How to Write a Reflective Essay (Gibbs and Kolb Models)

Stepping into a UK university—whether you are starting your undergraduate degree through UCAS at the University of Manchester, pursuing a master's at the University of Birmingham, or studying at Coventry University—brings an array of new academic challenges. Among the most daunting assignments for international and local freshers alike is the reflective essay.

Unlike traditional academic essays that demand objective, third-person arguments backed by external literature, a reflective essay requires you to look inward. You must examine your personal experiences, professional practice, or clinical placements, analyse your thoughts and feelings, and evaluate what you have learned to improve future actions. To make this subjective task structured and academically rigorous, British universities rely heavily on established frameworks: Gibbs' Reflective Cycle and Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle.

What is a Reflective Essay?

A reflective essay is a structured piece of writing that connects practical experience with theoretical learning. Common in fields like nursing, business management, education, social work, and engineering, these essays assess your ability to engage in metacognition—thinking about your own thinking.

Writing a high-scoring reflective essay does not mean simply telling a story about what happened during a group project or a hospital placement. Instead, it requires critical analysis, self-awareness, and the integration of academic literature and professional theories to explain why things happened and how you will adapt moving forward.

Understanding Gibbs' Reflective Cycle (1988)

Graham Gibbs introduced his reflective cycle in 1988, providing a clear, circular framework that helps individuals learn from regular experiences. It is particularly popular across UK health and social care courses.

Gibbs' model breaks down the reflection process into six distinct stages:

1. Description: What happened? Keep this factual and concise without jumping to conclusions or analysis.
2. Feelings: What were you thinking and feeling at the time? How did the event impact your emotional state?
3. Evaluation: What was good and bad about the experience? Make value judgments objectively.
4. Analysis: What sense can you make of the situation? Why did things turn out the way they did? (This is where you integrate academic theory and literature).
5. Conclusion: What else could you have done? What did you learn overall?
6. Action Plan: If the situation arose again, what would you do differently? How will you implement this new learning?

Understanding Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle (1984)

David Kolb’s learning cycle focuses on a four-stage experiential learning process, viewing learning as a continuous loop rather than isolated events. It is widely used in business schools, such as at the University of Leeds or University of Hertfordshire, to analyse leadership, teamwork, and decision-making.

Kolb's cycle consists of four continuous stages:

1. Concrete Experience: Actively experiencing an activity or encountering a new situation (e.g., leading a multicultural team presentation).
2. Reflective Observation: Reviewing and reflecting on the experience from various perspectives. What worked? What did not?
3. Abstract Conceptualisation: Drawing conclusions, building generalizations, and forming abstract concepts or theories based on your reflections.
4. Active Experimentation: Testing these new concepts and theories in real-world situations or future practice.

Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Your Reflective Essay

Once you have selected your framework (often dictated by your module handbook or lecturer), follow this step-by-step process to draft your essay:

1. Choose the Right Incident

Select an incident that is manageable and provides enough depth for critical analysis. It could be a successful project outcome or a challenging failure—markers value genuine reflection on mistakes just as much as triumphs.

2. Adopt the Correct Academic Tone

While you are using the first-person pronoun ("I felt", "My action was"), maintain a professional, academic standard. Avoid overly emotional diary-style rants; instead, use formal vocabulary supported by reflective literature (e.g., Johns, Rolfe, or Boud).

3. Structure Your Essay Properly

A standard reflective essay follows a traditional introduction, body paragraphs structured around the model's stages, and a conclusion:

• Introduction: Introduce the context, the specific incident, and the chosen reflective model (Gibbs or Kolb). Outline the scope of the essay.
• Body Paragraphs: Dedicate sections to each stage of the model, seamlessly blending your personal narrative with relevant academic research and theories.
• Conclusion: Summarise the core lessons learned and state how your professional or academic practice has permanently evolved.