comfortable with or used to. This is particular true while preparing to write because reflective papers are not as structured as a traditional research paper and, therefore, you have to think deliberately about how you want to organize the paper and what elements of the course you want to reflect upon.

ANOTHER NOTE: Do not limit yourself to using only text in reflecting on your learning. If you believe it would be helpful, consider using creative modes of thought or expression such as, illustrations, photographs, or material objects that reflects an experience related to the subject of the course that was important to you [e.g., like a ticket stub to a renowned speaker on campus]. Whatever non-textual element you include, be sure to describe the object's relevance to your personal relationship to the course content.

Problems to Avoid

A reflective paper is not a “mind dump” . Reflective papers document your personal and emotional experiences and, therefore, they do not conform to rigid structures, or schema, to organize information. However, the paper should not be a disjointed, stream-of-consciousness narrative. Reflective papers are still academic pieces of writing that require organized thought, that use academic language and tone , and that apply intellectually-driven critical thinking to the course content and your learning experiences and their significance.

A reflective paper is not a research paper . If you are asked to reflect on a course reading, the reflection will obviously include some description of the research. However, the goal of reflective writing is not to present extraneous ideas to the reader or to "educate" them about the course. The goal is to share a story about your relationship with the learning objectives of the course. Therefore, unlike research papers, you are expected to write from a first person point of view which includes an introspective examination of your own opinions, feelings, and personal assumptions.

A reflection paper is not a book review . Descriptions of the course readings using your own words is not a reflective paper. Reflective writing should focus on how you understood the implications of and were challenged by the course in relation to your own lived experiences or personal assumptions, combined with explanations of how you grew as a student learner based on this internal dialogue. Remember that you are the central object of the paper, not the research materials.

A reflective paper is not an all-inclusive meditation. Do not try to cover everything. The scope of your paper should be well-defined and limited to your specific opinions, feelings, and beliefs about what you determine to be the most significant content of the course and in relation to the learning that took place. Reflections should be detailed enough to covey what you think is important, but your thoughts should be expressed concisely and coherently [as is true for any academic writing assignment].

Critical Reflection . Writing and Communication Centre, University of Waterloo; Critical Reflection: Journals, Opinions, & Reactions . University Writing Center, Texas A&M University; Connor-Greene, Patricia A. “Making Connections: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Journal Writing in Enhancing Student Learning.” Teaching of Psychology 27 (2000): 44-46; Good vs. Bad Reflection Papers , Franklin University; Dyment, Janet E. and Timothy S. O’Connell. "The Quality of Reflection in Student Journals: A Review of Limiting and Enabling Factors." Innovative Higher Education 35 (2010): 233-244: How to Write a Reflection Paper . Academic Skills, Trent University; Amelia TaraJane House. Reflection Paper . Cordia Harrington Center for Excellence, University of Arkansas; Ramlal, Alana, and Désirée S. Augustin. “Engaging Students in Reflective Writing: An Action Research Project.” Educational Action Research 28 (2020): 518-533; Writing a Reflection Paper . Writing Center, Lewis University; McGuire, Lisa, Kathy Lay, and Jon Peters. “Pedagogy of Reflective Writing in Professional Education.” Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (2009): 93-107; Critical Reflection . Writing and Communication Centre, University of Waterloo; How Do I Write Reflectively? Academic Skills Toolkit, University of New South Wales Sydney; Reflective Writing . Skills@Library. University of Leeds; Walling, Anne, Johanna Shapiro, and Terry Ast. “What Makes a Good Reflective Paper?” Family Medicine 45 (2013): 7-12; Williams, Kate, Mary Woolliams, and Jane Spiro. Reflective Writing . 2nd edition. London: Red Globe Press, 2020; Yeh, Hui-Chin, Shih-hsien Yang, Jo Shan Fu, and Yen-Chen Shih. “Developing College Students’ Critical Thinking through Reflective Writing.” Higher Education Research and Development (2022): 1-16.

Writing Tip

Focus on Reflecting, Not on Describing

Minimal time and effort should be spent describing the course content you are asked to reflect upon. The purpose of a reflection assignment is to introspectively contemplate your reactions to and feeling about an element of the course. D eflecting the focus away from your own feelings by concentrating on describing the course content can happen particularly if "talking about yourself" [i.e., reflecting] makes you uncomfortable or it is intimidating. However, the intent of reflective writing is to overcome these inhibitions so as to maximize the benefits of introspectively assessing your learning experiences. Keep in mind that, if it is relevant, your feelings of discomfort could be a part of how you critically reflect on any challenges you had during the course [e.g., you realize this discomfort inhibited your willingness to ask questions during class, it fed into your propensity to procrastinate, or it made it difficult participating in groups].

Writing a Reflection Paper . Writing Center, Lewis University; Reflection Paper . Cordia Harrington Center for Excellence, University of Arkansas.

Another Writing Tip

Helpful Videos about Reflective Writing

These two short videos succinctly describe how to approach a reflective writing assignment. They are produced by the Academic Skills department at the University of Melbourne and the Skills Team of the University of Hull, respectively.

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Mirror Your Ideas and Thoughts: How to Write a Reflection Paper

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Your opinions and ideas about the world around you are what make you a different individual. One form of academic writing that lets you show your individuality is reflective writing.

Most students face difficulty expressing their thoughts and opinions on a subject, as they’re almost never encouraged to. They’re always taught that there is a right and a wrong answer.

In such circumstances, learning how to write a reflection paper is crucial for developing an understanding of yourself and how you see the world. In this article, we’ll give you an extensive guide that consists of outlines, strategies, examples, and formatting for writing a reflective  college essay .

So, stick around till the very end to explore this fantastic art of writing that might lead you to understand and sync your thoughts a little better.

Table of Contents

What is a reflection paper?

Reflective writing is a form of academic writing that helps you learn and grow as a writer, thinker, and person. It explores the writer’s personal opinion or experience, thoughts, and emotions.

And involves introspection and critical analysis of one’s own experience.Reflective writing can be done in many different ways and purposes.

In an academic setting, this type of writing is used in essays, journals, or portfolios where individuals are asked to reflect on their learning experiences or professional development critically.

However, reflective writing is also valuable for personal growth, self-expression, and a deeper understanding of oneself and the world around them.

What’s the Purpose of Reflective Writing?

The purpose of a reflection paper is to help stimulate self-reflection, introspection, and the unfolding of one’s perceptions and beliefs.

Reflecting writing is not just an account of some experience or literature. It delves deeper into exploring how an experience or a piece of writing impacts your thoughts and feelings.

It provides an opportunity to evaluate and make sense of personal experiences, consider alternative viewpoints, and identify areas for personal development or improvement.

Students Chew on This: Feel Free to Mould As Per Your Assignment

Reflective writing can take many different forms depending on the purpose of your assignment. You may be asked to write about a specific experience from your life or from a class you took.

You may also be asked to write about an idea or concept you studied in class. You might be asked to reflect on a particular theme that was presented in class discussion or in readings assigned over several classes throughout the semester.

