2.2 Explain models of reflective practice

This guide will help you answer 2.2 Explain models of reflective practice.

Reflective practice is part of learning and development. It means looking back on your work, thinking deeply about what happened, and using this insight to improve future care. Models of reflective practice offer step-by-step methods for reflecting clearly and systematically. Understanding these models helps you get the most from your experiences.

What Is Reflective Practice?

Reflective practice is the process of thinking about what you have done at work—what went well, what didn’t, and why. It helps you learn from both success and mistakes. This improves your skills, supports better outcomes for service users, and boosts your professional development.

A model is a framework or guide. Using a model gives structure to your reflection. It makes sure you cover every important part of the process and helps you move beyond simple storytelling to deeper analysis and action planning.

Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle

Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle is a well-known model in health and social care. It encourages thinking at every stage of an experience, not just the outcome.

The six stages are:

1. Description – What happened?
2. Feelings – What were you thinking and feeling?
3. Evaluation – What was good and bad about the experience?
4. Analysis – What sense can you make of the situation?
5. Conclusion – What else could you have done?
6. Action Plan – If it happened again, what would you do?

By guiding you through emotions, facts, and possible improvements, Gibbs’ cycle helps you understand events fully and plan for future situations.

Example Application: After dealing with a challenging situation with a service user, you would write down what happened, explore your emotions, judge your actions, try to understand why things happened the way they did, think of other options you could have chosen, and decide on a plan for next time.

Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle

Kolb’s model is based on the idea that learning follows a cycle of experience and reflection.

The four stages are:

1. Concrete Experience – Doing or having an experience
2. Reflective Observation – Reviewing and reflecting on the experience
3. Abstract Conceptualisation – Learning from the experience, drawing conclusions
4. Active Experimentation – Planning and trying out what you have learned

You can start at any stage, but the cycle repeats as you build on each experience.

Example Application: You might give a medication, notice a problem, think about why it happened, make sense of it, and try a new approach next time.

Borton’s Developmental Framework

Borton’s model uses three key questions:

• What? – What happened?
• So what? – Why does it matter?
• Now what? – What will you do differently going forward?

This model is simple and can be used quickly, especially when reflecting on everyday situations.

Example Application: After a home visit, ask: What happened? Why is it important? What will I do differently in future visits?

Driscoll’s Model of Reflection

Driscoll’s model builds on Borton’s framework but adds more depth. It keeps the same three questions—What?
So what? Now what?—but encourages you to link each stage to professional standards or theory.

What?

• Describe the situation.
• What was your role?

So what?

• Why is this significant?
• What did you learn?

Now what?

• How will this change your future actions?

Driscoll’s model works well for both written reflections and discussions in supervision.

Schön’s Reflection-in-Action and Reflection-on-Action

Donald Schön’s model considers two types of reflection:

• Reflection-in-action: Thinking during an event, allowing you to adjust and respond while things are happening.
• Reflection-on-action: Looking back on what happened after the event has finished.

Both approaches help you become more aware and adaptable in your practice.

Example Application:
While supporting a distressed person, you quickly change your approach (reflection-in-action). Later, you look back and consider why your change helped or didn’t (reflection-on-action).

Comparing Models

• Gibbs’ cycle is detailed, guiding you step-by-step and including your feelings.
• Kolb’s cycle works best in situations where practical action and learning go hand in hand.
• Borton’s and Driscoll’s models are straightforward and flexible, good for both quick reflections and deeper analysis.
• Schön’s model explains the difference between reflecting during and after situations.

Choosing a model depends on your needs, the situation, and the depth of reflection you want.

Benefits of Using Reflective Models

• Structure your thinking, so you don’t miss important details
• Help you get to the root of what worked and what didn’t
• Encourage honest self-assessment
• Support action planning for improvement
• Provide evidence of professional development for supervision, appraisal and qualification requirements

Making Reflection Effective

For reflective practice to be useful:

• Be honest with yourself about your actions and feelings
• Make time to reflect regularly
• Link learning from reflection to future actions
• Use feedback from others to enrich your understanding
• Record reflections to show progress over time

Final Thoughts

Models of reflective practice, such as Gibbs’, Kolb’s, Borton’s, Driscoll’s and Schön’s, give you tools to reflect in a structured and meaningful way. They support your development, help you handle challenges, and improve care for those you support. Choosing the right model for the situation can make your reflection clearer, more focused, and more useful for both you and your team.