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Models for structuring reflection

Using models for reflection
There are a number of models for structuring your reflection. Some can be applied more
generally, while others have been designed for specific situations such as Johns (2000)
in nursing. These models often have three common elements:

 Description

 Analysis

 Action ('so what' or 'reflexivity') element

The models can provide you with frameworks for asking questions; they can also prompt
you to think more deeply about the whole process of reflection and becoming a reflective
practitioner. However, the process of reflection remains a personal one; only you can
decide what works for your own reflective practice.

"…within a reflective perspective, such structures as the MSR [model for structured
reflection] are merely devices to help you reflect rather than impose a prescription of
what reflection is"

(Johns, 2000, p48).

This section introduces you to five of the models which can help with structuring your
reflection. Other models are covered in the list of further resources.

For more ideas about using the models, see our section on Reflection scenarios.
Example 1 - Kolb's Learning Cycle

Kolb's Learning Cycle is a well-known theory which argues we learn from our
experiences of life, even on an everyday basis. It also treats reflection as an integral part
of such learning. According to Kolb (1984), the process of learning follows a pattern or
cycle consisting of four stages, one of which involves what Kolb refers to as 'reflective
observation'. The stages are illustrated and summarised below:

Stage 1:
Life is full of experiences we can learn from. Whether at home or at
Experience
work or out and about, there are countless opportunities for us to
(Kolb's "Concrete
'kick-start' the learning cycle.
experiences")

Reflection involves thinking about what we have done and

Stage 2: Reflect
experienced. Some people are naturally good at this. Others train
(Kolb's "Reflective
themselves to be more deliberate about reviewing their experiences
observation")
and recording them.

Stage 3: When we pass from thinking about our experiences to interpreting

Conceptualise them we enter into the realm of what Kolb termed
(Kolb's "Abstract 'conceptualization'. To conceptualize is to generate a hypothesis
conceptualization") about the meaning of our experiences.

Stage 4: Plan In the active experimentation stage of the learning cycle we

(Kolb's "Active effectively 'test' the hypotheses we have adopted. Our new
experimentation") experiences will either support or challenge these hypotheses.
 To learn from our experiences it is not sufficient just to have them.
This will only take us into stage 1 of the cycle. Rather, any
experience has the potential to yield learning, but only if we pass
through all Kolb's stages by reflecting on our experiences,
interpreting them and testing our interpretations.

Summing up, learning from our experiences involves the key

element of reflection. Obviously, most people don't theorize about
their learning in this way, but in their learning follow Kolb's cycle
without knowing it.

Kolbs model
Example 2 - Gibb's reflective cycle
Gibbs' (1998) reflective cycle guides us through six stages of reflection:

What, where and when? Who did/said what, what did you
1. Description: what
do/read/see hear? In what order did things happen? What were
happened
the circumstances? What were you responsible for?

2. Feelings: what were What was your initial gut reaction, and what does this tell you?
you thinking about? Did your feelings change? What were you thinking?

3. Evaluation: what What pleased, interested or was important to you? What made
was good or bad you unhappy? What difficulties were there? Who/what was
about the experience? unhelpful? Why? What needs improvement?

Compare theory and practice. What similarities or differences

4. Analysis: what
are there between this experience and other experiences? Think
sense can you make
about what actually happened. What choices did you make and
of the situation?
what effect did they have?

5. Conclusion: what
What have you learnt for the future? What else could you have
else could you have
done?
done?

6. Action Plan: what

If a similar situation arose again, what would you do?
will you do next time?
 Example 3 - Johns' model for structured
reflection
Johns' model (Johns, 2000) was developed for nursing practitioners but is applicable
to any field. Johns suggests that the "Model for Structured Reflection" is a technique
that is especially useful in the early stages of learning how to reflect. The "Looking
in" and "Looking out" is a way of challenging our natural tendency to judge ourselves
too harshly.

Model for Structured Reflection - adapted from Johns (2000)

Looking in:
 Find a space to focus on self
 Pay attention to your thoughts and emotions
 Write down these thoughts and emotions

Looking out:
 Write a description of the situation
 What issues seem significant

 Aesthetics
o What was I trying to achieve?
o Why did I respond as I did?
o What were the consequences for myself and others?
o How were others feeling?
o How did I know this?

