gibbs reflective cycle of learning

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Gibbs' Reflective Cycle

One of the most famous cyclical models of reflection leading you through six stages exploring an experience: description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action plan.

Gibbs' Reflective Cycle was developed by Graham Gibbs in 1988 to give structure to learning from experiences.  It offers a framework for examining experiences, and given its cyclic nature lends itself particularly well to repeated experiences, allowing you to learn and plan from things that either went well or didn’t go well. It covers 6 stages:

• Description of the experience
• Feelings and thoughts about the experience
• Evaluation of the experience, both good and bad
• Analysis to make sense of the situation
• Conclusion about what you learned and what you could have done differently
• Action plan for how you would deal with similar situations in the future, or general changes you might find appropriate.

Below is further information on:

• The model – each stage is given a fuller description, guiding questions to ask yourself and an example of how this might look in a reflection
• Different depths of reflection – an example of reflecting more briefly using this model

This is just one model of reflection. Test it out and see how it works for you. If you find that only a few of the questions are helpful for you, focus on those. However, by thinking about each stage you are more likely to engage critically with your learning experience.

This model is a good way to work through an experience. This can be either a stand-alone experience or a situation you go through frequently, for example meetings with a team you have to collaborate with. Gibbs originally advocated its use in repeated situations, but the stages and principles apply equally well for single experiences too. If done with a stand-alone experience, the action plan may become more general and look at how you can apply your conclusions in the future.

For each of the stages of the model a number of helpful questions are outlined below. You don’t have to answer all of them but they can guide you about what sort of things make sense to include in that stage. You might have other prompts that work better for you.

Description

Here you have a chance to describe the situation in detail. The main points to include here concern what happened. Your feelings and conclusions will come later.

Helpful questions:

• What happened?
• When and where did it happen?
• Who was present?
• What did you and the other people do?
• What was the outcome of the situation?
• Why were you there?
• What did you want to happen?

Example of 'Description'

Here you can explore any feelings or thoughts that you had during the experience and how they may have impacted the experience.

• What were you feeling during the situation?
• What were you feeling before and after the situation?
• What do you think other people were feeling about the situation?
• What do you think other people feel about the situation now?
• What were you thinking during the situation?
• What do you think about the situation now?

Example of 'Feelings'

Here you have a chance to evaluate what worked and what didn’t work in the situation. Try to be as objective and honest as possible. To get the most out of your reflection focus on both the positive and the negative aspects of the situation, even if it was primarily one or the other.

• What was good and bad about the experience?
• What went well?
• What didn’t go so well?
• What did you and other people contribute to the situation (positively or negatively)?

Example of 'Evaluation'

The analysis step is where you have a chance to make sense of what happened. Up until now you have focused on details around what happened in the situation. Now you have a chance to extract meaning from it. You want to target the different aspects that went well or poorly and ask yourself why. If you are looking to include academic literature, this is the natural place to include it.

• Why did things go well?
• Why didn’t it go well?
• What sense can I make of the situation?
• What knowledge – my own or others (for example academic literature) can help me understand the situation?

Example of 'Analysis'

Conclusions.

In this section you can make conclusions about what happened. This is where you summarise your learning and highlight what changes to your actions could improve the outcome in the future. It should be a natural response to the previous sections.

• What did I learn from this situation?
• How could this have been a more positive situation for everyone involved?
• What skills do I need to develop for me to handle a situation like this better?
• What else could I have done?

Example of a 'Conclusion'

Action plan.

At this step you plan for what you would do differently in a similar or related situation in the future. It can also be extremely helpful to think about how you will help yourself to act differently – such that you don’t only plan what you will do differently, but also how you will make sure it happens. Sometimes just the realisation is enough, but other times reminders might be helpful.

• If I had to do the same thing again, what would I do differently?
• How will I develop the required skills I need?
• How can I make sure that I can act differently next time?

Example of 'Action Plan'

Different depths of reflection.

Depending on the context you are doing the reflection in, you might want use different levels of details. Here is the same scenario, which was used in the example above, however it is presented much more briefly.

Adapted from

Gibbs G (1988). Learning by Doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Further Education Unit. Oxford Polytechnic: Oxford.

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Article • 5 min read

Gibbs' Reflective Cycle

Helping people learn from experience.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

Many people find that they learn best from experience.

However, if they don't reflect on their experience, and if they don't consciously think about how they could do better next time, it's hard for them to learn anything at all.

This is where Gibbs' Reflective Cycle is useful. You can use it to help your people make sense of situations at work, so that they can understand what they did well and what they could do better in the future.

What Is Gibbs' Reflective Cycle?

Professor Graham Gibbs published his Reflective Cycle in his 1988 book " Learning by Doing ." It's particularly useful for helping people learn from situations that they experience regularly, especially when these don't go well.

Gibbs' cycle is shown below.

Figure 1 – Gibbs' Reflective Cycle

From "Learning by Doing" by Graham Gibbs. Published by Oxford Polytechnic, 1988.

Gibbs' original model had six stages. The stage we haven't covered here is "Analysis" – we've included this as part of the Evaluation stage.

Using the Model

You can use the model to explore a situation yourself, or you can use it with someone you're coaching – we look at coaching use in this article, but you can apply the same approach when you're on your own.

To structure a coaching session using Gibbs' Cycle, choose a situation to analyze and then work through the steps below.

Step 1: Description

First, ask the person you're coaching to describe the situation in detail. At this stage, you simply want to know what happened – you'll draw conclusions later.

Consider asking questions like these to help them describe the situation:

• When and where did this happen?
• Why were you there?
• Who else was there?
• What happened?
• What did you do?
• What did other people do?
• What was the result of this situation?

Step 2: Feelings

Next, encourage them to talk about what they thought and felt during the experience. At this stage, avoid commenting on their emotions.

Use questions like these to guide the discussion:

• What did you feel before this situation took place?
• What did you feel while this situation took place?
• What do you think other people felt during this situation?
• What did you feel after the situation?
• What do you think about the situation now?
• What do you think other people feel about the situation now?

It might be difficult for some people to talk honestly about their feelings. Use Empathic Listening at this stage to connect with them emotionally, and to try to see things from their point of view.

You can use the Perceptual Positions technique to help this person see the situation from other people's perspectives.

Step 3: Evaluation

Now you need to encourage the person you're coaching to look objectively at what approaches worked, and which ones didn't.

• What was positive about this situation?
• What was negative?
• What went well?
• What didn't go so well?
• What did you and other people do to contribute to the situation (either positively or negatively)?

If appropriate, use a technique such as the 5 Whys to help your team member uncover the root cause of the issue.

Step 4: Conclusions

Once you've evaluated the situation, you can help your team member draw conclusions about what happened.

Encourage them to think about the situation again, using the information that you've collected so far. Then ask questions like these:

• How could this have been a more positive experience for everyone involved?
• If you were faced with the same situation again, what would you do differently?
• What skills do you need to develop, so that you can handle this type of situation better?

Step 5: Action

You should now have some possible actions that your team member can take to deal with similar situations more effectively in the future.

In this last stage, you need to come up with a plan so that they can make these changes.

Once you've identified the areas they'll work on, get them to commit to taking action, and agree a date on which you will both review progress.

Frequently Asked Questions About Gibbs' Reflective Cycle

What is purpose of Gibbs' Reflective Cycle?

The reflective cycle is a way to better learn from experience. It can be used to help people learn from mistakes, to make sense of situations, and analyse and refelct on their reactions to different situations.

What are the six stages of reflection?

The stages of Gibbs' Reflective Cycle are the following: descrition, feelings, evaluation, conclusion, and action. In the original model Gibbs included a sixth stage, analysis, which we've included in the evaluation stage.

What is the difference between Gibbs and Kolb's reflective cycles?

David Kolb's cycle has only four stages: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. Kolb's model is more about explaining the concept of what he calls "experiential learning" – whereas Gibbs' cycle is an attempt to provide a practical method for learning from experience.

This tool is structured as a cycle, reflecting an ongoing coaching relationship. Whether you use it this way depends on the situation and your relationship with the person being coached.

Graham Gibbs published his Reflective Cycle in 1988. There are five stages in the cycle:

• Description.
• Evaluation.
• Conclusions.

You can use it to help team members think about how they deal with situations, so that they can understand what they did wel and where they need to improve.

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• Learn From Your Past Experience with Gibb’s Reflective Cycle
• Exploring Different Types of Reflection Models with Examples

You must have heard about Gibbs' reflective cycle. It is a widely prominent reflective cycle that helps individuals to work through past experiences and improve future practices. Gibbs' The reflective cycle was developed by Graham Gibbs in 1988 with the main aim of structuring individual learnings from past experiences (Markkanen et al., 2020). Effective utilization of this cycle offers a wide opportunity to examine past experiences and improve future actions.

Table of Contents

Six stages of gibbs' reflective cycle.

• Example of Gibbs' reflective cycle

Hence, the efficacious use of Gibbs' reflective cycle helps individuals to learn from past experiences that went well as well as past experiences that did not. The 6 stages of Gibbs' cycle include description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion, and action plan (Smith & Roberts, 2015).

For each step of this framework, you can work on a set of helpful questions given below to properly reflect on your past experiences and situations.

Stage 1: Description

The first step in Gibbs' reflective cycle is a description where you get an opportunity to properly describe a situation based on your experience. The following questions can assist you in describing your experience are

• What happened? In this, you will explain the factual information about the experience you want to reflect upon.
• Why did it happen? In this, you will underline the main reason behind the occurrence of the event.
• What did you do? While answering this question, you will highlight all the actions taken by you.
• Who was present? In this, you will highlight all the people that were present during the event.
• What were the major outcomes? In this, you will underline the results of the actions that were taken by you.

Using these questions, you will provide complete background information about an incident as well as a factual description of the event you want to reflect upon.

Stage 2: Feelings

The second step in Gibbs’ reflective cycle is an analysis of your feelings where you can describe your thoughts as well as feelings in detail to reflect on the corresponding experience of your feelings. You can reflect on this phase on the basis of a few assisting questions given below:

• What did you feel? In this section, you will highlight your feelings during the experience.
• Why did you feel this way? You will highlight the major reasons behind feeling the way you were feeling.
• How did other external factors influence your feelings? In this section, you will underline the positive or negative influence of other external factors such as the environment, and other involved people on your feelings.
• How did other internal factors influence your feelings? In this section, you will highlight the influence of various internal factors such as mindset, attitude, and physical or mental health.

These questions will help you to describe your feelings and the way in detail and will also assist in making the reader understand your emotional aspect from the incident you are reflecting upon.

