1. What Is Reflective Writing?

Reflective writing is a structured form of academic writing that asks students to look back on an experience, analyse it using theory, and identify learning outcomes and future improvements. It differs from diary-style writing because it requires critical engagement with literature, professional standards, and marking rubrics. Strong reflective writing strategies combine clarity of description with depth of analysis.

Reflection has deep academic roots. John Dewey described reflection as “active, persistent, and careful consideration,” while Donald Schön emphasised “reflection-in-action” as a professional skill. Today, reflective writing is used across UK higher education as a way of demonstrating critical thinking and lifelong learning potential.

2. Why Reflective Writing Matters

Universities, professional bodies, and employers value reflection because it shows self-awareness, adaptability, and accountability. Strong reflective writing strategies benefit students in several ways:

• Academic success: Higher marks come from moving beyond description into analysis and action.
• Professional standards: Fields such as nursing, law, and education require reflection in practice portfolios.
• Employability: Graduates who can reflect demonstrate critical soft skills valued in interviews and career development.
• Lifelong learning: Reflection strengthens adaptability, resilience, and leadership capacity.

3. What UK Markers Look For

Assessment rubrics often break reflection into the following categories. These should shape your reflective writing strategies:

1. Focus: clear identification of the event or issue.
2. Depth: critical analysis of what happened and why.
3. Integration: theory and policy applied meaningfully.
4. Action: practical, ethical, and realistic improvement plans.
5. Style: correct tone, structure, and referencing.

Markers often reward reflections that make learning explicit. For example, instead of writing, “I struggled to manage time,” a stronger reflection states, “I underestimated the planning stage. Literature on project management emphasises time-boxing; in future, I will implement weekly planning with SMART goals.” This demonstrates analytical application of reflective writing strategies.

4. Reflective Models Explained

Different models structure reflection in different ways. Your reflective writing strategies should match the model required in your brief or most suitable for your subject.

Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle

Stages: Description → Feelings → Evaluation → Analysis → Conclusion → Action Plan. Use when a full, iterative cycle is required. Widely used in nursing, social work, and education.

Rolfe et al. (What? So What? Now What?)

Concise and practice-oriented. Best for quick reflections in business, law, or applied assignments where time is short but analysis is essential.

Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle

Stages: Concrete Experience → Reflective Observation → Abstract Conceptualisation → Active Experimentation. Ideal for lab work, engineering projects, or design-based disciplines.

Other Models

• Driscoll’s Model: Widely used in healthcare, similar to Rolfe but more action-focused.
• Johns’ Model: Suited to nursing and midwifery, integrates ethics and professional codes.
• Atkins & Murphy: Adds emphasis on self-awareness and knowledge gaps.

5. 12-Step Reflective Writing Strategy

Follow these twelve steps as part of your reflective writing strategies. They ensure you move from descriptive narrative to academic criticality.

1. Decode the brief: check word count, model, referencing style.
2. Define the focus: select one strong example rather than multiple weak ones.
3. Collect evidence: notes, feedback, literature, policies.
4. Create a structure: match your outline to the chosen reflective model.
5. Write the description concisely (10–15% of word count).
6. Add feelings only if relevant to your professional context.
7. Analyse critically: ask “why did this happen?” and “what theory explains this?”
8. Evaluate outcomes: what worked, what failed, and why.
9. Integrate literature: compare experience to policy, guidance, or theory.
10. Plan actions: specific, measurable, time-bound improvements.
11. Edit: check tense, flow, and referencing accuracy.
12. Proofread: ensure clarity, grammar, and word count compliance.

6. Language, Tone & Sentence Starters

Strong reflective writing strategies depend on clear language. Use first person where appropriate but maintain academic tone.

Describing

• “During my clinical placement, I observed…”
• “My role in the group presentation was…”

Analysing

• “This contrasted with the theory of…”
• “A possible alternative approach would have been…”

Evaluating

• “The strength of my approach was…”
• “The limitation was…”

Action Planning

• “Next time, I will implement…”
• “To improve, I will seek feedback from…”

7. Evidence, Theory & Referencing

Reflection is academic. Your reflective writing strategies should include references to literature, standards, or theory. Common referencing styles include Harvard, APA, OSCOLA, and MHRA. Always cite the model you use, such as Gibbs (1988) or Kolb (1984).

