Reflective thinking involves looking back on your thinking process and evaluating it. It is a
powerful aid in learning and it plays a vital role in identifying and solving problems and
unlocking new directions and perspectives. Reflective thinking involves awareness, and in
particular self-awareness. This is one of the very important distinctions between reflective
thinking and other types of thinking you will be required to demonstrate – it is consciously
subjective. Reflective thinking involves the uncovering of the process that takes place as we
engage with new knowledge. It explores directly what you think or feel about a topic and asks
you to explicitly state the factors that underpin your logic or approach towards a topic.
Reflective thinking may include the following:
• Personal observation of experiences, situations, events or information
• Consideration of the ‘processing’ phase, when thinking and learning took place
• There is no right or wrong way to reflect. Only you can respond to your own perspective
and reveal the changes that are occurring as you examine past knowledge or
experience, and speculate on the future. Some common factors involved in thinking
reflectively:
? Perceptions (thoughts + senses) – these include how something felt and how you
experienced it;
? Connections between your new learning and your prior knowledge and experience;
? Prior assumptions, opinions and experiences and a consideration of why you
thought this way;
? What you have found challenging and inspiring and why;
? Speculations, possibilities, solutions, conclusions – and how you reached a point
of understanding;
? Alternative interpretations and different perspectives; and
? Implications for your future thoughts and actions.