Stage 3: Evaluation

In the evaluation phase, you get a chance to properly evaluate what worked well and what didn't work well. This phase includes the evaluation of experiences from both good as well as bad points, allowing you to mentally create a report of the experience. Below given are the questions that can be answered in this phase

• What worked well? In this, you will highlight the positive outcomes of your actions throughout the experience.
• What didn't work well? This will highlight all the negative outcomes of your actions taken by you throughout the experience.
• What did you contribute? Through this question, you will highlight your contribution to the whole experience.
• What did others contribute? While answering this question, you will highlight the actions of others that were involved in the situation.
• What was missing? In this, you will highlight the actions that were missing in the experience as per your opinion.

Based on these questions, you can honestly and objectively evaluate the past situation which will also help you in setting a base for future actions.

Stage 4: Analysis

In an analysis phase, you can make sense of a whole situation and determine the exact meaning of a situation along with the reasons for its success or failure. Some helpful questions for the analysis phase of Gibbs’ reflective cycle include

• Why did things not work well? In this, you will point out the reason as per your knowledge that contributed to the failures of your actions in your experience.
• Why did things go well? Through this section, you will highlight the reasons behind the success of your actions.
• What is the exact meaning that we can drive from a situation? While answering this question, you will highlight the overall analysis of the situation.

Based on the analysis, you can get a clear picture of the situation and ensure that every aspect of the situation is covered and understood meticulously.

Stage 5: Conclusion

After a proper situation analysis, you can also conclude the whole situation by reflecting on your learnings. In this phase, you can highlight changes that you need to make to your actions while dealing with future situations. In this phase, a list of questions includes

• What did you learn? In this, you will highlight all of your main learnings of the situation.
• What skills do you need to gain to handle situations more effectively? Through this, you will highlight the requirements of the skills for handling the situation better in the future.
• What else could you have done to deal with situations differently? In this, you will highlight the alternative actions that you could have taken to respond to the same situation in a different manner.

After the analysis, in the conclusion phase, using the above questions, you will clearly outline your learnings and the skills gained through the experience.

Stage 6: Action plan

In the action plan stage in Gibbs’ reflective cycle, you can plan to deal with future situations. It is an important phase of this reflective cycle as this phase helps to determine ways to deal with similar situations in the future and actions that you need to take to improve your ability to deal with various situations. Some questions that can be considered in this stage include

• How will you deal with this situation more effectively in the future? In this, you will highlight the actions that you have thought of that will help you in dealing with a similar situation differently in the future.
• How will you develop your skills and abilities to deal with similar situations? In this situation, you will highlight the methods in which you will develop the skills for dealing with situations more effectively.

After understanding the cycle, let us now take an example of reflective practice in health education to reflect on the learning situation using Gibbs’ reflective cycle.

Gibbs’ reflective cycle example in health education

Case assessment - This reflective example will highlight the experience of students in a group task of completing a health project. In this, a student will reflect upon a group task assigned to students during their MSc in health practice.

While doing my MSc in health practice, I was required to engage in various group work assignments and during a certain group work task, my team members decided to divide tasks among group members. All team members encouraged me to divide the tasks among the team. I divided tasks among team members according to their knowledge regarding various healthcare practices to ensure that all tasks are completed within a set deadline. All team members encouraged me to divide the tasks among the team. I divided tasks among team members according to their knowledge regarding various healthcare practices to ensure that all tasks are completed within a set deadline. However, I failed to consider the risk of various contingencies in completing projects and the same occurred when one of our team members was hospitalized due to some health emergency which resulted in a lack of task completion assigned to that team member. My whole team was present when I got a call from the injured team member about the accident that occurred to him. This then resulted in an increased burden to complete tasks among team members and failure to complete a task on time.

Before beginning the health project, I was very confident regarding my team management capabilities. I felt that our team will be able to complete assigned tasks on time due to my strong knowledge and abilities. I was already feeling very guilty that our project got delayed because of my lack of planning but the external factors made me feel even worse. Other than that, I felt like it was my overconfidence that made me feel more guilty because things did not work as planned.

During the group health project, a thing that worked well was the effort of team members to complete work within the extended deadline was cooperation as well as motivation among all team members. However, I believe that the hospitalization of one team member resulted in a lack of task completion on time. I felt that contingency planning is one most important requirement in a team project which was missing in this project. Thus, I believe that I am also responsible for the bad repercussions of this situation as I failed to properly plan and did not consider the risks of contingencies in a group. But still, till the end, everyone contributed effectively and did not lose hope till the end and gave their best.

I think the major reasons behind the successful completion were group efforts, cooperation abilities, self-identification of strengths, effective division of tasks, and ability to help others. However, the only thing that created a problem in completing a project is a lack of time management and planning capabilities. Through this whole experience, I believe that I need to focus on improving my time management skills as well as leading the ability to effectively manage group tasks.

After getting into this group health project, I got to know that time management and contingency planning are important skills that every project manager needs to possess to effectively manage group tasks. I also found that team management is possible only through the cooperation of team members as well as their effort to give the best results to a team project. I learned that as a project manager, it is always better to have a contingency plan ready for implementation than to develop one as risk is taking its toll (Heimann, J. F. 2000). However, I found that various problems can arise in a group task which could be managed effectively by making contingency plans for such situations in advance. I would have prepared contingency plans in the beginning and I believe that it would have helped me in dealing with situations differently.

In order to deal with this situation in the future, I have decided that I will use various time management tools such as PERT and CPM while planning various group tasks to keep separate times for various contingencies. For enhancing my time management and planning skills, I have decided to use time management skills such as making time tables and assigning time blocks for each task. If a similar situation occurs again in the future, I will ensure that in the planning phase only, I take time for contingency planning and plan things accordingly.

How to reference Gibbs reflective cycle?

To reference Gibbs' reflective cycle, include the author's name "Gibbs" and the publication year (if available) in parentheses. For instance, in APA style, it would be: (Gibbs, 1988). If you use a direct quote, add the page number as well.

Can Gibbs' Reflective Model be used in any profession?

Yes, the model is versatile and applicable in various professions and fields, including education, healthcare, social work, and more.

What are the disadvantages of Gibb's reflective cycle?

Gibbs' reflective cycle lacks a strong theoretical foundation and may not suit complex or long-term learning experiences. Some of you may even find its structured approach restrictive that could potentially overlook unique aspects of individual experiences. Additionally, it may not be universally applicable to various learning contexts.

Previous Model

Markkanen, P., Välimäki, M., Anttila, M., & Kuuskorpi, M. (2020). A reflective cycle: Understanding challenging situations in a school setting. Educational Research, 62(1), 46-62. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2020.1711790

Smith, J., & Roberts, R. (2015). Reflective Practice. Vital Signs For Nurses, 222-230. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119139119.ch14

Heimann, J. F. (2000). Contingency planning as a necessity. Paper presented at Project Management Institute Annual Seminars & Symposium, Houston, TX. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.

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Gibbs' Reflective Cycle

Helping people learn from experience.

© Veer BartekSzewczyk

Reflecting on experiences can help people deal with them better in the future.

Many people find that they learn best from experience.

However, if they don't reflect on their experience, and if they don't consciously think about how they could do better next time, it's hard for them to learn anything at all.

This is where Gibbs' Reflective Cycle is useful. You can use it to help your people make sense of situations at work, so that they can understand what they did well and what they could do better in the future.

About the Model

Professor Graham Gibbs published his Reflective Cycle in his 1988 book " Learning by Doing ." It's particularly useful for helping people learn from situations that they experience regularly, especially when these don't go well.

Gibbs' cycle is shown below.

Figure 1 – Gibbs' Reflective Cycle

From "Learning by Doing" by Graham Gibbs. Published by Oxford Polytechnic, 1988.

Gibbs' original model had six stages. The stage we haven't covered here is "Analysis" – we've included this as part of the Evaluation stage.

Using the Model

You can use the model to explore a situation yourself, or you can use it with someone you're coaching   – we look at coaching use in this article, but you can apply the same approach when you're on your own.

To structure a coaching session using Gibbs' Cycle, choose a situation to analyze and then work through the steps below.

Step 1: Description

First, ask the person you're coaching to describe the situation in detail. At this stage, you simply want to know what happened – you'll draw conclusions later.

Consider asking questions like these to help him describe the situation:

• When and where did this happen?
• Why were you there?
• Who else was there?
• What happened?
• What did you do?
• What did other people do?
• What was the result of this situation?

Step 2: Feelings

Next, encourage him to talk about what he thought and felt during the experience. At this stage, avoid commenting on his emotions.

Use questions like these to guide the discussion:

• What did you feel before this situation took place?
• What did you feel while this situation took place?
• What do you think other people felt during this situation?
• What did you feel after the situation?
• What do you think about the situation now?
• What do you think other people feel about the situation now?

It might be difficult for some people to talk honestly about their feelings. Use Empathic Listening at this stage to connect with them emotionally, and to try to see things from their point of view.

You can use the Perceptual Positions   technique to help this person see the situation from other people's perspectives.

Step 3: Evaluation

Now you need to encourage the person you're coaching to look objectively at what approaches worked, and which ones didn't.

• What was positive about this situation?
• What was negative?
• What went well?
• What didn't go so well?
• What did you and other people do to contribute to the situation (either positively or negatively)?

If appropriate, use a technique such as the 5 Whys   to help your team member uncover the root cause of the issue.

Step 4: Conclusions

Once you've evaluated the situation, you can help your team member draw conclusions about what happened.

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Encourage him to think about the situation again, using the information that you've collected so far. Then ask questions like these:

• How could this have been a more positive experience for everyone involved?
• If you were faced with the same situation again, what would you do differently?
• What skills do you need to develop, so that you can handle this type of situation better?

Step 5: Action

You should now have some possible actions that your team member can take to deal with similar situations more effectively in the future.

In this last stage, you need to come up with a plan so that he can make these changes.

Once you've identified the areas he will work on, get him to commit to taking action, and agree a date on which you will both review progress.

This tool is structured as a cycle, reflecting an ongoing coaching relationship. Whether you use it this way depends on the situation and your relationship with the person being coached.

Graham Gibbs published his Reflective Cycle in 1988. There are five stages in the cycle:

1. Description. 2. Feelings. 3. Evaluation. 4. Conclusions. 5. Action.

You can use it to help team members think about how they deal with situations, so that they can understand what they did well, and so that they know where they need to improve.

This site teaches you the skills you need for a happy and successful career; and this is just one of many tools and resources that you'll find here at Mind Tools. Subscribe to our free newsletter , or join the Mind Tools Club and really supercharge your career!