Whatever your assignment is asking you to write about, keep these tips in mind:

  • Be clear about what type of reflective writing you’re doing—you might need to explain what kind of reflection you’re doing at the start of your paper (e.g., personal reflection vs. academic reflection).
  • Define terms—if there are words or concepts that are unfamiliar to readers (or yourself), define them before using them later in the paper so they have

How to write a Reflection Paper: Types of Reflective Writing

There are three major types of reflective writing: personal reflective essays , educational reflections, and professional reflections.

Personal Reflective Writing

Explores the writer’s own experiences, thoughts, and emotions. Personal reflection is often used as a tool for self-improvement or self-exploration.

Educators often use it to help students reflect on their learning experiences to improve them in the future.

Example for Your Convenience

A student might use personal reflection after reading about the  Civil War  era to explore what they learned about that period. A teacher could use this type of writing to assess student understanding after reading a chapter in their textbook or participating in an activity during class time.

Educational Reflective Paper

Educational reflection focuses on learning experiences like courses, assignments, or projects. These papers are typically written by high school or college students reflecting on what they’ve learned during an academic course or class project.

Teachers can also use educational reflection as part of a course evaluation process by asking students specific questions related to each course component (i.e., classroom activities) and then having them answer those questions using.

Professional Reflective Writing

Professional reflection involves reflecting on work experiences, internships, or professional development activities.

These papers are typically written by professionals who have been working in their field for some time and are sharing their thoughts about how they learned certain skills or techniques while doing their job. 

How to Write a Reflection Paper: Outlining Time!

When it comes to reflective writing, most teachers tend to give “total freedom” to their students. But this sudden abundance of freedom can lead to massive confusion and late submissions.

Most of the time, teachers leave it entirely to the students to write their reflective papers. But this abrupt abundance of freedom often confuses them. And instead of easing their way into writing, they are left wondering where to start and how to write a reflection paper.

When engaging in reflective writing, we should adhere to a similar structure as other forms of academic writing, ensuring our content remains within the boundaries of academic discourse.

To combat this issue, the experts at  paper perk  have developed an easy prompt that will help you with  outlining your paper . So let’s get straight to it.

Introduction

The introduction of a reflective paper is quite similar to introductions in other academic writings. It includes important elements like providing background information, stating the main idea (thesis), and capturing the reader’s attention with a hook or interesting opening.

To make it easier to understand, think of the introduction as the beginning of your paper, where you introduce the topic and grab the reader’s interest.

You also share some background information to set the stage for what you’ll be reflecting upon. Finally, you present your main idea or argument, which is a roadmap for the rest of your paper.

So, remember, the introduction is like the opening chapter of your reflective paper. It sets the scene, captures attention, and tells the reader what you’ll discuss.

Body Paragraphs

Body paragraphs are the muscle of any academic paper because they serve as the supporting framework for your ideas and experiences. The body of a reflective paper provides the key points that contribute to your overall assessment.

  • It helps in describing the experience or the article of writing
  • Your emotional or cognitive response to it
  • Your critical analysis
  • The lesson you might have learned due to the phenomenon you’re writing about
  • Your application and the relevance of your experience

How you tackle your body paragraph can make or break your reflective writing. While writing the main section of your paper, ways to connect all the paragraphs.

You must use transitional words and a topic sentence for each paragraph. The number of paragraphs you’re to write depends on the required  length of the research paper .

Conclusions are important for almost all academic writing pieces as they allow you to tie all loose ends and reinforce your ideas.

Now, most of you must be thinking, “Do we need to reinforce our opinions on our readers?” The answer is “No”; we don’t necessarily need to impose our opinion.

But writing an impacting conclusion that makes your reader consider your opinion on a topic is crucial.

Do Reflective Papers Have Citations?

There is a common misconception that reflective papers do not require citations, but this belief can be misleading. It is important to remember that while reflective writing allows for personal opinions, it still follows the framework and standards of academic writing.

In academic writing,  citing a paper  is not only appreciated but often required. Therefore, referencing your reflective paper adds to its credibility and reliability.

For example:

A prevalent form of reflective writing among students involves referencing the context of their experiences.

Reflection Paper Format

When writing a reflection paper, there is typically no strict format. What matters the most is your comfort and expression.

It is best to write freely without feeling restricted. However, too much freedom can sometimes confuse people. If a reflection paper is assigned to you, the format will usually depend on the criteria set by your professor.

For college reflection papers, also known as reflection essays, the length typically ranges from 500 to 1000 words.

In terms of a common reflection paper format, here are some guidelines to consider:

  • Double-space the entire paper or text, leaving a blank line between each line of writing.
  • Indent the first word of each paragraph, which means starting each new paragraph slightly inward from the left margin.
  • Use a one-inch margin on all sides of the paper.
  • Choose “Times New Roman” with a 12-point font, which means the letters are medium size.

Remember, these formatting guidelines provide a cohesive and organized structure for your reflection paper, making it easier for readers to follow. It ensures that your paper looks neat and professional.

How to Bring the Reflection Paper Structure to Life: Step-by-Step Guide

It’s high time for you to dive into the final part now. We are heading towards 9 simple yet comprehensive steps guide for you to bring life into your reflection paper. Are you ready to start this transformative journey? Okay, go ahead then!

Analyze the Material

  • Become a detective:  Investigate the text’s content, thesis, and arguments.
  • Form your opinions : Develop your stance on the academic material.
  • Ask key questions : Identify problem areas or intriguing aspects of the document.

Make Connections

  • Build bridges:  Link your opinions and experiences to the material.
  • Piece it together : Find patterns and relationships in your thoughts.
  • Illuminate insights : Uncover deeper meaning through connections.

Understand and Summarize

  • Review and recap : Outline the material’s key points and arguments.
  • Create a roadmap : Guide your writing with a summary or outline.
  • Fiction vs. Non-fiction : Adjust your approach based on the type of material.

Select a Theme

  • Choose your focus : Pick a central theme that aligns with the material and your experiences.
  • Branch out : Explore sub-themes to enrich your reflection.
  • Paint a picture : Use your theme to create a vivid and cohesive narrative.

Brainstorm Ideas and Experiences

  • Let your thoughts flow : Generate a list of ideas related to your theme.
  • Take notes : Jot down personal experiences that connect to the material.
  • Spark inspiration : Use your ideas and experiences to fuel your reflection.

Craft an Introduction

  • Open the door : Set the stage with context and introduce the material.
  • Hook your reader : Use an engaging opening to capture their attention.
  • State your purpose:  Clearly express the focus of your reflection.

Write the Body

  • Build your argument : Develop the main content of your paper.
  • Connect to the material : Reference specific examples and anecdotes.
  • Take them on a journey : Guide your reader through your thoughts and experiences.

Conclude Effectively

  • Finish strong : Summarize your main points and emphasize the significance of your reflection.
  • Growth and learning : Highlight the impact of your reflection on your personal development.
  • Leave a lasting impression : End with a powerful statement that resonates with your reader.

Proofread and Edit

  • Be your own critic : Review your paper for clarity, coherence, and grammar.
  • Trim the fat : Remove any unnecessary or repetitive content.
  • Polish to perfection : Revise and proofread to enhance your reflection and captivate your audience.

We hope you have all the answers to your pressing queries in our thorough guideline. For the ease of our dearest students, we have tackled everything from meaning to purpose, types to mind mapping, and the simplest yet complete step-by-step guide. Now what’s your take on this? If you are still alarmed by the deadly deadline, then our reflective  research paper writing service  is all yours! Just start a chat and rest leave on our concerned writers.