 Personal
o Why did I feel the way I did within this situation?

 Ethics
o Did I act for the best?
What factors were influencing me?
What knowledge did or could have informed me?

 Reflexivity

o How does this situation relate to previous experiences?

o How could I have handled this better?
o What would have been the consequences of alternative actions?
o How do I feel now about the experience?
o How can I support myself and others better in the future?
Example 4 - Bain's framework - the 5Rs
Bain's model (Bain and others, 1999) was developed from research done with student
teachers and is used by many other writers on reflection. Bain's framework is commonly
referred to as the '5Rs'. Or sometimes as the '4Rs' - where the 'Reporting' and
'Responding' levels are merged together and called 'Reporting and responding'.

Bain's five levels model

Student describes what happened with little or no comment or

Level 1: Reporting
interpretation of the event(s) attempted.

Student describes how they feel about the event(s) and might
Level 2: Responding
pose some questions.

Student tries to explain what happened, possibly with

Level 3: Relating reference to their personal experience, and might identify
some areas which could be improved.

Student looks for a better understanding of what happened

and considers what the literature tells them about the
Level 4: Reasoning issue(s). Bain and others (1999) refer to a process of
'transformation' here - meaning that the student is looking for
something new.

Student works out their own position or theory on a particular

issue or set of events. They decide how they would respond
to similar challenges in the future. The Bain researchers
Level 5: Reconstructing
found that the students in their study who made daily notes of
their reflections were more likely to reach these highest levels
in the scale.
Example 5 - Moon's levels of learning
Jenny Moon (1999) outlines five stages of learning:

The student has to register the topic, event or incident

Stage 1: Noticing
as being interesting or important in some way.

The student thinks more about what they have

Stage 2: Making sense
noticed and tries to understand it better.

The student starts to ask questions and to connect

Stage 3: Making meaning
ideas together.

The student makes links with other ideas and events.

They would probably refer to literature and other
Stage 4: Working with meaning
research. At this point, reflection on the learning is
likely to be taking place.

The student has reached the point where they can

Stage 5: Transformative learning formulate new ideas of their own. They know what
they would do if a similar situation arose in the future.

It is only when we get to the last two stages - of 'working with meaning' and
'transformative learning' that reflection on the learning is likely to be taking place.
McDrury and Alterio (2003) mapped the practice of learning or reflecting using
storytelling onto Moon's levels as shown in this table:

Moon's levels of learning McDrury and Alterio's stages of learning with storytelling

Noticing Stage 1: Story finding

Making sense Stage 2: Storytelling

Making meaning Stage 3: Story expanding

Working with meaning Stage 4: Story processing

Transformative learning Stage 5: Story reconstructing

From McDrury and Alterio (2003, p. 47).

Bibliography
 Bain, J., Ballantyne, R., Packer, J. and Mills, C. (1999) Using journal writing to
enhance student teachers' reflectivity during field experience placements. Teachers
and Teaching: Theory and Practice [Online], 5 (1), pp. 51-73. Available from:
<http://www.tandfonline.com> [Accessed 22nd May 2013].

 Gibbs (1988) Learning by doing : a guide to teaching and learning methods.

London: FEU.

 Johns, C. (2000) Becoming a reflective practitioner : a reflective and holistic

approach to clinical nursing, practice development and clinical supervision.
Oxford: Blackwell Science.

 Kolb D. (1984) Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning

and development. Englewood Cliffs (N.J.): Prentice Hall.

 McDrury, J. and Alterio, M. (2003) Learning through storytelling in higher

education: using reflection and experience to improve learning. London: Kogan
Page.

 Moon, J. (1999) Reflection in learning and professional development: theory

and practice. Abingdon: Routledge-Falmer.

 Tomkins, A. (2009) "It was a great day when…": An exploratory case study of
reflective learning through storytelling. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and
Tourism Education [Online], 8 (2), pp. 123-131. Available from:
<http://www.ebsco.com> [Accessed 21st May 2013].