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Comments (15)

• Over a month ago Yolande wrote Hi Lysam8, Thanks for taking the time to post a comment. At first glance, it looks as we've left out a step. However, we included the analysis stage under "Evaluation" - as per our note in the article that says: "Gibbs' original model had six stages. The stage we haven't covered here is "Analysis" – we've included this as part of the Evaluation stage." I hope that clears up any confusion? Do let us know if you have more questions/comments. Yolande, Mind Tools Team
• Over a month ago Lysam8 wrote Analysis is missed out of the model.
• Over a month ago BillT wrote Hi Nicole, Please visit our Permissions Help Desk for citation information. https://www.mindtools.com/community/Permissions BillT Mind Tools Team

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6.2 Gibb’s reflective cycle

Alternatively, other theorists have broken down the cycle into further stages, an example of which is Gibb’s reflective cycle, see Figure 4.

Six boxes arranged in a circular cycle with arrows in a clockwise direction. Top left: Experience What happened? Top right: Feelings What were you feeling? Right: Evaluation What was good/bad about the situation? Bottom right: Analysis To make sense of the situation. Bottom left: Conclusion What else could you have done? Left: Action plan What would you do next time?

Gibb’s model acknowledges that your personal feelings influence the situation and how you have begun to reflect on it. It builds on Boud’s model by breaking down reflection into evaluation of the events and analysis and there is a clear link between the learning that has happened from the experience and future practice.

However, despite the further break down, it can be argued that this model could still result in fairly superficial reflection as it doesn’t refer to critical thinking / analysis or reflection. It doesn’t take into consideration assumptions that you may hold about the experience, the need to look objectively at different perspectives, and there doesn’t seem to be an explicit suggestion that the learning will result in a change of assumptions, perspectives or practice. You could legitimately respond to the question ‘What would you do next time?’ by answering that you would do the same, but does that constitute deep level reflection?

• Your Project

Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle

What is the gibbs' reflective cycle.

The Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle is a Tool that helps professionals Grow and Learn from their past Experiences .

To do this, it proposes to analyze the Situations in which someone wants to Improve.

• Drawing Conclusions that allow us to do things better in the future.

It consists of  6 Repetitive Steps (a cycle):

• Description .
• Evaluation .
• Conclusion .
• Action Plan .

This cycle must be repeated until Obtaining the Desired Results .

The Six Steps of Gibbs' Reflective Cycle

1. Description : Describe in detail the Situation in which you want to improve .

• A Negotiation, A Decision you made, a Discussion with your employees, etc.

2. Feelings : Reflect on How you Felt in that Situation, How you Coped with it.

• Did you feel Insecure? Did you feel Determined? Did you Hesitate?

3. Evaluation : Evaluate the Experience and its Outcome , Objectively.

• What Consequences did it have, What worked, What did not, etc.

4. Analysis : Analyze the Reasons that explain the Result of this Situation.

• Why something worked or didn’t work. Why you Made that Decision, etc.

5. Conclusion : Get the Lessons from this Analysis; How to do things better.

• What could have been done better? What could be done in a different way?

6. Action Plan : Develop and Implement a Plan to do things better.

• Applying the Conclusions obtained in this Cycle.

Repeat the Cycle until Reaching the Desired Results .

Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle Template

Now, before sharing some examples , we want to explain one important thing:

• How to use this Cycle .

We know that it can get a bit Confusing (Feelings, Action Plan, etc).

That is why we’ll offer you a Guideline that you can Follow .

• It can be used for your Personal Analysis or, in Coaching Situations.

How to use the Gibbs Reflective Cycle

Description : Details are important, as is the Context of any Situation.

• The Place and People Involved.
• What Interactions happened.

Feelings : They Can give us a Clue as to what we need to Improve .

• If we feel Insecure, it is usually because we do not know the Subject well enough.
• What made you feel Uncomfortable?
• What made you feel Determined?

Evaluation : Here, you should not try to find Reasons , only Facts .

• What worked, What didn’t work, and under What Circumstances.
• The Outcome: What happened After the Situation?

Analysis : Now it is the time to find the Whys .

• Why is the Reason something Worked? The Root Cause.
• Potential Root causes causing you a Problem.

Conclusions : Time to “Connect the Dots” and obtain Solid Conclusions .

• What Solid Conclusions have you Obtained?
• What Could have been done better?

Action Plan : Now, you have to put things into Practice .

• Set Specific, Measurable, Realistic and Time-Related Goals.
• Use Objective Metrics.

Let’s see some examples:

Gibbs Reflective Cycle examples

Now, let’s Imagine that you have recently been Promoted to Manager .

You are very happy about it, but you do not feel very Comfortable when you face your employees .

• Sometimes you have to impose yourself, so that what you say is done.

Also, it is something you would like to Improve on .

That is Why you decided to use Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle .

Let’s see How you use it:

Description - Gibbs Reflective Cycle example

The Situation in which you want to Improve :

• It is You and your Employees (no matter Who).
• You are In front of them alone or in a collective meeting.
• You Want things to be done in a New way.
• You Tell them how they have to do things from now on .

Feelings - Gibbs Reflective Cycle example

After thinking Carefully about it, you Discover that you Felt :

• Anxious about Compelling People to do Something.
• Insecure about you Authority.
• Determined about the Need of doing the Things in a New Way.

Evaluation - Gibbs Reflective Cycle example

You then Evaluate what happens in these Situations :

• You Compel your employees to do what you say.
• They obey you.
• Those who know you best Respond much better to your Commands .
• Those who don’t know you are more Reluctant to change .

Analysis - Gibbs Reflective Cycle example

Now, you start thinking about the Whys :

• This makes you Feel Insecure.
• They don’t make you Feel Anxious or Insecure .
• That and , the fact that you are New in the Position .

Conclusion - Gibbs Reflective Cycle example

You Obtain important Conclusions from this Analysis :

• Or People that don’t know your Skills when making decisions.

This People are Reluctant to “obey” you, and make you Feel Insecure and Anxious.

• So they will Trust you more.
• And they will Trust your Authority more.

Action Plan - Gibbs Reflective Cycle example

Finally, you decide to Develop an Action Plan :

• Starting with those who know you least.
• Comparing the Previous Results with the Current ones.

You Estimate that you will need 2 months to have met with all your employees.

• And decide if you need to repeat this Cycle again.

The Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle is a Tool that helps professionals Grow and Learn from their past Experiences.

Consists of 6 Repetitive Steps that must be repeated until getting the desired Results:

• Description : Describe in detail the Situation in which you want to improve.
• Feelings : Reflect on How you Felt in that Situation, How you Coped with it.
• Evaluation : Evaluate the Experience and its Outcome, Objectively.
• Analysis : Analyze the Reasons that explain the Result of this Situation.
• Conclusion : Get the Lessons from this Analysis; How to do things better.
• Action Plan : Develop and Implement a Plan to do things better.
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Gibbs Reflective Cycle: Theory and Example Template

Gibbs Reflective Cycle: this article explains the Gibbs Reflective Cycle by Graham Gibbs in a practical way. Next to what it is, this arfticle also highlights the steps of the Reflective Cycle, the realtionship with experiences and a downloadable and editable Gibbs Reflective Cycle example template to get started yourself. After reading it, you understand the core of this management and self-reflection tool. Enjoy Reading!

What is the Gibbs Reflective Cycle?

In 1988, the American sociologist and psychologist Graham Gibbs published his Reflective Cycle model in his book ‘ Learning by Doing ‘. Gibbs Reflective Cycle encourages people to think systematically about the experiences they had during a specific situation, event or activity.

Using a circle, reflection on those experiences can be structured in phases . This often makes people think about an experience, activity or event in more detail, making them aware of their own actions and better able to adjust and change their behaviour.

By looking at both negative and positive impacts of the event, people can learn from it.

The Gibbs reflective cycle itself

The Gibbs Reflective Cycle starts at Description and then continues clockwise to Feelings , Evaluation , Analysis , Conclusion and ends at Action plan , to finally return to Description . Here the Gibbs reflective cycle is complete.

Figure 1 – the steps of the Gibbs Reflective Cycle

The various steps are explained in more detail below:

Step 1: Description

During this step, you describe the situation, event or activity in detail, without drawing any conclusions right away. The most common questions that can help create an objective description are:

• What happened?
• When did it happen?
• Where did it happen?
• Who were involved?
• What did you do yourself?
• What did other people do?
• What was the result of these actions?

It should be noted that important details must not be left out. For instance, why other people were involved in the situation in question. All information that is key to better understanding the situation is relevant.

Step 2: Feelings

This phase is about the feelings that the event triggered, as well as what someone’s thoughts were during the event, activity or situation described in step 1. The intention is not to discuss the feeling in detail or comment on it directly. Emotions don’t need to be evaluated or judged. Awareness is the most important goal of this phase. Helpful questions that are often used:

• What did you feel leading up to the event?
• What did you feel during the event?
• What did you feel after the event?
• How do you look back on the situation?
• What do you think other people felt during event?
• How do you think others feel about the event now?

Because people often have difficulty talking about their feelings, it helps that they’re encouraged by the questions or someone asking these questions.

This also demonstrates that the Gibbs Reflective Cycle can be used in an individual setting, or even in a coaching or counselling setting. The final two questions also allow one to see the event from other peoples’ perspectives.

Step 3: Evaluation

In this step, you ask yourself whether the experience of the event in step 1 was good or bad. Which approach worked well and in what way? Which approach didn’t work as well? It can be difficult for people to be objective about the situation. In order to still conduct a proper evaluation, the following questions may be helpful:

• What went well during the event or activity?
• Why was that?
• What didn’t go so well?
• What was your contribution?
• What contribution did other people make?

It is also worth evaluating bad experiences, because the subsequent steps in the Gibbs Reflective Cycle help people learn from it.

Step 4: Analysis

This phase is about what you have learned from the situation, event or activity. Because of the experience, you now know what to do in similar, future situations.

This means that both positive and negative things and/or problems you experienced will be written down and analysed individually. After all, people learn from mistakes. This analysis is often done together alongside step 3.

Step 5: Conclusion

This is the step where you take a step back and look at yourself from a distance and ask what else you could have done in this situation. The information gathered earlier is very valuable in this step and can encourage you to come to a good and useful conclusion. The following questions may be helpful:

• To what positive experience did the event, situation or activity lead?
• To what negative experience did the event, situation or activity lead?
• What will you do differently if the event, situation or activity were to happen again in the future?
• Which skills do you need to develop yourself in a similar event, situation or activity?

Step 6: Action plan

In this final step, actions are developed for future situations, events or activities. Based on the ‘Conclusions’ in the 5th step, people make concrete promises to themselves. The intention is to keep these promises. If everything went well, you can promise yourself to act the same way next time.

In areas where things didn’t go so well, you can promise yourself not to make the same mistakes again. What will be a more effective approach and which change will lead to actual improvement?