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Research Paper Reflection

In the research paper, I can feel my biggest change is in dealing with the structure of the whole article. The structure of the essay is already mentioned in the introduction part, so the next step is to follow the structure I have made. In other words, each part, as well as each title of paragraphs of the essay should take concerted action with the structure and the development in the the introduction. Otherwise, the introduction part will lost its function. As for my thinking aspect, the most important thing is to organize and get idea fragments in order in my mind. And now I will follow the principle of thinking first and writing second. After dividing the whole structure into some main parts, some smaller structures in each part should also be divided further. In my revision process, because of huge number of words, I firstly made a plan for the overall structure, and then for the words, finally for the content. Therefore, after finishing this essay, I have learned that breaking up the goal is very important. When the big goal becomes into small, it will be much easier.

Research-Methodology

Personal Reflection Sample: preparing a Research Report for ACCA

Personal Reflection Sample

The skill and learning statement includes the implications of interactions with mentor, an analysis of the extent to which research questions have been answered, a brief analysis of interpersonal and communication skills and their relevance to the research, as well as the contribution of the research experience to my professional and personal development.

1.      Experiences of interactions with mentor

I had chances of meeting my project mentor three times and obtained practical support regarding various aspects of the work during these meetings. Our first meeting was mainly dedicated to clarifying our expectations from the research experience and the discussions took place related to the issues of selection of the research approach and formulation of research questions and objectives.

By the time I had a meeting with my mentor for the second time Introduction and Information gathering chapters of the work have been completed and I received detailed feedback for these chapters of the research. Also, discussions were held about data analysis and presentation associated with the project.

During the final meeting with my mentor the overall work has been scrutinised and a set of specific points have been mentioned by my mentor. Specifically, my mentor raised a point that my discussions of research findings lacked depth and scale. Then, these points have been addressed and the final draft of the Research Report was completed.

I found advices given by my mentor very helpful in terms of increasing the quality of my Research Report and equipping me with knowledge of effectively conducting similar studies in the future in general. Moreover, my Project Mentor was not only highlighting the shortages that were associated with my project, but also was giving detailed explanations why these changes were desirable in a passionate manner.

Furthermore, I found these three sessions with my mentor to be highly motivational and informative experience because they have increased the level of my personal interest in conducting businesses studies. Prior to conducting the Research Report and having discussions with my mentor I was assuming conducting analytical business studies to be a rather boring experience.

However, thanks to my mentor I learned to appreciate the importance of analysing a business case in terms of identifying a current strategic and financial position of a business, and formulating the ways of identifying further strategic options available to the business.

2.      The extent to which research questions have been answered

Answering the research questions in my Research Report were directly related to the quality of secondary data, and the choice of methodology. Therefore, these issues were approached effectively by critically assessing the validity of the sources of secondary data and assessing alternative choices of methodology. Moreover, my first meeting with my Project mentor was mainly devoted to the discussion of the same issues.

As a result of comprehensive analysis the most reliable sources of secondary data in order to be used in Research Report were found to include published financial statements and annual reports, textbooks on financial and business analysis, information published in official company website, information available from ACCA website, as well as, various business journals an newspapers.

The choice of methods for conducting the study, on the other hand, was guided by the reliability of the data analysis methods and their relevance to the research issues. After spending additional amount of time for the choice of appropriate methodology and taking into account advises of my mentor, financial ratios and analytic tools have been chosen to be employed in my Research Report.

Purposely, financial and accounting ratios that were used in the study include profitability, liquidity, financial position and investor ratios, whereas, the choice of analytic tools consist of SWOT, PESTLE, and Porter’s five forces analysis.

To summarise this part, it is fair to state that all of the research questions in my Research Report have been effectively addressed, because the secondary data have been obtained from reliable sources, relevant methodology has been used to conduct the study, and the research findings have been critically discussed.

3.      Interpersonal and communication skills and their relevance to the research

I have demonstrated my interpersonal and communication skills at various stages of doing Research Report and preparing for and making the presentation. Moreover, without my interpersonal and communication skills completing the Research Report and doing the presentation would have proved to be highly challenging.

For example, my listening skills have proved to be highly valuable in terms of understanding vital information given by my mentor about increasing the quality of my Research Report, because these advises were fully understood and implemented into the practice.

My interpersonal skills have also played a positive role when I asked some of my trusted colleagues to be an audience when I was rehearsing my presentation. I was making presentations in front of my colleagues and was asking for their opinions about the quality of my presentation. This practice took place many times in different settings and I believe that following this strategy has enhanced the quality of my presentation and my marks.

However, my communication skills have played a crucial role in terms of succeeding in making the presentation effectively. I have learned from my experiences within and outside of academic settings that communication skills play the most crucial role in terms of succeeding in personal and professional lives.

For instance, an individual may possess a deep knowledge about a certain area. However, if the individual lacks competency of communicating his or her ideas, knowledge and feelings in an effective manner, the overall competency of the individual and the level of his or her contribution to the organisation will always remain compromised.

Therefore, in my opinion, regardless of the field, industry or type of organisation, communication skills can be specified as a compulsory attribute for an employee in order to be considered an a competent. In my case in particular, my advanced level of communication skills have enabled me to do my Research Report presentation effectively which has resulted in positive acclaim from my peers and mentor.

4.      The potential contribution of Research Report to the level of professional development

Conducting the Research Report and doing the presentation has increased the level of my professional competency in several ways. First of all, I have to mention the fact that I have developed a critical mindset towards solving business issues as a result of conducting the Research Report.

My mentor made it clear that it was important to critically analyse related issues in Research Report rather than just offering description of the issues and supplying calculations. The mentor had stressed many times that critical analysis and discussions are the elements of the work that increase its value. For the same reason I had to revise my Research Report several times until my mentor was satisfied with the level of critical analysis the work had included.

Although, such an approach to work seemed to be very challenging and confusing during the research process, I appreciated the value of critical analysis once the final work was completed. The skills of critical analysis that I have developed and applied in Research Report can easily be applied when real business issues would need to be resolved by me in the future in my professional capacity.

Completing the Research Report was similar to project management in real businesses environment in terms of strict deadlines, scarcity of resources, organising and planning, scheduling meetings, doing presentations etc. Therefore, the skills I developed during the process of completing Research Report can be used in order to successfully manage business projects in the future.

Moreover, my writing skills have also been greatly improved as a result of engaging in Research Report. Despite the popular opinion that with the increasing importance of information technology the practice of writing letters and reports are being replaced by alternative means of business communications, the importance of writing will always remain significant for business managers.

From this point of view engaging in Research Report was a very beneficial experience for me on a personal level. Specifically, writing the paper of almost ten thousand words in total, including this personal reflection, has made me better prepared to join the full-time workforce once my studies are completed.

Lastly, as a result of preparing the Research Report my professional interest on the issues associated with corporate strategy has been enhanced. Moreover, I am planning to continue studying the issues of corporate strategy and that knowledge would benefit me in the future as a corporate leader.

