In Social Studies / College | 2025-07-07

Gibbs' Reflective Cycle is a six-stage model for learning from experience, developed by Graham Gibbs in 1988. It helps individuals understand their actions and reactions in specific situations by breaking down the experience into structured steps: description, feeling, evaluation, analysis, conclusion, and action plan. This process encourages deeper reflection, leading to improved future performance.

Here's a breakdown of the six stages:

1. Description:
This stage involves objectively recounting the experience, detailing what happened, when, where, who was involved, and the outcome. It focuses on facts without interpretation or judgment.

2. Feelings:
This stage explores the emotions and feelings associated with the experience, both during and after the event. It's about acknowledging emotional response and understanding how it influenced your actions.

3. Evaluation:
This stage involves critically assessing the experience, identifying what went well and what didn't. It requires evaluating both the positive and negative aspects of the situation and your performance.

4. Analysis:
This stage focuses on understanding why the experience unfolded as it did, exploring the underlying reasons and contributing factors. It involves drawing on theories, experiences, and other relevant contexts.

5. Conclusion:
This stage summarizes the key learnings from the experience, identifying what could have been done differently and what can be learned to improve future actions.

6. Action Plan:
This final stage translates the learning into concrete steps for future situations. It involves developing a plan of action to guide future behavior based on the insights gained from the reflection process.

Asked by christophersheehan83