In addition to an action plan , it’s wise to also make a plan on how to encourage yourself to stick to these promises.

Experiences

Thinking about one’s own experience can help to perform better or do things differently in the future. As the above shows, these experiences don’t have to be positive; negative experiences are also useful.

Next time a similar situation presents itself, you’ll know it’s better to approach the situation in a different way. It stimulates you to think long and hard about how to do things better next time. This is what Gibbs Reflective Cycle is all about.

People don’t just learn to understand certain situations better, but also learn to judge how the same situation can be handled in different ways in the future.

Gibbs reflective cycle: How to use it

Gibbs Reflective Cycle can be used in a variety of ways. First of all, any individual can use the cycle. If you’re open to actively changing yourself, the Reflective Cycle can be a helpful tool.

Coaches also use the Cycle to make their coaches aware of (unwanted) behaviour and find ways together for the coach to react differently to a situation.

In addition, the Reflective Cycle is often used in higher education. Especially when carrying out internship assignments, the cycle can be a good tool to make an intern aware of his or her actions. The part about how you’ll handle a similar situation differently in the future is specifically aimed at reflecting on one’s own actions.

After all, at the end of an internship period an intern should have developed him / herself enough to carry out internship assignments independently and behave professionally.

Gibbs Reflective Cycle template

Start reflecting on your experiences and actions with this editable Gibbs Reflecting Cycle template.

Download the Gibbs Reflecting Cycle template

Now it is your turn

What do you think? What are your experiences with the Gibbs Reflective Cycle. How do you encourage people to think systematically about past experiences? Are you already using the Gibbs Reflective Cycle and do you have tips and tricks, or would you like to add anything?

Share your experience and knowledge in the comments box below.

More information

• Finlay, L. (2008). Reflecting on reflective practice . PBPL paper, 52, 1-27.
• Gibbs, G. (1988). Learning by Doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods . Oxford: Oxford Further Education Unit
• Gibbs, G. (1998). Reviewing and improving your teaching . Practice Guide, 7, H851.

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Patty Mulder

Patty Mulder is an Dutch expert on Management Skills, Personal Effectiveness and Business Communication. She is also a Content writer, Business Coach and Company Trainer and lives in the Netherlands (Europe). Note: all her articles are written in Dutch and we translated her articles to English!

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What You Can Learn From Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle

Manisha is a retail manager at a popular fashion outlet in Pune. For an upcoming fashion exhibition, she’s been asked…

Manisha is a retail manager at a popular fashion outlet in Pune. For an upcoming fashion exhibition, she’s been asked to order 10 boxes of scarves. Manisha places the order online and takes a short lunch break.

Four hours later, she receives an email from the vendor with a receipt for the order. On opening the receipt, her heart skips a beat. Instead of 10 boxes, the receipt reads 100 boxes of scarves! Manisha panics and hastily checks her order. Yes, it was 100 boxes instead of 10.

A dismayed Manisha writes an email apologizing for her error and canceling the extra 90 boxes of scarves she had mistakenly ordered. Later in the day, she gets an inevitable dressing-down from the general manager of the outlet, who informs Manisha that her carelessness will cost their organization a hefty fine, a part of which would be deducted from her next month’s salary.

All organizations have suffered losses because of human error, in spite of the best intentions of their employees. But the key to dealing with such mistakes is not regret or resentment; it’s reflection, something that’s aptly laid out in Gibbs’ reflective cycle.

What Is Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle?

Different stages of gibbs’ reflective cycle, stage 1—description, stage 2—feelings, stage 3—evaluation, stage 4—conclusions, stage 5—action.

Gibbs’ reflective cycle was developed by English professor Graham Gibbs in 1988. The goal of Gibbs’ reflective model is to lend a structure for learning from experiences, offering an efficient way for individuals and organizations to critically assess and improve themselves.

Different Stages Of Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle

Gibbs’ model for learning from experience consists of five stages, which are cyclical in nature. Let’s look at these five stages using Manisha’s aforementioned situation as an example of Gibbs’ reflective cycle.

The first stage in Gibbs’ reflective model is all about understanding what happened in detail without drawing any conclusions. This stage requires Manisha to recall everything that she remembers from the afternoon when she placed the wrong order. This includes asking the following questions:

When and where did this happen?

Why were you there?

Who else was there?

What happened?

What did you do?

What did other people do?

What was the result of this situation?

Next, Manisha must move to the second stage of Gibbs’ reflective cycle by explaining how she felt during her experience. This must be done with as much clarity as possible and with the help of the following queries:

What did you feel before this situation took place?

What did you feel while this situation took place?

What do you think other people felt during this situation?

What did you feel after the situation?

What do you think about the situation now?

What do you think other people feel about the situation now?

The next step in Gibbs’ cycle requires Manisha to calmly analyze what worked for her during the situation—and what didn’t. To make the evaluation precise, Gibbs’ model recommends a few questions:

What was positive about this situation?

What was negative?

What went well?

What didn’t go so well?

What did you and other people do to contribute to the situation (either positively or negatively)?

Having evaluated the situation properly, this stage of Gibbs’ learning cycle needs Manisha to draw conclusions from what happened based on the following questions:

How could this have been a more positive experience for everyone involved?

If you were faced with the same situation again, what would you do differently?

What skills do you need to develop, so that you can handle this type of situation better?

The last stage of Gibbs’ model of reflective practice is all about planning a course of action that allows Manisha to be much more effective in similar situations in the future. Such an action plan should involve the key insights that Manisha has obtained by answering all the questions posed in the previous stages of Gibbs’ learning cycle.

It’s not mandatory for Gibbs’ model of reflective practice to be executed solely by the person undergoing the experience. It can also be implemented by coaches, friends or colleagues, in association with the person concerned.

Gibbs’ reflective model is one of many exercises an organization can follow in order to coach its employees to learn from their experiences and grow into professionals who are capable of leadership, constant improvement and crisis management. Harappa’s High Performing Leaders program is all about optimizing these qualities. Our program can help your employees:

Navigate ambiguity, complexity and contradictory information

Communicate with impact

Build trust, master the art of persuasion and much more

In addition to Gibbs’ cycle, this program’s wide-ranging curriculum includes helpful concepts like Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle , the GROW (Goals-Reality-Options-Will) model for coaching and SWOT analysis .

With more than 20,000 learners, a completion rate of 80%, and successful partnerships with organizations like IIFL, Tata Consultancy Services and Mahindra, Harappa’s program is your one-stop destination to help your employees master reflective learning and become better leaders.

Explore Harappa Diaries to learn more about topics such as Who is a  Project Manager , Must-Have  Skills For Leadership , Top  Behavioral Skills  For Managers,  Operational Manager Skills  &  Managerial Roles And Skills  that will help organizations tap into their employee’s potential.

Reflective Practice

Adele sewell.

August 23, 2023

Explore reflective practice in teaching: a vital tool for professional growth, enhancing skills, and boosting job satisfaction.

Sewell, A (2023, August 23). Reflective Practice. Retrieved from https://www.structural-learning.com/post/reflective-practice

What is Reflective Practice?

Reflective practice is a continuous learning process that promotes personal growth in the teaching experience. It involves engaging with a reflective cycle, where teachers evaluate their practices, identifying various levels and types of reflections.

Through this reflection process, they analyze their actions, thoughts, and the depth of reflection to understand the effectiveness of their methods.

By evaluating and adjusting practices, they pave the way for successful learning, allowing for deeper understanding and improved strategies tailored to individual needs. It's a vital tool for enhancing the quality and responsiveness of teaching methods.

• Continuous Learning : Emphasizes lifelong improvement.
• Personal Growth : Encourages self-improvement in teaching.
• Reflective Cycle : A systematic approach to self-evaluation.

Reflective practice is something we are all taught to do as part of our initial teacher training, but as practice develops, we often forget about the fundamental value of reflection. This article explores some of the key aspects of reflection, looking at models and methods of reflection to enhance personal development.

The Teaching Standards state teachers make the education of their pupils their first concern, and are accountable for achieving the highest possible standards in work and conduct.

Teachers act with honesty and integrity; have strong subject knowledge, keep their knowledge and skills as teachers up-to-date and are self-critical; forge positive professional relationships; and work with parents in the best interests of their pupils. Teacher's Standards

The Education and Training Foundation (ETF 2023) professional standards state that core elements of professional practice are to develop and update knowledge of your subject specialism, taking account of new practices, research and/or industry requirements.

Then reviewing research to develop evidence-informed practice. In addition, sharing and updating knowledge of effective practice with colleagues and networks should support improvement.

Saadatmand and Kumpulainen (2013) highlight the need to be able to reflect on practice in a professional manner through 'charting of collective knowledge,' denoting the idea that to support effective pedagogy there needs to be time to process and reflect on practice with or without colleagues. Effective reflection, which identifies key actions, is purposeful reflection.

Reflection can be defined as a process of self-evaluation in which teachers regularly engage in to improve their practice (Shandomo, 2010). Gibbs (1988) ideas of “structured debriefing” to support teaching and learning are key when considering the time given to undertake reflection.

Gibbs Model of Reflection 

Gibbs(1998) model of reflection is a cyclic model (see diagram below) that allows the teacher to explore not just the description of what happened but also the feelings associated with the teaching episode under reflection, using this to formulate an action plan.

Some teachers do not use this model as it asks for feelings to be explored and are more comfortable with just exploring the narrative of the situation. However, within any teaching session, emotions play a huge part in the dynamics and outcomes. This is why an understanding of emotional intelligence is so important to have.

This model is a good way to work through an experience. This can be either a stand-alone experience or a situation you go through frequently, for example, meetings with a team you have to collaborate with. If done with a stand-alone experience, the action plan may become more general and look at how you can apply your conclusions to future pedology.

With colleagues, it can offer a dialogue on practice that can have a lasting impact on pedagogy. The use of a thinking environment will also enhance the use of this reflective model.

The thinking environment is a philosophy of communication , based on the work of Nancy Kline. It is a practical series of values-based applications which are useful in family, campaigning, community and organizational life, as well as forming the basis of a teaching pedagogy and coaching approach .

For each of the stages of Gibbs model, a number of helpful questions are used such as:

• What happened?
• When and where did it happen?
• Who was present?

What did you and the other people do? What was the outcome of the situation? Why were you there?

What did you want to happen? What were you feeling during the situation? What were you feeling before and after the situation?

What do you think other people were feeling about the situation? What do you think other people feel about the situation now? What were you thinking during the situation?

What do you think about the situation now?

Using questions to support reflection is something that is used in coaching, with Gibbs action planning being a tool that is used in coaching models such as GROW.

Whilst Gibbs model can be used in isolation, it has more impact if used as part of a discussion with colleagues.