5.      Gains derived from conducting Research Report experience on a personal level

On a personal level I benefited from conducting the Research Report and doing the presentation in a number of ways. The research experience with Oxford Brookes has increased the level of my motivation for studying, making bold plans for my future career and implements necessary measures and initiatives in order to accomplish these plans. My mentor deserves to be mentioned here specifically for all encouragements and practical tips that can be applied in various alternative settings apart from academic life.

The level of my self-confidence has also been increased because I could complete the Research Report in time. Moreover, the presentation experience has increased the level of my self-confidence dramatically, because I understood that if I could do a successful presentation in front of my mentor and colleagues, doing the presentations of multi-million projects in front of top executives was just a matter of time.

The paramount importance of self-confidence for an individual is an undisputable matter. Self-confidence allows us to set ambitious plans and utilise all the available resources efficiently in order to achieve these plans.

My time-management skills have also been improved by the end of the Research Report. This is because there was a specific deadline for both, the Research Report and presentation and I had to adopt some principles related to time management in order to be able to submit my work on time.

These principles included setting specific deadlines for each chapter of the work, and above all, dramatically cutting the amount of time I used to browse social networking sites on the internet. I can highlight this fact as one of the most substantial gains in a personal level. This is because prior to the research experience I used to spend several hours a day browsing a set of social networking sites with no real benefit whatsoever. However, once the priority was given to the Research Project, this bad habit was dealt with effectively and irreversibly.

6.      Conclusions

To summarise, completing the Research Report and making presentation with Oxford Brookes University following my ACCA course has increased the level of my preparedness to join the full-time workforce and successfully utilise my energy and knowledge. In my opinion the biggest benefit I received from enrolling to this course of study is that the course of study, the Research Report and doing the presentation have made me to believe in my skills and capabilities and they have also awoke my desire to approach studying as a lifelong process.

Moreover, I have obtained a set of professional and personal gains as a result of completing the Research Report and making presentation that include the development of a critical mindset, improvement my writing and time management skills and enhancement of the level of my self-confidence.

research paper reflection

Stephen Estrada

…yeah, i have an opinion about that, research paper reflection.

Lesson 9 research paper was the first research paper I have ever done, and the first paper I had to write in several years.  I was anxious when I saw this assignment on the syllabus, as writing has never been a strong suit of mine.  Writing is one of the things I was most fearful about when making the choice to go back to school and pursue my degree.  I would always hear of friends and colleagues talk about how they had to write 10, 15, 30 page papers in college.  The thought of that much writing makes me dizzy.

When picking the topic of the paper, I wanted to choose one that I could relate to the most.  For me that was information security and privacy.  When looking at the topics provided by the professor, this one jumped out at me, and I instantly wanted to know more.

As I mentioned this was my first research paper, so at first I spent a lot of time researching how to write a research paper, thank goodness for the internet!  Once I felt like I had the basics down it was time to tackle that elephant in the room, start the paper.  When it came time to put pen to pad, or fingers to keys in this case, I tried to break up the paper in segments.  Doing this allowed me to focus my thoughts rather than be overwhelmed by the whole exercise.  And as I started to build the paper, the writing became easier and easier, and I really started to get into a flow.  I tried to keep this saying in my head while writing the paper: “the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.”  It help shrink the mountain my mind created of this task, into a hill.  Well not really a hill, but more like a slightly smaller mountain, but you get the point.  In the end, I’m glad I have this first one under my belt, and looking forward to build on this success.

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Perspectives of Nursing Students on Promoting Reflection in the Clinical Setting: A Qualitative Study

Yasir alsalamah.

1 Emergency Department, Al-Amal Psychiatric Hospital, Qassim, Buraydah 52326, Saudi Arabia; as.vog.hom@hamalaslasy

Bander Albagawi

2 Medical Surgical Nursing Department, College of Nursing, University of Hail, Hail 55476, Saudi Arabia; [email protected]

Lisa Babkair

3 College of Nursing, King AbdulAziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia; as.ude.uak@riakbabl

Fahed Alsalamah

4 Department of Nursing, Qassim University, BSN, RN, Riyadh 52571, Saudi Arabia; [email protected]

Mohammad S. Itani

5 Faculty of Health Sciences, Beirut Arab University, Beirut 11-5020, Lebanon; [email protected] (M.S.I.); [email protected] (A.T.)

Ahmad Tassi

Mirna fawaz, associated data.

The data will be shared by the authors of this research paper upon request.

Background: Reflection increases meta-cognitive capacities, promotes student-instructor relationships, overcomes the theory-practice gap, and enriches learning. This study aims at exploring nursing students’ perspectives on the facilitators of reflective practices in the clinical setting. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted among 21 Saudi nursing students at one major university in Saudi Arabia. Results: Two major themes were prevalent upon thematic analysis, namely, “Personal Drivers of Reflection” which consisted of “Motivation to Learn”, “Desire to develop”, “Ethical Regard”, and “Responsibility towards patients” and “External Drivers of Reflection” which consisted of “Patient characteristics”, “Case complexity”, and “Competent Instructors”. Conclusion: As per the results of the study, nursing students perceived that they underwent reflection as a response to personal motivational and external educational aspects. According to the findings, instructors should assist students through clinical reflection, with a special focus on their interactions and motivation.

1. Introduction

Nowadays, nurses work in a system that is extremely complicated, active, and ever-changing while providing a diverse array of healthcare functions. Nursing students must enhance their clinical education in order to manage these developments [ 1 ]. The foundation of learning through experiencing is reflection, which involves the combination of both knowledge and practice. Many instructors suggested that in order to cope with the present problems in the clinical context, educators should prepare students for reflection on clinical encounters [ 2 ]. Reflection has been more prominent in educational facilities over the past years, and it is now recognized as a component in gaining competency. It is a useful and indispensable method for improving professional nursing, and it is broadly utilized in learning and teaching methods in both lecture halls and clinical contexts [ 3 ].

Reflection is more than being contemplative; it relates to a mechanism that may help people learn from their experiences. This method entails a critical examination of prior experiences in order to induce change in behavior and improve personal and professional capabilities in the future [ 4 ]. Generally, students may scrutinize their behaviors and activities within the experiential context in which they engage through reflection, therefore, resolving the inconsistencies in their performance [ 5 ]. Reflection on clinical skills by nursing students during the clinical learning process is critical to the development of such student competencies [ 6 ]. Nonetheless, the required abilities for reflection are vague, and learning reflection is difficult. Students also find the procedure of reflection difficult and feel that it does not occur spontaneously, therefore, it needs a safe and secure atmosphere in which they may cultivate reflection with the assistance of professionals. As a result, facilitation of reflection and reflective capacities is seen as an essential part of professional growth [ 7 ]. Students’ abilities and capacities increase when they are able to reflect on their everyday occurrences, which can be accomplished by immersing students in an exercise that leverages their consciousness and allowing them to communicate their views [ 8 ]. Medical trainers must encourage reflection by assessing students’ reflective work and identifying educational obstacles in medical curricula while utilizing handwritten or web-based portfolios. It’s crucial to establish a secure setting in which people may reflect on their experiences [ 9 ]. Reflection in medical education can be implemented in multitude of ways, depending on the restrictions of the coursework. Many teaching programs require students to keep a reflective journal, and the writings are frequently used for evaluation, thus highlighting the student’s weaknesses and encouraging students to improve [ 10 ].

