Gibbs Reflective Writing

Using Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle

Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle (or Gibbs’ Reflective Model)
Gibbs’ reflective cycle is a theoretical model often used by students as a framework in coursework assignments that require reflective writing.
The model was created by Professor Graham Gibbs and appeared in Learning by Doing (1988).
It looks like this:
Action plan
If it arose again what would you do? Descripiton
What
happened?

Conclusion
What else could you have done?

Feelings
What were you thinking and feeling?

Analysis
What sense can you make of the situation? Evaluation
What was good and bad about the experience? Gibbs’ reflective cycle has 6 stages. They are usually given the following headings:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Description
Feelings
Evaluation
Analysis
Conclusion
Action Plan

Gibbs’ model was developed from an earlier theoretical model; David Kolb’s 4 stage experiential learning cycle (1984).
Whereas Kolb’s model is sometimes referred to as an experiential learning model (which simply means learning through experience), Gibbs’ model is sometimes referred to as an iterative model
(which simply means learning through repetition).

1

Peter Lia: Learning Support Tutor: Disability Advisory Service: KCL

The version of Gibbs’ model given to students may be slightly adapted, such as the one that appears in Bulman and Schultz (2013) Reflective Practice in Nursing p232.
It looks like this:
Description
what happened? Final evaluation

What were your

and action plan

feelings and how

what would you

did you react?

do differently?

Conclusion

Initial evaluaion

what have you

of the experience

learnt from

what was good

reflecting on this experience? and bad about it?
Critical analysis what sense did you make of the experience? Using analysis in Gibbs’ model
In theory, the reflective process follows the 6 steps of the model so that each step informs the next. In practice,