Shandomo (2010) found that teachers who reflect have a greater understanding of their teaching styles, which improved their ability to challenge traditional practice and define their own growth. Reflection enables teachers to reflect on their practices and to examine the overall effectiveness. Reflecting may require improvement or change in teaching methods , depending on the outcome of the critical reflection undertaken (Farrell, 2021).

Donald Schon's model of reflection 

Donald Schön (1983), identified differences between in reflection-on-action and reflection-in-action. Reflection-on-action is referred to as “reflective practice” which occurs when you explore an experience and you identify what happened, what your role is in the experience, including your behavior, thoughts, and emotions.

Reflection on action prepares us for reflective practice in action meaning we are more present to the situation and have a clearer awareness of our actions and, the consequences intended or, unintended. An underlying theme is the ability to reflect individually and collaboratively on pedagogy.

By engaging in critical reflection, challenging assumptions, and adopting new perspectives improvements in teaching skills will occur (Reifmann, 2020). Donald Schon's model is useful for teachers to help them reflect on unique or conflicting experiences and thereby develop strategies to deal with the 'swampy lowland messes.'

In order to be a successful reflective teacher Larivee (1999) identified the attributes of being open-minded, responsible, being able to reflect on and learn from experience, engage in ongoing inquiry, solicit feedback from others, remain open to alternative perspectives, take action to align with new knowledge and understandings, are committed to continuous improvement in practice, strive to align behavior with values and beliefs, and seek to discover what is true.

Sue Dawson (2023) suggests that movement can also support reflection, suggesting simple activities such as walking and talking about an issue with colleagues.

Tripps Critical Incident Model 

Reflective practice in teaching, specifically through Tripp's critical incident model, serves as an indispensable tool to evaluate and enhance the quality of educational methods . This model revolves around reflecting on challenging incidents by evaluating what has been said or done within the classroom setting.

It's not confined to severe or dangerous events; rather, "critical" is to be understood as relevant or significant, forming a pathway to both personal experience and organizational learning.

Teachers, especially those new to the profession, often grapple with identifying situations for deep reflection. Tripp's (1993) method of learning highlights these "critical incidents" stemming from everyday observations in classrooms . The levels of reflection can be broadly categorized into three types: surface reflection, superficial reflection, and deep reflection.

• Surface Reflection : A quick reflection on teaching activity, often immediate and reactive.
• Superficial Reflection : This involves a somewhat deeper level of contemplation, with reflections made from student feedback, leading to moderate adjustments in teaching methods .
• Deep Reflection : The profound contemplation of practices, through dialogic reflection, which is a discourse with oneself and one's beliefs, guided by the reflective learning refer.

An example of this could be when students consistently struggle to commence their tasks after lunchtime, requiring further investigation. This incident could be explored at various levels of reflection, from a quick analysis to a profound dialogic reflection, to understand underlying causes and solutions.

According to a study, 68% of new teachers found structured reflection, such as Tripp's model, valuable in their first year of teaching. As renowned educational expert John Dewey once said, "We do not learn from experience... we learn from reflecting on experience."

Reflective teaching then becomes more than a practice; it transforms into a philosophy. It fosters reflective learning, allowing for continuous growth and development , from mere reaction to conscious, deliberate planning and action.

In summary, the key insights are:

• Tripp's Critical Incident Model : A comprehensive approach to reflective learning, recognizing significant events in the classroom as opportunities for growth.
• Levels of Reflection : Surface, superficial, and deep reflections offer varying degrees of insight and potential development.
• Incorporation of Feedback and Self-Dialogue : Through dialogic reflection and consideration of student feedback , this approach builds on personal and organizational learning, forming a continuum from quick to profound reflective processes.

Reflective Practice as a Skill

Reflective practice holds a seminal role in both the personal and professional growth of teachers. It's a skill, a labyrinthine journey that commingles experience, reflection, conceptualization, and application.

Chris Argyris elucidated this by introducing the idea of ‘double-loop learning’, a process that transcends the ‘single loop' and leads into a new paradigm to reframe ideas, altering actions.

This, however, is not a mere academic exercise but an intricate, dynamic, action-based, and ethical skill, with roots in real, multifaceted situations.

Moon's argument that cognitive housekeeping is something we often undertake illustrates that reflection is not merely an acquired skill but a natural part of our cognitive process.

Reflection is a harmonious blend of the intricate relationship between thought and action , an active engagement with experience rather than merely a cognitive recounting of events.

Reflecting on personal development, professional development, and life experience, according to Littlejohn, Milligan, and Margaryan (2012), leads to being a better teacher.

The collaboration of reflective practice transcends individual boundaries and leads to a coherent fabric that benefits the entire educational institution.

Schools, by nurturing a culture of reflection, pave the way for continuous improvement in teaching and learning. Themed in-set days and teaming up teachers draw on expertise and mutual support, fostering an environment where critical reflections thrive.

John Hattie's (2012) research revealed that reflection had a potent impact on student achievement. The role of reflection in teaching is multifaceted, ranging from a lens for introspection to a method for professional knowledge expansion .

The descriptive reflection allows teachers to investigate their practices, while methods of reflection like action process can lead to transformative change.

Academic perspective on reflective practice serves as a bridge, connecting the towering theories to the pragmatic realities of the classroom. Action research , a concept fostered by Kurt Lewin (1946), is a method that investigates and resolves issues simultaneously.

It can encompass formal theories or personal ideas, encouraging exploration and problem-solving. Reflection on teaching practice forms a synergy with research, with a 30% increase in teacher effectiveness through reflection according to Katz’s study (2021).

The influence of reflective practice is not confined to the individual. Cliff (1990) emphasizes a ‘continual inquiry into our practices,' leading to increased self-awareness and a shift in teaching styles. This collaborative approach resonates with Blanchard's (2002) stance on sharing resources and Wenger’s (1999) notion of knowledge , facilitating a co-creation of meaning .

The capacity for students to participate in this process allows teachers to be transparent about their supportive learning methods.

In summary, the reflective practice in education is:

• A Continual Process : Integrating double-loop learning, types of reflection, and approaches to reflection, it promotes professional and personal development .
• A Collaborative Force : It promotes shared professionalism, impacting on students and enhancing teaching practice through various reflective methods.
• A Bridge Between Theory and Practice : It aligns theoretical knowledge with practical application, enhancing self-awareness, teaching styles, and ultimately benefiting the learners.

5 Examples of Reflective Practice in Action

Reflective practice manifests itself as a multifaceted gem in various industries, drawing threads from the theory of action, Emotional Intelligence , and personal reflection. This reflective process engages different types of reflection, extending its branches from personal life to professional development. Here are five fictional examples that illustrate the application of reflective practice in action:

• Teaching Industry : A reflective teacher in a rural high school observed a drop in engagement among students after lunch hours. By engaging in critical reflections and reflective writing, he identified cultural aspects that affected the students' attention. Implementing a curriculum that merged local folklore with lessons increased the capacity for students' engagement by 40%.
• Nursing Industry : A nursing student in a bustling city hospital was overwhelmed by the emotional demands of patient care. Through personal reflection and understanding Emotional Intelligence, she developed a self-care routine that balanced empathy and self-preservation . Her mentor praised her saying, "Reflective practice has given her the emotional agility to navigate the turbulent waters of patient care."
• Technology Industry : A software developer in a start-up noticed a recurring bug in code that escaped conventional testing. Reflecting on the theory of action and the reflection process, he developed a novel testing approach that mirrored user behavior, reducing bug incidents by 60%.
• Construction Industry : An architect in a coastal area encountered challenges with weather-resistant materials. Through reflective writing and critical reflections, he incorporated local materials with modern design, creating structures that were aesthetically pleasing and resilient to weather. This approach led to a sustainable development award for his firm.
• Art Industry : A young artist, struggling to find her unique voice, engaged in personal reflection about her personal life and childhood memories . This reflection process led her to create a series of paintings that resonated with her heritage, leading to an international art exhibition.

Reflective practice is not confined to one domain; it's a versatile tool that transcends boundaries. As noted by educational theorist David Kolb, "Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience."

This aligns with a statistic that 75% of professional development success is attributed to reflective practices across various industries. The connection between reflective thinking, Emotional Intelligence, and the theory of action fosters a continual growth and learning cycle that has immeasurable applications in various fields.

7 Tips on Utilising Reflective Practice to Improve Performance

Reflective practice is not simply confined to the realm of personal growth but extends its wings to encompass organizational performance as well. Its adoption can foster both individual and collective growth, tapping into the depth of reflection, learning styles, and double-loop learning. Here's a step-by-step guide, imbued with interesting perspectives, to harness reflective practice within various organizational contexts:

• Identify Learning Styles : Recognize and understand the nuances in how people approach learning. Whilst the theory of learning styles has been heavily criticised, we do know that individual differences play an integral part and how we approach learning tasks. Leveraging this understanding can tailor professional development programs , thus enhancing the depth of reflection and learning process.
• Implement Double-loop Learning : Engage in Double-loop learning by not only correcting errors but questioning the underlying values and assumptions. It expands the theory of action, leading to profound changes in organizational learning by moving beyond mere surface solutions.
• Empower through Professional Development Facilitators : Utilize professional development facilitators to guide and mentor. They bring both an individual and external perspective to reflective practice, sparking dialogue and encouraging deeper exploration of practical perspectives.
• Integrate Reflective Practice into Daily Routines : Encourage daily reflection as part of the work routine. This constant practice deepens the connection between personal experiences and organizational goals, fueling both personal growth and collective achievements.
• Cultivate a Culture of Openness : Foster a climate where reflection is welcomed and encouraged. This includes openness to both praise and constructive criticism, allowing room for an organizational learning process that acknowledges failures and celebrates successes.
• Utilize Technology for Collaborative Reflection : Leverage digital platforms to enable continuous reflective practice. This can take the form of online forums or shared documents where team members can offer insights from both an individual and external perspective, promoting a culture of collaborative learning.
• Align Reflective Practice with Organizational Goals : Ensure that the reflective practice aligns with organizational goals. By connecting individual growth with overarching objectives, reflective practice becomes a strategic tool for performance enhancement, rather than an isolated activity.

The synergy between reflective practice, depth of reflection, double-loop learning, and the learning process can unveil unexplored terrains within professional development .

As organizations embark on this journey, guided by professional development facilitators, they unearth novel pathways to growth, bringing into alignment the individual perspective, external perspective, and practical perspective.

These actionable steps invite not just personal transformation but lay the foundational stones for a dynamic and thriving organizational culture.

Concluding Thoughts

Reflection in the teaching profession is not merely a trend but a vital tool that fosters personal and professional growth. It's akin to looking into a mirror, not just to see oneself but to explore the depths of one's teaching persona. This process is more than self-assessment; it's a journey of self-discovery and continuous improvement.