Example (Harvard): “According to Gibbs (1988), reflection moves through six stages. In my case, the evaluation revealed…”

8. Subject Mini-Clusters

Different disciplines emphasise different reflective writing strategies. Explore the mini-guides below.

Nursing, Midwifery & Public Health

Use Gibbs or Driscoll with focus on patient care, ethics, and teamwork. Link to Nursing Assignment Help UK.

Education & Teacher Training

Reflect on lesson planning, classroom management, and assessment. Link to Reflective Essay Topics UK.

Business & HR

Use Rolfe or Kolb, reference leadership and strategy frameworks. Link to Business Assignment Help UK.

Law & Criminology

Reflect on advocacy, ethics, and case analysis. Use OSCOLA referencing. Link to Law Assignment Help UK.

Psychology & Social Work

Integrate reflective models with safeguarding and ethics. Use APA referencing.

Engineering & IT

Use Kolb for project design and iteration. Link to Civil Engineering Help UK.

9. 10 Common Mistakes to Avoid

10. Annotated Reflective Examples

Rolfe Example

What? During a seminar, I led a debate that stalled when peers challenged my assumptions.

So what? Theory on group dynamics suggests conflict can be productive. I failed to facilitate discussion, leading to silence.

Now what? Next time I will use open prompts and allocate roles to encourage balanced contributions.

Gibbs Example

Description: In clinical placement, I observed a medication error.

Feelings: I felt anxious and uncertain.

Evaluation: The nurse responded quickly but documentation was incomplete.

Analysis: Literature emphasises double-checking procedures (NMC, 2018).

Conclusion: I learned the importance of systematic safety checks.

Action Plan: In future, I will confirm identity and dosage twice and seek supervision when uncertain.

11. Templates & Checklists

Gibbs Template

• Description
• Feelings
• Evaluation
• Analysis
• Conclusion
• Action Plan

Rolfe Template

• What?
• So What?
• Now What?

Kolb Template

• Concrete Experience
• Reflective Observation
• Abstract Conceptualisation
• Active Experimentation

12. FAQs on Reflective Writing Strategies

Q1. What is reflective writing?
Reflective writing links a real experience to theory: describe what happened, analyse why it mattered, and plan what you’ll do next. Markers look for learning and change, not a diary entry.

Q2. Which model should I use – Gibbs, Rolfe or Kolb?
Use the model your module specifies. If none is set: Gibbs = very structured (popular in nursing/healthcare), Rolfe = concise (What? So what? Now what?), Kolb = cyclical experiential learning. Pick one, apply it consistently, and map to the marking criteria.

Q3. How do I make my reflection critical, not just descriptive?

• Move from what happened → so what? → now what?

• Support points with theory/evidence (e.g., peer-reviewed sources, policies like NICE/NMC).

• Consider alternatives and limitations (bias, context, constraints).

• End with specific, realistic next steps (SMART actions).

• Use cautious academic language (e.g., “suggests”, “indicates”).

Q4. What tense and person should I use?
Generally first person. Use past for the event, present for analysis/links to theory, and future for the action plan. Keep the tone professional and evidence-led.

Q5. How long should a reflective piece be?
Follow your brief. If no guidance is given, a useful balance is 10 – 15% description, 60–70% analysis & theory, 15 – 20% action plan. (Example for 1,000 words: ~100 – 150 description, ~600 – 700 analysis, ~150 – 200 action plan.)

Q6. Do I need references in reflective writing?
Yes. Even personal reflections should cite relevant theory, frameworks and guidelines. Use the style your course requires (e.g., Harvard, APA 7, Vancouver) and include a reference list.

13. Get Expert Reflective Writing Help

If you want personalised support applying these reflective writing strategies, our UK-based writers and editors can help. We provide model answers, editing, and coaching tailored to your module and university standards.

Start here: Assignment Writing Help UK, or explore MSc Assignment Help UK. For London-based students, see Essay Help London.

Advance HE – Higher Education Guidance

UCAS – Study Skills & Reflection