As per several pieces of research, reflection improves student-instructor interactions, bridges the theory-practice gap, deepens learning, and strengthens meta-cognitive abilities [ 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Regardless of the premise that reflection has been employed in nursing academia for many years and recognized as an academic requirement in the nursing profession that improves students’ knowledge and awareness, this subject still requires further investigation, especially in Saudi Arabia, where despite the advances in medical education and research, this topic is still in its infancy. In past years, a considerable discrepancy across instructional experiences and practical nursing services has resulted in a nursing care discrepancy, as well as critique of nurses’ care quality in some Saudi hospitals [ 14 ]. In order to offer a better understanding of the significance of reflection for implementing more successful programs, it is important to evaluate nursing students’ perceptions of reflection. The outcomes of the study can be used to develop a clinical education program that bridges the gap between theory and practice. In Saudi Arabia, the only study that tackled the reflection highlighted the perspectives of preceptors rather than students. The current study was undertaken to explore the nursing students’ perspectives on the facilitators of reflective practices in the clinical setting.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. research design.

This study employed a phenomenological explorative methodology in order to explore the nursing students’ perspectives on the facilitators of reflective practices in the clinical setting. The methodology used in this research is predicated on Colaizzi’s phenomenological framework, which uses respondents’ viewpoints and observations to explain the phenomenon in question, culminating in the recognition of common attributes within the sample group rather than personal qualities [ 15 ]. The paper was designed and written according to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) reporting guidelines [ 16 ].

2.2. Setting and Sample

A purposive sample of 21 nursing students from the second semester and above from one nursing school in Saudi Arabia and were employed into this study [ 17 ]. Students were chosen starting from the second semester because nursing students must complete around 39 credits in the clinical area, which commence in the second semester, and they are regularly confronted with a variety of challenging situations from the outset of their training program, that might drive reflection. In order to acquire profound and comprehensive data, it was sought to choose individuals with the most variety (in terms of semester, average level, and family status). Students who were registered in a bachelor nursing degree at the targeted university, had at least one semester of clinical training program, and were prepared to partake and discuss their insights met the study’s inclusion criteria. First-semester students were excluded because they lacked clinical experience. The students included were enrolled in the full-time study program, and have been practicing reflection throughout their clinical training program through fulfilling a portfolio containing qualitative reflection forms for each clinical task.

The study sample was made up of 21 male nursing students from one nursing school at a major university at Saudi Arabia, where 3 (14.28%) where in the second semester of their first year, 4 (19.04%) where in the first semester of their second year, 5 (23.80%) from the second semester of the second year and another 5 (23.80%) from the first semester of their third year. Only 4 (19.04%) were in the second semester of the third year. The mean age of the students was 21.65 ± 1.27 years ( Table 1 ).

Student Characteristics.

2.3. Recruitment and Data Collection

As researchers were granted access to a registry of university webmail, students were contacted by email. Students were emailed a generic invitation to participate in the research as well as an explanation of the study objectives, and if they were willing to participate, they were asked to return a signed informed consent form. Following introduction, the researchers asked study subjects to participate in hour-long semi-structured interviews using Microsoft teams. The students were approached by the researchers who were not affiliated with their university, and did not teach them any classes. Therefore, the researchers who established contact with the students had no influence on them or the participation process and deciding against it, did not affect their assessments.

2.4. Interviews

The interviews were conducted by three of the researchers who were PhD holders and lecturing professors. The researchers who interviewed the students were two males and one female, where all three of them had experience in conducting qualitative research. The researchers had no prior relationship with the students; however, they were introduced upon receiving the email of participation through mutual colleagues and professors who taught the students. The interviews were carried out using virtual meeting technologies by the investigators, who were able to conduct interviews until data saturation was reached. A suitable schedule for the interviews was agreed upon with each participant, especially considering their hectic academic schedules, in order for them to be approachable and provide accurate descriptions of their encounters. The researchers alternated conducting the interviews to avoid the potential of a moderator’s domination; Each interview took between 20- and 25-min. Krueger and Casey (2015)’s interview guide ( Table 2 ) was used in order to conduct the interviews as follows:

Interview Questions.

2.5. Data Analysis

The components of each interview were transcribed and typed shortly thereafter. Each transcription was compared against recordings to ensure authenticity. To gain a thorough grasp of the data, the researchers reviewed the transcripts and played each recording multiple times, extracting relevant data, coding repetitious data, and finally summarizing the data as themes, according to the Colaizzi method. It is worth noting that there are seven steps to the Colaizzi techniques as described in Table 3 :

Colaizzi’s Seven Step Method.

Since the interviews were conducted in Arabic, the transcriptions were sent to two official translators that are experts in the field where translation and back translation were carried out and then translations were sent to an external expert to check their authenticity. The transcriptions were anonymized and coded where each participant was assigned pseudonym from S1 to S21. The transcriptions were placed in a sealed envelope, delivered to the translation professionals and were received back in a sealed envelope. The data was analyzed using a standard qualitative content analysis technique. The sections of the interviews that dealt with the participants’ encounters with the reflection-facilitators were selected. Three researchers completed their own assessment, after which the researchers convened and discussed their results until they reached an agreement on the emerging themes, all while avoiding bringing their own opinions into the discussion. The quotations were provided in a narrative and insightful terms that captured the spirit of the data provided, and then those phrases were grouped, rearranged, and compiled into qualitative themes, which the investigators considered to guarantee a precise and detailed comprehension of the students’ experiences.

2.6. Trustworthiness and Credibility

The researchers used several methods in accordance with past research in the field of qualitative analysis in attempt to optimize the study report’s credibility and prevent biases from emerging [ 18 ]. The researcher’s protracted engagement with the data and good communication with the respondents have developed the credibility of the findings. As a result, the investigators worked on the study for over three months. The members’ checking was used to compare the consistency of concepts obtained from data and respondents views. An external reviewer with experience in qualitative studies evaluated conformability. The retrieved themes were given to peers for external review, and their suitability was checked and confirmed, and agreement was reached. Furthermore, highest variation sampling helped in data transferability and authenticity. To ensure credibility, the researcher documented and published the whole study procedure, allowing others to do follow-up investigation. Concurrent data analysis allowed the generation of meaningful hypotheses through concurrent interviews, thus enabling the production of a complete understanding of the occurrences. All of the researchers utilized the same questioning frameworks, posed identical inquiries, and extensively explored any new concepts in order to eliminate blind spots in the findings. Several quotes were utilized to describe the research results, providing the research subjects a real voice [ 19 ].

The phenomenological data analysis has given rise to the following themes and subthemes as stated in Table 4 :

Themes and subthemes.

3.1. Personal Drivers of Reflection

The first theme that emerged from analyzing the verbatim of the participating students pointed towards intrinsic drivers for reflection, where students have felt something within them that have triggered them to go back and think more deeply about their clinical experience and learn from it. This theme had four main subthemes; “Motivation to learn”, “Responsibility towards patients”, “Desire to develop”, and “Ethical Regard”.