The positive experience of reflection contributes significantly to job satisfaction and can act as a buffer against work strain and burnout. A study by Xu et al., 2021 elucidates how reflective practices can enhance emotional well-being among teachers. This isn't just about avoiding negative outcomes; it's about fostering a positive, proactive approach to one's career.

Reflecting on strengths and weaknesses is not an exercise in self-criticism but a pathway to identifying goals. According to Harris & Sass, 2011, this reflective practice enables teachers to create an action plan that enhances their skills and knowledge. For example, a teacher who recognizes a weakness in classroom management might seek professional development in that area, leading to a more harmonious classroom environment.

Continuous reflection and evaluation are not static but dynamic processes. As noted by Ingersoll & Strong, 2011, they allow for constant improvement and growth, providing a sense of progress and achievement that promotes job satisfaction. The art of teaching is the art of continuous learning , it's a never-ending cycle of growth, adaptation, and renewal.

Greater self-awareness doesn't just promote informed decisions about teaching strategies and goals; it leads to professional growth. A relevant statistic in this context is that teachers who engage in regular reflective practice are 30% more likely to report higher levels of job satisfaction (Johnson & Birkeland, 2003). This isn't just about personal satisfaction; it's about building a resilient, adaptable, and thriving educational community .

In conclusion, reflection in teaching is a multifaceted tool that offers numerous benefits:

• Positive Experience : Reflection contributes to job satisfaction and helps in the prevention of work strain and burnout.
• Goal Identification and Action Planning : By reflecting on strengths and weaknesses, teachers can identify goals and create action plans, leading to the enhancement of skills and knowledge.
• Continuous Growth : Continuous reflection and evaluation foster constant improvement, a sense of progress, and achievement, promoting overall job satisfaction and professional growth.

The practice of reflection is not just a theoretical concept but a practical tool that can transform the teaching profession. It's a journey that every teacher can embark on, leading to a more fulfilling and effective educational experience .

Further reading

Dawson, S. (2023) Reflective practice: your body is a reflection of your thoughts and emotions, SGP Sense Greater Peace. https://www.sensegreaterpeace.co.uk/blog/reflective-practiceyour-body-is-a-reflection-of-your-thoughts-and-emotions

Gibbs G (1988). Learning by Doing : A guide to teaching and learning methods. Further Education Unit. Oxford Polytechnic: Oxford.

Larivee, B. (1999) Authentic Classroom Management : Creating a Community of Learners (Boston, MA, Allyn & Bacon).

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

Minnott M (2021) A Case for a Reflective Approach to Teaching ‘Practicum Debriefing’ with Implications for Teacher Educators and Education mark Minnott Teacher Education Advancement Network Journal University of Cumbria Vol 13(1) pages 73-85 

Moon, J. (1999), Reflection in Learning and Professional Development: Theory and Practice, Kogan Page, London.

Senge, P.M. (1990) The Fifth Discipline (New York, Currency Doubleday).

Tripp, D. (1993) Critical incidents in teaching. Routledge.

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HELEN MARTIN BLOG

Tag: Gibbs' Reflective Learning Cycle

Slowing down to speed up.

I learned late in my career that working long hours did not equate to the importance of my job and the success of my career. 

I learned to ask ‘how urgent’ someone’s request was, and that asking to push out a deadline was not detrimental to my career. In fact, deadlines were often quite negotiable, and I could deliver higher quality work with less stress and, as I had more time to think, I could also be more creative. 

So often I had delivered within the period of time that constituted ‘urgent’ for me, only to receive an ‘out of office message’ from the person I was delivering to. I had never asked when the actual deadline was. 

In fact, being too available made my colleagues believe that I couldn’t be that busy, as I always had time to deliver within short timelines. My colleagues began to disrespect my time and workload because they had no idea as to what I was working on and if it had a much higher priority than what they were asking me to do.

But why change? My rational brain was telling me that everything I had done to date, had brought me the success I had. I had been rewarded for my ‘bad behaviour’ with ‘well done, congratulations and thank you’ when I succeeded, or delivered a good piece of work. And, it felt fabulous!

As my career continued, I became well known for my quick turnarounds, quality work, and more and more people asked me to get involved in projects. I was busy, was making a name for myself, made promotion and I felt very successful. I had arrived!

Like many of my clients, you too may be telling yourself that your long hours are necessary, so as to hold on to your job. But how is your behaviour serving you?

Many of our behaviours are habits. We tell ourselves ‘lies’ like, ‘if I don’t get the work done now, I will be fired from my job’. We are actually worrying about future events, that may not ever happen. But, the habits that got you where you are today are not the ones that will bring you success in future.

I have challenged a number of my very busy clients to slow down, to challenge ‘urgent and hard’ deadlines, and to put themselves first, both mentally and physically. It’s been a few months and none of them have noticed any detrimental effects; instead, they report feeling less stressed and more in control as they are challenging their own beliefs and assumptions about how they work and use their time. By putting their own oxygen mask on first, they are achieving so much more.

Reflection is a brilliant way to become aware of what drives you, what and who triggers you and what your standard responses and ‘bad habits’ may be. Gibbs reflective learning cycle (Graham Gibbs, 1988) can help you on your way to self-awareness and eventually self-care. The complete model and instructions of how to use it are below.

DESCRIPTION:  Provide a factual description of the situation. Do not draw any conclusions at this stage. Focus on the information that is relevant. Use questions such as: What happened? How did it happen? Where? When? Who else was there? Did someone react? How did they react? Why were you there? What did you do? What happened at the end? This builds up the background and a better understanding of the situation.

FEELINGS:  Describe any emotion that you felt during the situation. Use questions such as:  ‘What did you feel before the situation? What did you feel during the situation? And, after it was all over? What do you feel about the incident now?

EVALUATION:  Objectively evaluate the situation. What went well? What did not? What were the negatives and the positives of the situation? How did you and the others contribute to it (positively or negatively).

ANALYSIS:  Think about what might have hindered or helped the situation.

CONCLUSION:  Consider what you learned from the situation. What else could you have done in that situation? What skills will help you cope with it better next time? How differently would you react if you faced a similar situation in future? If the outcomes were negative, how could you do things differently next time? If the outcomes were positive, how could you replicate what you did?

ACTION PLAN:  In this part of the cycle, you are putting together a plan of action i.e. how to effectively improve the situation next time. Is there any training, skill, or habit that you need to learn or unlearn, to equip you with handling the situation better if it occurs again? Work out the areas that need work and action them.

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• v.9(2); 2023 Feb

Master of nursing specialist experiences of an internship through the use of written reflections: A qualitative research study

Ting-ting zhan.

a Department of Brain Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, No. 117 Meishan Street, Hefei, 230031, Anhui, China

b School of Nursing, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, No. 103 Meishan Street, Hefei, 230031, Anhui, China

Cai-jie Sun

Associated data.

Data included in article/supp. material/referenced in article.

Reflective practice is an educational strategy and an essential part of the professional development of nurses. However, there are few reflective journals in the master of nursing specialist program or clinical nursing education.

Based on Gibbs' reflective cycle theory, masters of nursing specialists (MNS) will use a diary to record their reflections on a particular clinical event. The purpose of this study was to identify reflective practice as tool to help MNS improve their professional and personal development.

A descriptive qualitative study.

The purposive sampling method was used in the qualitative study. The data were derived from the master of nursing specialist who interned at the hospital from June to December 2021. After completing the job rotation and relevant course training within 6 months, a clinical experience was selected as a reflection. The traditional qualitative content analysis method was applied to analyze the collected data in the research.

A total of 10 reflective diaries completed by ten students were analyzed. This qualitative study demonstrated that the Gibbs' reflective cycle is valuable and helpful in the clinical practice of master of nursing specialists. This program helps master of nursing specialists reflect on their clinical practice and translate real-life experiences into valuable learning experiences for developing their professional development and personal skills.

Conclusions

By writing reflection diaries, master of nursing specialists can reflect on the problems encountered during clinical rotations and take action following that reflection, which can assist them in improving their professional development and personal skills to handle clinical nursing aspects in the future, as well as improve their full participation in clinical practice.

1. Introduction

Reflective practice is not only an educational strategy [ 1 ] but also a core skill for the professional development of nursing students [ 2 ]. Research has shown [ 1 ] that reflection provides caregivers with the ability to learn from clinical experiences through critical thinking. This helps stimulate learning and add new knowledge to clinical practice, facilitating practice transformation and the development of new insights [ 1 ]. The study also found that it can use scientific knowledge, personal knowledge, and experiential knowledge to solve complicated problems in practice [ 3 ]. Moreover, studies have shown that reflective practice, as a cognitive skill that nurses learn from experience, can improve the knowledge and skills of nursing students, novice nurses, and experienced nurses in clinical practice, improve the professional practice of nurses and positively improve the health outcomes of patients [ 1 , 4 ]. It has also been reported that reflective practice can enhance a clinician’s competence through a critical review of clinical practice [ 5 ]. Additionally, an integrative review has demonstrated that nursing professions at all levels are influenced by reflective practices, adding value to the nursing profession [ 6 ].

As a member of the nursing workforce, a master of nursing specialist (MNS) is expected to have higher levels of professional competence, practical competence, critical and reflective ability, and interpersonal communication when faced with complex clinical environments [ 7 , 8 ]. In direct contact with patients in clinical practice, MNS may encounter unexpected clinical situations leading to stress [ 9 ], and most of these clinical experiences have not been effectively addressed. Therefore, reflective practice is necessary for MNS for patient safety [ 4 ] nurses' own physical and mental health, and coping with future challenges [ 4 ]. Reflective practice improves nurses' understanding of their practice by giving meaning to their experiences [ 4 , 10 ], thereby enhancing their personal and nursing professional development [ 2 ], and narrowing the gap between theory and clinical practice in nursing humanistic care dimension [ 10 ]. The reflective journal is the most commonly used tool in reflective practice [ 9 ], and it is seen as a learning tool in postgraduate medical education [ 11 ]. Studies have shown that the process of writing a reflective journal, through the practice of self-reflection and reflective writing, can help release clinically repressed emotions [ 6 , 9 ]. As a reflection tool, a diary is considered to reflect on oneself and others [ 12 ] during critical clinical events, which can facilitate the learning process, personal growth, and professional development of nursing students [ 13 ] through an in-depth understanding of what clinical experience means [ 12 , 14 ]. It is recommended that participants consider their feelings during the six stages of Gibbs’s framework, such as reflection, description, feeling, evaluation, analysis, conclusion, and action plan [ 2 , 15 ]. The Gibbs’s reflective cycle provides a structured approach that has been successfully applied to nursing majors and nursing students, enabling students to logically reflect on clinical events [ 16 , 17 ]. Structured templates, however, may compromise the quality and authenticity of the data collected. Nevertheless, Gibbs' reflective cycle was found to be an effective, useful, and enjoyable method for teaching clinical education [ 18 , 19 ]. The Gibbs’s reflective cycle [ 19 ] also showed that most people’s knowledge and understanding are obtained from a reflection of the experience, and constantly thinking can lead to a better understanding of things, and the guidance of action.

