Critical Reflection Essay

Handy strategies for writing

What is critical reflection?

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Everyone Want-to-Read-Your-Diary

Critical reflection ‘Maintain a balanced diet’

p.9.

Toney Allman (2010) Nutrition and disease prevention, Infobase publishing, New York www.proprofs.com

What is critical reflection?

Analyse what you think, feel and believe by exploring social and cultural contexts.

Critical reflection enables us to engage in transformative learning by linking both reason and emotion.

(Taylor, 2001).

Model of critical reflection with a practical purpose

Why critical reflection?

Critical reflection helps develop more effective thinking because it asks for • • • •

Assumption analysis Contextual awareness Imaginative speculation Reflective skepticism

Brookfield (1988, as cited by Clark, 2011)

Example

Checkout at Supermarket

• • • • brickstream.com

Assumption analysis-

check my thought/feelings

Contextual awareness-

observe the situation

Imaginative speculation Reflective skepticism-

consider possibilities question claims

Critical reflective writing

Reflective writing encourages us to • reflect on a deeper level • show understanding of theory & course content • link experience and knowledge • use reflections to inform our professional practice • extend skills needed for lifelong learning

Critical Reflection & Academic Essay

Like academic essays, critical reflective writing: • integrates secondary source material • incorporates discipline/subject-specific vocabulary • uses formal English (linked to personal language) • follows academic citation and referencing guidelines

Critical Reflection & Academic Essay (continued) Critical reflection differs from typical academic essay writing. • Include first person (eg. In my life…).

• See yourself as an object of inquiry.

• Your experience is a form of evidence.

The structure of reflective writing

Reflective writing, then, essentially asks you to look at experience and offer

DESCRIPTION ANALYSIS IMPLICATIONS

How you organise the ideas in a paragraph will vary.

• • •

The DEAL model

Lay and McGuire (2010) adapted Ash and Clayton’s (2004) DEAL model of reflective writing. They explain the elements of a structured critical reflection: Step 1 : DESCRIBE the experience. Provide details on the event or activity that prompts this reflection.

Step 2 : EXAMINE experience.

the experience through the integration of personal experience and academic content. Using assumption analysis, contextual awareness, imaginative speculation, and reflective skepticism, analyze the Step 3: ARTICULATE LEARNING by responding to the questions proposed by Lay and McGuire (p.550): • What did I learn?

• • How did I learn it? • Why does it matter to me in my profession/ in relation to an assignment?

And sometimes What will I do in my future practice/learning in light of this reflection?

The structure of reflective writing

You may be asked to create a formal written piece similar to an academic essay in form. This style of response requires an introduction, body, and conclusion. In crafting your response, consider the following INTRODUCTION Identifies an issue and why it is important May use theory to explain relevance Outlines key themes that the paper will address BODY PARAGRAPHS Each paragraph Introduces a theme or topic Provides evidence from practice or current literature/theory Introduces various perspectives on the theme CONCLUSION Restates the issue Reiterates key points Emphasizes the implications of the points May suggest possibilities for the future or suggest changes (Ryan, 2011)

Language use in critical reflective writing

(adapted from Ryan, 2011) • • • Does the writer: indicate that he/she is addressing or responding to something he/she has been involved in or observed?

demonstrate knowledge of the discipline (cultural self awareness and cultural intelligence)?

relate a referenced idea to similar incidents of personal experiences?

Language use (cont.)

• • • • How does the writer: Demonstrate interpretation of events?

Reason and explain why things happened the way they did?

Look to the future and indicate how he/she will reconstruct and apply new knowledge?

Reinforce the implications?

CUC107 Paragraph example:

personal

&

analytic

Language is an essential part of communicating in any cultural context. I grew up learning English as my third language. Taipale (2012) stresses the importance of individuals extending their awareness of a variety of cultural groups in a globalised world where people travel from place to place for work or study. when working overseas. Being more aware of my own use of language has made me more sensitive to people who find it difficult to understand Australian English. This has also helped me adapt to various cultural situations

• • • •

Check

Expectations for reflective writing can vary. Check the assignment guidelines Clarify lecturer’s expectations about level of referencing; analysis & use of 1 st person.

Refer to the unit assessment guidelines and the lecturer for clarification on the assignment.

Determine the form of the finished writing • a journal? • • • Self-assessment? Learning diary? A more structured research piece?

References and additional resources

Clark, D.R. (2011). Learning through reflection. Retrieved from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/development/reflection.html

Gibbs, G. (1988)

Learning by doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods

, Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development, Oxford Polytechnic . London: Further Education Unit. ISBN 1-85338-071-7 .

Hampton, M. (2010). Reflective writing: A basic introduction. Retrieved from http://www.port.ac.uk/departments/studentsupport/ask/resources/handouts/writtenassignments/filetodown load,73259,en.pdf

Lay, S., & McGuire, L. (2010). Building a lens for critical reflection and reflexivity in social work education.

Social Work Education 29

(5), 539-550.

Macdonald, L. (2011) Critical reflective writing in social work Dalhousie University. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/dalwritingcentre/critical-reflective-writing Reflective Writing. (2008). Retrieved from http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/reflect.html

Ryan, M. (2011). Improving reflective writing in higher education: A social semiotic perspective.

Teaching in Higher Education 16

(1), 99-111.

Spencer-Oatey, H. (2012) What is culture? A compilation of quotations.

GlobalPAD Core Concepts

, 1-22.

Taipale, S. (2012). Mobility of Cultures and Knowledge Management in Contemporary Europe.

European Review

, 20, pp 173-181 doi:10.1017/S1062798711000445 Taylor, E. (2001). Transformative learning theory: A neurobiological perspective of the role of emotions and unconscious ways of knowing.

International Journal of Lifelong Education, 20

(3), 218-236.

Writing the sociology paper. (2005). Retrieved from http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/soc_sciences/sociology.shtml