A guide on writing up your reflective journal
- Cut to the chase: Refrain from bushing around. State the concept you wish to reflect on,
define and elaborate the concept, then reflect on it.
If you find this subject interesting or inspirational, we are pleased and flattered
to learn about that. Nonetheless, reflection simply on your appreciation of the
subject would not make a good opening of your reflective journal. For example,
this sample student’s journal entry was graded with a very high score at 9/10,
yet the first paragraph was deemed irrelevant to what he was about to reflect on
how Piaget’s cognitive development stages could be related to explaining his
observations in young children he encountered:
Piaget’s theory in my daily lives experience
Psychology is a fascinating subject to me. The study of which gives me an
overview towards the human behavior and mental processes. I do realize the
discipline relying on the scientific method and empirical evidence after enrolling
in this subject. Some theories taught throughout the past lectures, such as the
structure of personality in Freud’s theory and Maslow’s humanistic theories,
arouse my curiosity to link the discipline and daily life events together. Among
these theories, Piaget’s theory of cognitive stages has interested me most.
According to Piaget, there are 4 cognitive development stages of children,
including sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal
operational… - Be precise (Keep it short and succinct): Write less and write with a clear focus / a few
clear foci.
Keep your journal entry within 500‐1000 words. Among a sample of 21 reflective
journal entries assessed with a high score of 9 or above out of 10 from our last
offering in Spring 2014, the average length was 995 words, with the shortest
entry containing only 592 words yet earning a score of 9.
To keep your entry short, precise, and to the point, try to focus on 1 or 2
concepts that you are really interested in, and reflect on how you could relate to
those concept(s) or make use of those concept(s). Briefly touching on a concept
with reflection in a single paragraph, where you spent 2 sentences defining the
concept and 1 sentence describing you found the concept applicable to you,
might not be sufficient for elaborating the concept as well as your reflection. - Acknowledge your sources: Properly acknowledge the sources that you have cited or
paraphrased in your entry.
Make in‐text citations and a short bibliography at the end of your entry in the
American Psychological Association (APA) 6th Edition style.
An example: In‐text citation: Ainsworth defined three distinct patterns of
attachment style from the Strange Situation (Wade, 2014) / Bibliography at the
end of text: Wade, C., & Tavris, C. (2014). Invitation to Psychology (6th ed.).
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall / Pearson.
For a quick overview of the APA 6th style, take a look at the APA Formatting and
Style Guide by the Online Writing Lab of Perdue University
(https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/)
Consult the PolyU English Learning Centre (ELC) video on how to “Integration of
sources in paragraphs” (http://youtu.be/2Tt5zqkf4HM) as well as other related
ELC writing aid videos available in the English for University Studies Video Playlist
(http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXuvlaVwcr2rkYxJxXggB1BFyM‐Izf6M‐)
Grading Rubric for Reflective Journal
Habitual action
Thoughtful action /
Understanding
Reflection‐Content Reflection‐Process Critical Thinking
Points: 2 “Appropriate
communication skill is
that the attitude of the
communityhealth helper
should be devoted to
communicate with the client
without preception or
discrimination. […]The
community health helper
should pay attention to his /
her voice,speech,
intonation, wording of his /
her speech.[…]The
communityhealth helper
should try to have better
language […]so that the
communityhealth helper
can communicate with the
non‐Chinese speaking
clients.”
Points: 4
“Communicationand
interaction with clients are a
type of concern for the
clients. […]I care for them
and try my best to fulfill
their needs. […]During
leisure times and breaks, I
should communicate and
talk to clients and therefore I
can know what they need
and what their feelings are.
[…]Forsome young clients,
the communication skill is
different from adult clients.
[…]I first will make friends
with them and treat them as
my brothers and sisters. If
they are not so frightened
after a period of time, the
session will be much easier.”
Points: 6
“Appropriate
communicationinteraction
with clients is very
important and essential for
the health professionals
because clients come to
health centres and expect to
receive appropriate health
service and care […]
Interaction with the clientsis
important to the client and
the community health helper
[…] therefore the client will
be willing to disclose their
information […]
Points: 8
Isit necessary to have a
health assessment? The
community health helper
can know more about the
client so that he or she can
modify the required health
intervention or information
to the client’s condition. […]
Therefore it is important to
the community health
helperto acquire and
develop a good
communication skillso that
they can communicate with
the client without any
problem.”
Points: 10
Critical review of presuppositions of
subject disciplines and existing
knowledge.