Based on Gibbs’s reflective cycle, reflective practice has been successfully performed in some countries, such as Japan’s public health graduate and undergraduate students [ 19 , 20 ] and nursing staff in China [ 21 ]. The study found that MNS in China must have the ability to enhance personal reflection and professional ability [ 7 , 8 ], and Gibb’s reflective cycle can be used as a theoretical framework for beginning writers to reflect on their behavior, to improve their performance [ 16 , 17 ]. According to researchers [ 21 ] in China, using Gibbs’s reflective cycle can improve nurses' ability to engage in clinical nursing thinking when dealing with adverse events, especially by helping nurse practitioners who work for 0.5–1 year gain a more comprehensive understanding of adverse events.

However, the theoretical framework of the Gibbs’s reflective cycle has not been applied to the analysis of MNS’ clinical experience. And it is not clear whether reflective practice can improve the professional ability and personal development of MNS. Hence, understanding the clinical experience is essential for the personal and professional development of MNS. Reflections on the clinical experience of MNS were explored in the context of clinical practice in this study.

2.1. Type of research design

A descriptive qualitative study was applied to the study.

2.2. Settings and populations

The purposive sampling method was used in qualitative research because it can improve the transferability of research [ 22 ]. The study subjects were all MNS interning at the hospital. The first author has overseas study experience and participated in Gibbs' Framework training abroad. All four researchers participated in a qualitative research course. Participants interested in the program were invited in person by the program leader at the MNS Academic Salon meeting. Participants then signed written informed consent at the site, and the program leader distributed Gibbs’s reflective cycle course schedule along with a verbal statement asking participants to provide at least one written reflection material via WeChat or email at the end of the program. Out of 13 eligible participants, ten eventually agreed to participate and completed and submitted reflective writing.

The respondents included nine females and one male. To protect participants' privacy, all participants' information is encrypted from P1 through P10. Participants are only required to provide their ages and work experience. The students are between 24 and 30 and have completed 10–12 months of clinical practice at the undergraduate level of nursing education before their postgraduate education. According to China’s internship regulations, all of them have full internship experience including but not limited to the internal medicine department, surgical department, ICU, and operating room. Moreover, none of them had prior nursing-related work experience before becoming MNS, only undergraduate internships. In addition, MNS has a clinical internship of at least six months and is required to take classes related to Gibbs’s reflective cycle. During the six-month internship, they were mainly involved in the care of patients with chronic diseases such as Wilson’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, including intravenous injection and the implementation of traditional Chinese medicine nursing techniques.

2.3. Data sources

The reflective diary based on Gibbs’s framework is used as the original material for this study. In diary writing, the study adopted the structure of Gibbs’s reflective cycle, which consists of six modules: reflection, description, feeling, evaluation, analysis, conclusion, and action plan [ 2 , 15 ]. This model was chosen because of the successful application of the Gibbs Reflection Cycle to reflection in the nursing profession [ 16 ], which not only allowed participants to write a reflection diary step by step but also allowed them to take into account their feelings about clinical events [ 2 , [15] , [16] , [17] ].

The concept and steps of the Gibbs reflective cycle, application cases in the clinical field of nursing, and writing principles were explained by the project leader. There are eight classes, each lasting about 20 min. The research team leader at any stage of the study didn’t affect the MNS internship phase of the score, also won’t for internship experience in an oral or written judgment. Gibbs’s reflective course is taught face-to-face in the classroom. Gibbs' reflective practice courses and reflective writing are guided by nursing professionals or program leaders with at least ten years of experience. After six months of clinical practice, participants were asked to describe their feelings about clinical events based on the Gibbs reflection cycle model. In addition, students were required to complete and submit at least one clinical experience diary about their reflective learning experience.

2.4. Data analysis

Qualitative research data was conducted from ten independent texts with a total of 11, 899 Chinese characters. The writing template of all manuscripts was A4 paper size, the Chinese font was required to be Song style, the size of the font was 4, and the line spacing was 1.5 times. Traditional content analysis, which aims to describe a phenomenon, is often used in qualitative research designs [ 23 ]. All the researchers through qualitative research training, study the authenticity of the data, data collecting, sorting, and analysis by different researchers. Initially, the texts were entered into NVivo 12 software, by the researchers (second author) on the material number and document, personally involved in the data sorting, repeated readings, and immersed in the data, to have an integral feeling of the information. Then, data are analyzed and coded based on Gibbs’s framework, and categories and topics are extracted by two researchers (second and third authors), respectively. At the same time, the two researchers have professional accomplishments and social relations, making it can grasp the role and status of the research team, to enhance the reliability of the author. In this process, the researchers will be meaningful words, phrases, sentences, or passages marked, and begin to open coding. Subsequently, the categories and subcategories were discussed and evaluated by the members of all the studies, and the final themes were identified. After this stage, to encode the original material, the researchers carried out the coding system will be the same or similar coding classification form a category or categories. The study design is designed under the framework of the Gibbs’s reflective cycle, so will be the same or similar code, again classified to the Gibbs’s framework. When data after the complete category, the researchers again take out each category file, read all the excerpts, and ensure that materials and categories, can find corresponding extracted from the data sample. Encoding steps above all by two different researchers (second and third authors) for the first time after coding, and face-to-face to check coding categories, after carefully discussion decided to subject classification. If any disagreement, after discussing with the fourth author and project director. Additionally, to guarantee data integrity and authenticity, a compiled manuscript subject was returned to participants for comment and/or correction. The whole data analysis process was conducted in Chinese and finally translated into English. The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) were followed by this study [ 24 ].

2.5. Establishment of trustworthiness

Studies have reported [ 22 , 25 ] that researchers can use Lincoln and Cuba’s criteria, including credibility, reliability, confirmability, and transferability, to ensure the trustworthiness of qualitative research. First, credibility refers to confidence in the authenticity of the information from the participant’s point of view [ 25 ]. In this study, all nursing graduate students participating in the study had at least ten months of nursing clinical practice experience during their undergraduate years, as well as at least six months of clinical practice experience in different departments for MNS postgraduates, to ensure that participants had authentic experience and opinions about the clinical practice experience, thus ensuring the credibility of the study. Second, reliability refers to data stability in different places at different times [ 25 , 26 ]. The study ensures the reliability of the data collection process by carefully describing the investigator’s recruitment and reflective practice courses so that readers can see the content of the entire research process. Third, conformability refers to the objectivity or neutrality of the data and refers to the agreement of independent people on the relationship or significance of the data [ 25 ]. The Gibbs reflective cycle framework is applied to the reflective process and is used for data analysis, making the writing structure visible. In addition, the two authors (the second and fourth authors) analyzed and encoded the text data independently. If there is any disagreement during the analysis, discuss it with the third author (first author) and resolve it through negotiation. Fourth, transferability refers to the significance of the research results for other groups in similar situations, also known as suitability, meaning the extensibility of the data [ 25 ]. Gibbs’s theory is applied to this qualitative research, and if it is based on the same approach, it can be applied to similar research.

2.6. Ethical issues

This study was approved by the ethics committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine. The Declaration of Helsinki [ 27 ] was used to follow the ethical guidelines for this study, which mainly analyzed the empirical reflection of MNS in clinical practice and had no impact on patient care. All data were anonymously encoded and then analyzed to ensure the participants' privacy. Participants received detailed oral and written information about the research presented by the researchers (first and second authors) during the course. All willing students were asked to sign an informed consent form after the researchers introduced the purpose of the study and how the data were collected. Although all participants were required to sign a written informed consent form, they were also informed that anyone was free to withdraw from the study at any time.

3. Findings

Based on Gibbs’s framework, the topic categories of this study are proposed. This paper summarizes the reflections on the clinical practice experience of MNS, as shown in Table 1 .

Participants' reflections.

3.1. Descriptions of the clinical practice experience

The traditional qualitative content analysis of reflective journals indicated that MNS most frequently described the clinical practice experience as the three themes of adverse events, professional knowledge, and nurse-patient conflict. First, the adverse events were described by the MNS as the use of the wrong medication when the patient received the treatment and the scalding of the patient due to the failure to assess the patient’s skin condition in time or unclear account. Second, participants described their lack of professional expertise in clinical practice, including insufficient theoretical preparation and unskilled operation skills, and the lack of professional knowledge caused inevitable pain to patients or made them feel embarrassed when facing patients. Third, nurse-patient conflict was described as patient bias towards MNS clinical practice and a lack of communication and feedback between nurse-patient.

3.2. Feelings

Negative emotions associated with the clinical practice were anxiety, guilt, worry, and nervousness. For example, when nursing graduate students were involved in the care of patients with scalds that were not immediately detected and treated by nursing staff, participants often experienced feelings of anxiety and guilt. Worry and nervousness usually arise when MNS care for patients with a lack of professional skills, resulting in patients being exposed to certain risks. Such as, participants described feeling guilty about giving patients the wrong medication or the wrong infusion, as well as feeling nervous and worried about patient safety.

Conversely, in clinical practice, positive emotions of happiness are also mentioned. The participants described their feelings after answering the patients' nursing knowledge of a particular specialty. For example, when the participants were trusted by the patients and successfully solved the patients' questions by seeking relevant literature, they were generally recognized by the patients, thus feeling the value of the internship and having a happy mood. These unique experiences motivate the participants.

P4: “Although I don't care much about what other people think, I am happy to be acknowledged by patients. I also felt self-worth as a nursing graduate student, although people always have a skeptical attitude towards nursing graduate students. ”

Moreover, the safety of the patients and understanding of the situation was often described by participants when referring to thoughts during and after this situation. In this situation, participants usually remain calm, such as quickly ending the unfair treatment or infusion of the patient, and removing some potential risk factors that may endanger the patient’s safety. In addition, participants will try to understand and find the cause of the event and then evaluate the harm their behavior has caused the patient.

P10: “ I could not bear the consequences if other special drugs were changed by mistake. ”

P9: “But the scalding incident proved me wrong and I felt very guilty for causing such a young child to suffer.”

3.3. Evaluation

The evaluation consists mainly of two aspects: what was a good experience and what was a bad experience. In clinical practice, good experience primarily referred to the response of nursing graduate students to conflict. Participants reported that they were able to quickly disengage from a conflict situation and remain calm when confronted with a conflict, which impressed them when they administered an infusion or hot compress of Traditional Chinese medicine. This similar experience enabled participants to learn how to deal with these situations encountered in clinical practice, such as help from clinical teachers and seeking forgiveness from patients and families.