3.1.1. Motivation to Learn

The majority of the respondents indicated they reflected on clinical encounters from a specific position, such as a lack of information or a necessity they were unaware of at the moment. One of the most important aspects in the clinical practice reflection process was students’ willingness to learn more about clinical care. When confronted with unfamiliar circumstances, learners started to ponder on clinical experiences and seek knowledge from various resources in order to minimize information gaps. Many of the respondents wished to improve their own expertise in order to give better treatment. Participants’ willingness to learn more and thus reflect on their experiences was certainly strong. For instance, one of the students said, “… at many instances in my clinical rotation I feel that I lack deep knowledge about clinical decision making and expertise… this pushes me to make the best out of each clinical encounter by stopping and thinking more about what has been done for this patient or that patient so that I can add that into my clinical experience…” (S18). Another student also proclaimed, “…there’s still a lot for me to learn so that I can become a proficient nurse and every time I feel like I lack knowledge in a certain aspect of care it only makes me more encouraged to dig deeper and reflect on my practice skills so that I can provide higher care quality for patients…” (S3). A similar experience was also shared by another student, “… I mean with clinical training you get to detect where exactly is your knowledge and skills are lacking and this should make you feel that you need to fill these gaps… this can only be done by reflecting on where did you go wrong or where you could have done better or thinking about which aspects of patient care you still do not know much about… this motivation to learn more about patients and clinical care makes me want to reflect every piece of new knowledge on my practices…” (S21).

3.1.2. Responsibility towards Patients

A substantial number of students have expressed that their sense of responsibility towards providing patients with their needs and answering their inquiries is a major driver for reflection. They have also indicated that they do not want to be a kind of nurse that is just performing technical procedures. This sense has led students to reflect on their clinical experiences and knowledge as they want to be completely responsible for their patients and doing them good. For example, one of the students said, “… my patient is my responsibility even though I am still a student but I need to learn how to take responsibility for my actions with the patients … so I need to reflect on my practices, skills and knowledge so that I can learn more and be read for more complex cases and provide the patient with their needs…” (S5). Another student also shared, “… I don’t want to be unable to take the proper actions when the patients need me or when they need answers on something… I feel as a student nurse responsible just like a graduate registered nurse for the patients’ condition… that what makes me want to think more on my level of performance…” (S12).

3.1.3. Desire to Develop

Another subtheme that was prevalent as an internal driver for reflection on clinical experience revolves around the students’ strong desire to develop professionally into highly competent registered nurses. The students expressed their urge to enhance their critical thinking, decision making and practical skills so that they evolve into highly competitive nurses in the labor market. One of the students said for instance, “… I reflect on my clinical experiences because when I graduate I want to be not just any other nurse… I want to be an outstanding example of the highly professional nurse who continually works on developing themselves through increasing their knowledge and skills by reflecting on the areas needing improvement and thus develops into a higher standard of care…” (S9). Another student also indicated, “… I aspire to be an international level nurse… a nurse that can practice in any type of challenging and complex setting… a nurse that can be part of the leadership team…; therefore, to be that, I need to always reflect on my performance to prove myself to be more competent than before and work on my areas of weakness…” (S20).

3.1.4. Ethical Regard

Moreover, the students who took part in this study have expressed the strong ethical and moral value of their work and the need to be up to the expectations of their personal, professional, cultural, and religious values in their work. The majority of the students felt that their values have driven them to reflect on what they have practiced, how they dealt with the patient, the family, and their colleagues so that they can detect any wrongdoing and make sure to avoid such encounters in the future. For instance, one of the students said “… my work as a nurse is guided not only by professional ethics but also by moral and cultural values too, which makes me in need to always relate my practice and performance to, so that I can be sure that I am doing the right thing… I mean I would want to be treated in a dignified manner if I was ever in the place of the patient…” (S1). In addition, another student shared a similar anecdote, “…God is watching everything we do and my religion tells me that I need to do the most good to the people around me… that’s why I need to always keep myself in check and make sure that my performance is up to the level that will make the patient better and not do harm, whether clinically or even psychologically…” (S15).

3.2. External Drivers of Reflection

The other main theme that was prevalent among the students who took part in this study related to the extrinsic drivers of reflection. These external motivational factors for reflection revolve around the clinical environment in which the students are practicing which included patients, clinical preceptors and the healthcare team with which the students are in constant contact.

3.2.1. Case Complexity

The first extrinsic driver that was prevalent among the nursing students who took part in this study showed that the students were motivated by the complex cases rather than the common ones to reflect on their knowledge and skills. The students shared that the more the case challenged them, the further they felt that they need to reflect on how they performed and see what they would do differently, especially regarding carrying out related research. For instance, one of the students proclaimed, “… new difficult cases make you want to know more about the management and when you handle such cases it makes you feel that you need to always check how did you do and go back and think about all the steps you took and it motivates you to become more proficient in handling such situations…” (S4). Another student also said, “…it is always very interesting to handle the complicated and heavy cases as you feel the sense of responsibility and achievement that makes you want to reflect on your performance and make it better… this proves to me the worth of the work we are doing…” (S19).

3.2.2. Patient Characteristics

Not only the details of the disease itself has motivated the participating students to reflect on their clinical practice but rather the patients themselves and their sociodemographic characteristics and interaction patterns have also played a key role in driving and facilitating students to reflect more on their performance. Such characteristics include patient’s age and educational level. For example, one of the students shared, “…one time I had a patient who is 19 years old… this made me put myself in their shoes and pay attention to more details regarding the case and the management as his case was truly critical and I was thinking I can be in his place at any moment in life… this make me think a lot about my work and the value of care…I felt I want to read more about it afterwards and I did…” (S2). Another student also had a similar experience, “… one time I was assigned to care for a child who had a very serious condition… it made me think a lot about the importance of each step of care I was giving… I have never seen such a case at such a small age… when I went back home and had to prepare a care plan assignment about her case, I found myself thinking a lot about everything we did for her…” (S10). Another student has addressed the knowledge of the patient saying, “… one time I had a patient who has been chronically ill and also works in the healthcare field…that moment made me feel that I had to be very knowledgeable to be able to care for this patient as I can’t have less information about the patient case than the patient themselves… this had me doing a lot of research every time I handle a case…” (S14).

3.2.3. Competent Instructors

Another external driver for reflection was prevalent in the experiences expressed by the students, where they have indicated that the instructional methods, communication approaches, and leadership style that have been adopted by the clinical instructors that were mentoring them at the clinical site are highly influential factor, that encouraged them to reflect on their performance. One of the anecdotes was, “…our instructor is quite an inspiration… he sets an excellent example for the competent and highly qualified registered nurse… this makes me want to be like him when I graduate… and it encourages me to reflect on my clinical practice so that I can develop into a professional nurse like him…” (S7). Another student also shared a similar testimonial, “…the clinical instructor motivates us to be not only skillful but also knowledgeable and have critical thinking skills to integrate theory and practice… and he demonstrates this through his work with us and with his patients and colleagues… this alone makes me think that I want to be this skillful and professional… thus I reflect on my practice skills and knowledge I use in caring for my patients so that I can advance myself…” (S16).

