(see Reflective practice in education and training by Richard Malthouse and Jodi Roffey-Barentsen 2013 which is on the reference list). Please reference any reflective model that you use, and reference any other writers discussed in the reflective essay.
Reflective essays are being used increasingly in education as a way of helping students understand how theory can relate to practice and for developing an understanding of how to learn. As reflective essays involve writing about your experience, you may find it helpful to keep a reflective journal/diary/log – these are also encouraged as part of professional and personal development, and aid completion of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Plans (a requirement of many professional accreditation bodies, including the professional body for HR, the CIPD).
[Note that completion of a comprehensive CPD plan also forms an important part of Assignment 2 for the Leadership and Management Development section of the RLTM Module.]
You need to approach writing reflective essays in a particular way:
- This is a personal piece of writing. You should write in the first person (e.g. I felt, I noticed that) as opposed to the third person, as is more usual in academic essays
- Be aware of the need to relate practice back to theory. Analyse the event and think about how it compared with the theory and research presented in the module. How does your experience relate to the theory? Does your experience help you understand the theory and research, and/or vice versa?
- Be selective: pick out those bits of theory which seem useful, and be prepared to identify the relevant parts of the events you are writing about.
- You may find that discussion with other students can help you throw light on events and relate theory to practice