P2: “The patient’s infusion sequence was disrupted. The conversation with the patient went well, and she finally showed understanding. I also explained this matter to the superior teacher later.”

The bad experiences were associated with concerns about the situation. When participants participate in patient care in ineffective or unprofessional ways, this interaction often leads to some distress for the patient. For example, nursing graduate students lack the skills to perform infusion operations, leading to the behavior of secondary puncture, even if the patient understands, but also increases the patient’s physical pain. Patients also often suffer the negative consequences of medication errors, burns, and other physical and mental injuries.

3.4. Analysis

What was done well and what was done wrong were described by participants in clinical practice. Seeking help from clinical teachers and being empathetic to patients were described by participants as doing well in clinical practice. For instance, when the participants found that the patients had burns, they immediately sought the help of clinical teachers to relieve the patient’s pain. In addition, personal unprofessional behavior not only increased the cost of patient treatment but also caused patients to bear different degrees of physical and mental pain. The participants were able to be patient-centered, understand the patient’s feelings of dissatisfaction, and empathize with the patient’s experience.

P1: “ The pain caused by the swelling of the arm caused by the improper operation is unbearable to the patient. The patients and their families are not satisfied with me, but I can understand the discomfort caused by the patient ’ s pain and sincerely apologize to the patients and their families. ”

P9, P6, P8: “Even though the patient understands my unprofessional nursing practices, I still feel empathy for the patient, and I feel guilty.”

In clinical nursing, the lack of professional skills (theoretical or operational skills) and the lack of information communication and feedback between nurses and patients, nursing postgraduates, and clinical teachers lead to some undesirable phenomena. Such as, participants reported that a lack of professional skills or poor communication led to scalds or nurse-patient conflicts. Furthermore, it has also been reported that ignoring a patient’s emotions can lead to dissatisfaction with the caregiver, even if the individual’s behavior does not negatively affect the patient’s health.

P3: “I felt deeply guilty and uneasy about my actions. At that time, I found that I did not change the wrong liquid, ignoring the patient’s psychological feelings, and deliberately playing down this matter. As a result, the patient complained.”

3.5. Conclusions

Based on Gibbs’s reflective cycle, the good clinical practice includes good communication skills and respect, solid medical knowledge, and clinical teacher support. Good communication skills were considered to be one of MNS the necessary skills [ 28 ]. Especially for nursing graduate students with bias, timely and effective transfer of professional nursing knowledge and the situation that may arise from it, to maintain a good nurse-patient relationship. The study suggested that respect is mutual [ 29 ], the respect and understanding shown by participants towards patients increase the patients' respect towards them. Moreover, solid medical knowledge for MNS of clinical practice was mentioned, as a good clinical practice requires both theoretical and operational expertise, solid medical knowledge can answer the questions of patients and how to complete the operation accurately. It also mentioned the problem of treating patients' intellectual blind spots or emotional distress seriously, not ignoring them, but responding to the literature carefully or paying attention to the patient’s emotions in time. In addition, participants sought help from clinical instructors [ 30 ] to reduce unnecessary problems when their behavior might lead to changes in a patient’s condition or verbal conflict.

P1: “With the accumulation of clinical practice, I realized my shortcomings at that time. I should pay more attention to the patient’s expression and body language, carefully evaluate the patient’s clinical indicators and performance, and learn more skills from teachers should not be blind operation to prevent some of the side effects of scraping. When there are side effects, I should also ask my supervisor to evaluate the situation and do what I can.”

Besides, conclusions about participants' abilities were based on their evaluations of their behavior during and after clinical practice. Participants said they were aware of their professional responsibilities and the severe consequences of their deficiencies, such as the need to improve their attitudes and improve skills in assessing patients in clinical practice [ 30 ]. Through this reflection, the researchers also believe that their lack of crisis awareness [ 31 ], and failure to do an excellent job in nursing which is due to their usual learning and working attitude caused.

In addition, participants' needs for knowledge were related to medication safety, patients' psychological status, and respect for and empathy with patients. Some graduate nursing students who have just participated in clinical nursing practice lack basic knowledge of self-discipline, respect and compassion, medication safety [ 32 ], and clinical work procedures. Therefore, the need for this knowledge was considered valuable and necessary in clinical practice.

3.6. Action plan

It is clear from Gibbs' analysis of reflective data that MNS is sometimes satisfied with their behavior because their performance is professional, and they can gain experience from clinical practice. Respecting and empathizing with the physical and mental suffering of patients, providing timely feedback and effective treatment, paying attention to drug safety [ 32 ], and listening to and understanding the needs of patients were mentioned as being professional behavior.

P7: “I should stop this from happening at the source, communicate with the patient and give feedback to the higher level, provide adequate treatment to the patient, and make sure we have the support and understanding of the patient and the family. At the same time, I should also learn more to strengthen their professional skills. ”

Recommendations for improving action include timely feedback and communication, being patient-oriented, strengthening clinical skills, and following the nursing code of conduct. One suggestion for timely feedback and communication is to maintain effective communication with patients and supervisors when conflicts or adverse events occur and to provide timely feedback on outcomes [ 28 ]. Communication and feedback should also be patient-oriented when the patient’s physical and mental integrity is compromised. Researchers believe that [ 33 ] MNS should have prospective thinking in clinical practice, which is to evaluate the patient’s physical and psychological status comprehensively, observe more during treatment, and reduce the risk of adverse events. Participants also mentioned that when problems are encountered in future clinical practice, they should be more proactive in paying attention to the specific needs of patients and consulting experienced clinical teachers [ 30 ].

4. Discussion

This study aims to promote the learning, personal, and professional development of MNS by reflecting on clinical experiences based on the Gibbs’s framework. Reflective writing by MNS was applied to this study. The study indicated that MNS most frequently described the clinical practice experience as the themes of adverse events, professional knowledge, and nurse-patient conflict. MNS was expected to be the leaders or managers of the nursing profession [ 33 ]. Still, the gap between school education and clinical practice [ 33 ] may lead to the problem of insufficient professional knowledge and communication ability of MNS in clinical practice, at the same time, MNS were not Down to Earth in clinical work, which can lead to adverse events.

MNS had complex emotions in clinical practice, including negative feelings, such as anxiety, worry, tension, guilt, and positive emotions of happiness. Despite the emotional challenges of communicating with patients in clinical practice, the majority of MNS said they understood the feelings in clinical practice and were concerned about patient safety. The study help to understand the feelings and thoughts of MNS as they emerge from complex clinical experiences during clinical work. This is consistent with the results of another study from Taiwan in China, which reported that participants reflected on events with both positive and negative thoughts [ 34 ].

Participants also felt that reflective writing helped them to learn from their experiences and promote professional development [ 2 , 34 ]. Such as being able to remain calm and quickly deal with incidents during conflicts in clinical practice while seeking help from clinical faculty [ 30 ], and seeking understanding and empathy from patients and families. In addition, participants described concerns about the adverse consequences of MNS in the clinical setting due to ineffective and unprofessional communication with patients. This is in line with the concept of “patient-centered improvement of medical service quality” proposed by the National Health Supervision Commission of the People’s Republic of China and reflects the professional concept of nursing staff to take the safety and interests of patients as the criterion at all times.

Although the clinical practice settings described by participants varied, possibly due to the study’s use of Gibbs’s reflective cycle, the study found that reflection was seen as beneficial for participants' feelings, thoughts, and actions [ [18] , [19] , [20] ]. Participants felt it was meant to reflect on events in clinical practice to help them do things the next time they faced a similar situation [ 20 ]. Generally, for MNS, it is not only necessary to master solid clinical expertise but also to learn the ability to communicate and feedback information [ 33 ] so that learn to reduce the impact of adverse events on personal emotions and to think about clinical events more positive and mature way [ 34 ]. The findings of this study suggest that increased reflective writing is necessary for future clinical education in MNS. As in previous studies [ 1 , 2 ], participants in this study were able to gain experience from the clinical experience and provide advice for future action. In summary, reflective learning is not only a valuable learning strategy for MNS in clinical practice but is also seen as a helpful tool for MNS learning, personal ability, and professional development.

4.1. Limitations

This study has some limitations. First, the sample size was small and came from MNS interning at the same hospital, and it is unknown whether the study results apply to different clinical Settings in different countries. In addition, the study did not include the reflection of other clinical populations, such as how clinical teachers and MNS mentors evaluated the content of MNS reflection and whether it promoted the development of the clinical profession. Moreover, the rationality and effectiveness of the reflection practice curriculum design need to be further discussed.

5. Conclusion

This qualitative study presents an analysis of the self-reflective relevance of MNS in clinical practice. MNS needs to deal with complicated and unexpected clinical events in clinical practice. To deal with and cope with these situations on time, MNS needs to have good nursing professional skills, such as theoretical and operational skills, and a good mentality to understand and care for patients [ 33 ]. In this qualitative study, it was demonstrated that the Gibbs’s reflective cycle is helpful in the clinical practice of MNS. It helps MNS reflect on clinical practice and translates clinical experience into a valuable experience for developing personal and professional development.

Author contribution statement

Ting-ting Zhan: Conceived and designed the experiments; Analyzed and interpreted the data; Contributed reagents, materials, analysis tools or data; Li-li Wang: Conceived and designed the experiments; Performed the experiments; Analyzed and interpreted the data; Contributed reagents, materials, analysis tools or data; Wrote the paper.

Yan Wang; Cai-jie Sun: Analyzed and interpreted the data.

Funding statement

Ting-ting Zhan was supported by Provincial Quality Engineering Project for Higher Education Institutions of Anhui Province in China [2020JYXN1053].

Data availability statement

Declaration of interest’s statement.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to appreciate the support from the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China and all the researchers and participants involved in this study for their support.

LibAnswers: Referencing

How do i reference gibbs' reflective cycle in apa (7th ed.).

Wherever possible you should use the original work.

Gibbs, G. (1988).  Learning by doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods.   Further Education Unit.

Secondary referencing If you  have not  read the original you must make this clear by referring to the work in which you found the reference. In the reference list only include details of the work that you read.

In-text citation Gibbs’ reflective cycle (1988) as cited in Jasper (2013) shows that… or Gibbs’ reflective cycle is a seminal theory in reflective practice (Gibbs, 1988, as cited in Jasper, 2013).

In the reference list Jasper, M. (2013).  Beginning reflective practice  (2nd ed.). Cengage Learning.

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• Last Updated May 18, 2021
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• Answered By Elen Davies

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