4. Discussion

The outcomes of a research in which student nurses in Saudi Arabia were interviewed through in-depth qualitative approaches are presented in this paper. According to the findings, the drivers of reflection ranged from personal and extrinsic levels. Motivational parameters were reported by the students to be key in promoting their reflection on clinical skills on an individual basis. This study showed that the students think that reflecting on clinical training progress and development is facilitated by their desire to obtain practical knowledge, responsibility to patients, and students’ inclination to be influenced by their values. This is consistent with Reljić et al. (2019) who have found that students carrying out reflective practices have expressed to have higher level of knowledge, critical thinking abilities, advanced practices and relationship with patients; outcomes which have driven their reflection [ 20 ]. Our results are also in line with Choperena et al. (2019) who have also indicated the value of reflective practice among student nurses in enhancing their knowledge, skills, and intellectual abilities [ 21 ]. In addition, Artioli et al. (2021) has published results that corroborate our findings, where this study has explored qualitatively the perspectives of students on the use of reflective practice and has shown that students were driven towards reflection to enhance their knowledge and practice capabilities in order to become more competent nurses and develop professionally [ 22 ]. Contreras et al. (2020) also discovered that self-reflection combined with clinical knowledge and expertise reduces anxiety, allowing nurses to build competence in real-world settings [ 6 ]. As per the research carried out by Hwang et al. (2018) on nursing staff, there was a link between reflection, intellectual growth, and career development; additionally, it was discovered that reflection improves mental wellbeing. Nursing students receive a sense of efficacy and value when they identify a reflection occasion and succeed in their job in a stressful clinical learning setting. Students attempt to obtain information that may be applied in a variety of clinical contexts by reflecting on clinical training [ 23 ]. Consequently, if Dewey once defined learning as a pathway that consists of a mixture of encounters and reflection, one should now define learning as a procedure that consists of a mixture of experience, reflective thinking on encounter, and application of the findings in other scenarios [ 24 ]. Thus, the findings of the study highlight the importance of emphasizing the significance of professional values such as personal responsibility and intrinsic motivational factors. Successful reflection is difficult without factors such as practice autonomy, suitable supporting framework, adequate evaluation, activity significance, and reasonable challenging scenarios [ 25 ]. According to the results of the data analysis, a qualified trainer might help students in clinical practice with their reflection process. Trainers can help students reflect on their encounters by allowing them to communicate their recollections and perspectives, conducting dialogues, and directing class discussion. According to Lovell (2018), encouraging activity analysis should be accomplished in conjunction with other determinants to enable reflection in the medical field, such as making sure that trainers are sufficiently educated are able to offer a consistent atmosphere for students, and have an effective relationship with their students. The trainer is responsible for creating such conditions [ 26 ]. According to another research, students require the assistance of the trainer in identifying difficulties that require reflection. During the reflection phase, they also require their trainer’s advice, direction, and supervision. Upon students’ clinical training, instructor’s responsibility is critical, and that the instructor should pay attention to the students’ discourse, critique their rationalization and perceptions, assess their effectiveness in patient interaction from various angles, and provide prompt and appropriate input. Time expended, attitudes used, responsiveness to patient’s talk, analysis of logical path of discussion, and technical abilities are all part of this assessment. As an education provider, a trainer should push students to gain more from other sources and patients who are similar to them [ 27 ]. Allowing students to discuss their results while also reflecting on the reasons, encourages them to speak openly about their flaws, limitations, uncertainty, and confusion, rather than hiding their possible negligence. In this study, students stated that novel situations during the training session give a framework for reflection. Many scholars think that providing a sufficient degree of complicated and demanding scenarios as part of a student’s learning process promotes the formation of reflection and cognitive and metacognitive abilities [ 28 ]. One of the most essential elements of reflection practice, according to Lawrence et al. (2018) is exciting, unexpected, and puzzling clinical experiences. When confronted with difficult conditions, there is a lack of contact and the creation of a sense of need [ 29 ]. Other investigators have noted that reflection occurs as a consequence of being conscious of a need and the normal complexity of that need. This problem arises in the face of complicated and unique situations that are difficult to resolve [ 30 ].

Limitations

There were several limitations to this research that should be noted. One limitation of the current study was that it only looked at nursing students’ perspectives; thus, additional research should look at additional subtopics, such as nursing educators’ perceptions of encouraging reflection in clinical settings. Another limitation was that despite students were from various levels of the nursing program they all used the same type of reflection practice, thus there was no insight into different types of reflection provided, and the accounts of the students in first and third year about the same level of reflection might have weakened the data.

5. Conclusions

Nursing students in this study have identified both personal and external drivers to practice reflection. Instructors have been perceived by the students to have an important role in guiding students through reflection on clinical experiences, with a particular focus on their relationships and motivating elements. The students also perceived that cooperation amongst instructors, clinicians, nursing staff, and nursing students may create a favorable environment for students to reflect on their encounters through proper communication, as well as a desirable supporting environment. It is also suggested that further study be carried out on how to facilitate reflection in nursing education from the perspectives of instructors, physicians, and nursing professionals.

Acknowledgments

The authors want to acknowledge the efforts of the research assistant who helped in the data collection and publishing of this paper as well as the participants who were involved in the study.

Funding Statement

This research received no external funding.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, Y.A., B.A., L.B., F.A., M.S.I., A.T. and M.F.; methodology, Y.A., A.T., M.S.I. and M.F.; validation, Y.A. and M.F.; formal analysis, Y.A., B.A., L.B. and M.F; investigation, F.A., M.S.I. and A.T.; resources, Y.A.; data curation, Y.A., B.A., L.B. and M.F; writing—original draft preparation, Y.A. and M.F.; writing—review and editing, M.S.I. and M.F.; supervision, Y.A. and M.F.; project administration, M.F. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Institutional Review Board Statement

The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Institutional Review Board (ECO-R-103).

Informed Consent Statement

Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.

Data Availability Statement

Conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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Title: exploring the potential of large language models in artistic creation: collaboration and reflection on creative programming.

Abstract: Recently, the potential of large language models (LLMs) has been widely used in assisting programming. However, current research does not explore the artist potential of LLMs in creative coding within artist and AI collaboration. Our work probes the reflection type of artists in the creation process with such collaboration. We compare two common collaboration approaches: invoking the entire program and multiple subtasks. Our findings exhibit artists' different stimulated reflections in two different methods. Our finding also shows the correlation of reflection type with user performance, user satisfaction, and subjective experience in two collaborations through conducting two methods, including experimental data and qualitative interviews. In this sense, our work reveals the artistic potential of LLM in creative coding. Meanwhile, we provide a critical lens of human-AI collaboration from the artists' perspective and expound design suggestions for future work of AI-assisted creative tasks.

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  1. Example Of Reflection Paper About Subject / This will help you in

    research paper reflection

  2. reflection paper

    research paper reflection

  3. How to Write a Reflection Paper in 7 Easy Steps

    research paper reflection

  4. (PDF) Educational Technology: Reflection Paper

    research paper reflection

  5. Research/Reflection Paper

    research paper reflection

  6. 50 Best Reflective Essay Examples (+Topic Samples) ᐅ TemplateLab

    research paper reflection

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  1. Reflection Papers Movie

  2. Music Class Reflection Paper

  3. Lecture No. 5, How to Write a Research Paper

COMMENTS

  1. Reflectivity in Research Practice: An Overview of Different

    Reflection is a crucial cognitive practice in the research field ( Dahlberg, Drew, & Nyström, 2002; Steier, 1995 ). Starting from the "interpretive turn," reflexivity is largely practiced in qualitative research, where it is used to legitimate and validate research procedures.

