By What is Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle?
Have you ever heard about the reflection practice? If yes, then have you ever thought about what it is? Nope? Well, let us tell you. Gibbs’ reflective cycle is a potent tool that helps in both personal and professional development. These reflective practices are used in various domains including education and management. The main purpose of this is to help one learn about themselves. They understand their actions and reactions, how they affect them, and their plans. There are many practices. However, the one that stands out the most is Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle.
That’s right! It was discovered by Graham Gibbs in 1988. Gibbs’ cycle offers a structured framework where pupils can reflect and learn from their experiences.
Well, do you want to learn more about this cycle? Then, this blog is for you. Here, we will explore what Gibbs’s reflective cycle is, its stages, perks, and applications. So, come on! Stop scrolling and read our blog! You are going to find it pretty informative.
Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle: Exploring Its Stages
Gibbs’ cycle is a framework that allows one to dive deep into past experiences and analyze what they learned or where they could have done better. There are six different stages in this cycle that one has to go through. Come on! Let’s explore what they are. They include:
Stage 1: Description
It is the first stage of Gibbs’ cycle where you give details about past experiences. Think of it as setting the stage for your reflection. Moreover, you dive deep into what led you to make such decisions. Since it is just a description, you must avoid jumping to conclusions.
For example, During a team meeting, I presented the ideas. However, I noticed how some of my members seemed disinterested.
Stage 2: Feelings
In the next stage of Gibbs’ cycle, you describe the feelings you went through after experiencing something. It involves both your positive and negative feelings. The purpose of this stage is to know how certain things impact you without doubting yourself. Furthermore, honesty is the key no matter how harsh your feelings are.
For example, you can say that I felt frustrated and sad because I put in a lot of effort for ideas. However, no one was interested.
See? That’s how you express yourself at this Gibbs cycle stage. Now, come on! Let’s move forward and discover the third stage.
Stage 3: Evaluation
After you tell your feelings, it is time to evaluate what your experience was. Whether it was positive or negative? Moreover, what did you learn from it? Let’s look at the example to better understand it.
Example: I feel like the content of my presentation was well-prepared and up to the mark. However, my tone for content delivery might have made the team members disengaged.
See? Here you look at both the positive and negative sides of experiencing.
Stage 4: Analysis
Yup! As the name suggests, Gibbs’ stage involves analyzing the situation where you understand why things happened. Furthermore, here are some questions you ask yourself. They include:
- Why do things go well?
- Why didn’t things go well?
- What sense can I make of the situation?
For example, If we talk about the above example, you can say maybe the reason why the members were not interested was because I focused more on data rather than making it engaging.
Stage 5: Conclusion
The fifth stage involves concluding. It is all about what you could have done better to avoid this situation. It shows your ability to look positively and learn from things.
For example, You can say I could have added visuals and graphics in my presentation to make it more interesting.
Stage 6: Plan of Action
Here comes the final stage of Gibbs’ cycle. It involves planning for the future if the same scenario occurs again. Moreover, it is about applying the experience gained from the reflection and ensuring you don’t make the same mistake.
For example, If this situation happens again, I will add discussions and questions at the end of the presentation to make it engaging.
A Pro Tip
If you don’t want to experience something like this in the future, we would suggest connecting with the Top-Notch CIPD assignment writing help in the UK to help you reflect on your experiences and work around the tasks for better outcomes. So, these are some stages of Gibbs’ cycle. Now, let’s move forward and discover its perks.
Perks of Gibbs’ Cycle
Gibbs’ reflective cycle plays a vital role in understanding ourselves. Here are some of the perks of using this for reflection. They include:
- Gibbs’ cycle provides a structured framework, allowing one to reflect on their experiences.
- Furthermore, it boosts your critical thinking, developing a better understanding of one’s actions and how they can affect your surroundings.
- Moreover, it presents the opportunity to plan for the future and make the right decisions.
- Gibbs’ cycle helps in self-awareness as one learns their feelings, strengths, and weaknesses.
Practical Applications of Gibbs’ Cycle Across Various Domains
Gibbs’ cycle is used across various domains including education, management, and nursing. Here are some of its applications. They include:
- Education: In academia, teachers use this to learn about how effective their teaching practices are. Similarly, students use this cycle to learn about their experiences, and decisions and plan for the future. For example, a student reflecting on their group project can see their contributions, efforts, outcomes, and areas for improvement.
- Healthcare: Here, the cycle plays a vital role in continuous improvement. By using this, nurses can learn about their patient care practices and improvise the plan for better outcomes.
Limitations of Gibbs’ Cycle
While Gibbs’ cycle plays a vital role in your development, there are some considerations you should be aware of. Come on! Let’s have a look at what they are:
- One of the drawbacks is that it is time-consuming. Hence, individuals might avoid using them daily.
- Furthermore, it can sometimes cause over-analysis, leading one to doubt their abilities and develop negative feelings.
- Let’s face it! It requires honesty and openness about their feelings. However, it can be challenging for some people.
Wrapping Up!
So, this brings us to the end of the guide! In a nutshell, Gibbs’ reflective cycle is an incredible reflection practice that allows one to learn about their own experiences, analyze their feelings, and outcomes and develop plans for the future. Moreover, it helps in creating self-awareness and personal development. So, now, hopefully, you know what Gibbs’ reflective cycle practice is.
