Thirty-Second International Conference on Learning

Abstract

Developing students’ ability to reflect on their learning is a fundamental but complex skill for preparing students in higher education. In this study, levels of reflection are categorized from a reflective writing essay based on the coding scheme of Kember, where seven levels of reflection are proposed. Out of 173 reflective statements analyzed from student essays, approximately 20% of students wrote more than eight clear reflective statements, while most students wrote between 2 to 6 statements. The findings revealed that students’ reflections fall around Thoughtful Action (TA), Content Reflection (CR), and Process Reflection (PR). Most students’ reflection (41%) falls in CR. TA and PR constitute 36% of statements each in student essays, although TA is not considered a reflection. Thirty-two percent of students’ statements fall at the Introspection (I) level, where students mostly describe their feelings toward the course tasks. Only 21% of students’ statements showed a higher level of reflection, which belongs to Content-Process Reflection. Premise Reflection is the most complex and highest level of reflection, constituting only 5% of reflective statements that contemplate a change of perspective. The findings of the work show a clear diversity in the student’s ability to write their own reflections, in which few students have the aptitude to write more reflective statements. This indicates the importance of raising students’ ability to express their thoughts. Preparing students to reflect on their learning is necessary, as it is pivotal to achieving transformative graduate attributes intended in higher education.