  2. How to Write a Reflection Paper: Guide with Examples

    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.

  3. How to Write a Reflection Paper in 5 Steps (plus Template and Sample

    1. Answer key questions. To write a reflection paper, you need to be able to observe your own thoughts and reactions to the material you've been given. A good way to start is by answering a series of key questions. For example: What was your first reaction to the material? Was it positive, negative, or neutral?

  4. How to Write a Reflection Paper (With Steps and Examples)

    Your reflection paper may contain your opinion of the academic material. You can disagree with the arguments made in the text and show the reasoning behind your judgment. Typically, you ask key questions after studying the text and write out problem areas you may notice in the document.

  5. How to Write a Reflection Paper: 14 Steps (with Pictures)

    1 Identify the main themes. [2] In your notes, summarize the experience, reading, or lesson in one to three sentences. These sentences should be both descriptive yet straight to the point. 2 Jot down material that stands out in your mind. Determine why that material stands out and make another note of what you figure out.

  6. Writing a Reflective Paper

    A reflective paper describes and explains in an introspective, first person narrative, your reactions and feelings about either a specific element of the class [e.g., a required reading; a film shown in class] or more generally how you experienced learning throughout the course.

  7. PDF Sample Research Paper and Reflection

    Prepared by Steve Tollefson, College Writing Programs, UC Berkeley, 2005 Includes Final Research Paper, Annotated Bibliography and Reflection on the Process Internalizing Dead Kings and Ambiguous Art

  8. PDF Writing your Reflective Essay on Research Strategies

    1. Consider the process: how you crafted your thesis, selected your search tools, developed search techniques, and chose which Library collections to explore. - How did you think about and refine your preliminary research topic?

  9. How To Write a Reflection Paper (Components and Examples)

    A reflection paper is an introspective piece of writing that shares your thoughts and/or reactions to an experience or topic. There are two main types of reflection papers: experiential and reading (or textual). Starting a reflection paper begins by asking questions and noting your ideas or thoughts on the subject matter.

  10. How to Write a Reflection Paper? A Comprehensive Guide

    Use a one-inch margin on all sides of the paper. Choose "Times New Roman" with a 12-point font, which means the letters are medium size. Remember, these formatting guidelines provide a cohesive and organized structure for your reflection paper, making it easier for readers to follow.

  11. Research Paper Reflection

    Research Paper Reflection In the research paper, I can feel my biggest change is in dealing with the structure of the whole article. The structure of the essay is already mentioned in the introduction part, so the next step is to follow the structure I have made.

  12. How to write a reflection paper

    Reflection paper format. Despite unlimited subject options, the typical format of a reflection paper is the same for every essay. Introduction. The introduction of your reflection paper will contain the purpose and topic of the essay. You will state the thesis of the paper and give the reader an insight into the reasoning behind your choice of ...

  13. The Effects of Student Reflection on Academic Performance and

    Building upon reflection as a tool for enhanced metacognition, the researcher postulated that a positive correlation would exist between application of a reflection instrument and students' level of academic performance and motivation in an urban high school English class.

  14. Development and Implementation of a Reflective Writing Assignment for

    A reflection is a first-person narrative that explores personal experience or perspectives on events or issues, cases, or assigned readings. As a genre, it encourages the writer's growth through metacognition, thinking about the thinking process, by reassessing prior assumptions with new learning, and exploration through the writing process.

  15. Full article: Facilitating reflection: a review and synthesis of the

    Reflective Practice International and Multidisciplinary Perspectives Volume 23, 2022 - Issue 4 Submit an articleJournal homepage Open access 7,921 CrossRef citations to date Facilitating reflection: a review and synthesis of the factors enabling effective facilitation of reflective practice

  16. Personal Reflection Sample: preparing a Research Report for ACCA

    Personal Reflection Sample: preparing a Research Report for ACCA - Research-Methodology Personal Reflection Sample: preparing a Research Report for ACCA By John Dudovskiy The completion of the Research Report as a part of degree requirements has involved my engagement in a highly challenging and motivating research experience.

  17. Reflection on teaching action and student learning

    The reflective practice development model (Lefebvre, 2016), inspired by Holborn, Wideen, and et Andrews (1992) and Mezirow (1981), is implemented in this research to help operationalize the participants' reflective process in order to achieve a reflective practice that is transformative of their teaching practice (Fig. 2).This model, organized around teaching situations that elicit ...

  18. (PDF) Reflections on 'reflection' in Action Research

    Collaborative action research was adopted as it guaranteed that the teachers and teacher educators created and developed their practice through reflective teaching cycles (Butler et al., 2013 ...

  19. Research Paper Reflection

    Research Paper Reflection. November 5, 2015 sae5262. Lesson 9 research paper was the first research paper I have ever done, and the first paper I had to write in several years. I was anxious when I saw this assignment on the syllabus, as writing has never been a strong suit of mine. Writing is one of the things I was most fearful about when ...

  20. Challenging perspectives: Reflexivity as a critical approach to

    Psychodynamic theorists recommend introspection and self-reflection to explore the unconscious process in structuring relations between researcher and participant, and reflection assumes the role of a tool by which the researcher becomes aware of the emotional investment they have in the research concerned and provides the data regarding the ...

  21. Perspectives of Nursing Students on Promoting Reflection in the

    Reflection is more than being contemplative; it relates to a mechanism that may help people learn from their experiences. This method entails a critical examination of prior experiences in order to induce change in behavior and improve personal and professional capabilities in the future [ 4 ].

  22. Reflection On Research Journey

    It's a journey where you keep learning and bringing new ideas to your project. Throughout the journey, I learnt new theories and I learnt why some of them couldn't work. **I also learnt that you shouldn't rely on one online resource and believe that you can make a conclusion. Even though doing a research project is part of the Laidlaw program ...

  23. Comparative Constitutional Law: Reflection on a Field Transformed

    Abstract. Over the last two decades, comparative constitutional inquiry has witnessed tremendous intellectual renaissance. The scholarly pursuits of Mark Tushnet reflect and embody this remarkable transformation. His many comparative constitutional writings over the last quarter century have contributed considerably to the advancement and ...

  24. Critical Reflection: John Dewey's Relational View of Transformative

    Recent works have suggested that we may gain new insights about the conditions for critical reflection by re-examining some of the theories that helped inspire the field's founding (e.g. Fleming, 2018; Fleming et al., 2019; Raikou & Karalis, 2020).Along those lines, this article re-examines parts of the work of John Dewey, a theorist widely recognized to have influenced Mezirow's thinking.

  25. [2402.09750] Exploring the Potential of Large Language Models in

    Recently, the potential of large language models (LLMs) has been widely used in assisting programming. However, current research does not explore the artist potential of LLMs in creative coding within artist and AI collaboration. Our work probes the reflection type of artists in the creation process with such collaboration. We compare two common collaboration approaches: invoking the entire ...

  26. Graduate Assignments Helper on Instagram: "We provide the best

    1 likes, 0 comments - graduate_assignments_helper on February 13, 2024: "We provide the best assignment writing services in all fields of study. Your assignment data ...