Reflection-on-practice: enhancing student learning

The writing of a reflective diary is viewed as an effective tool for promoting reflection and learning in students, and for self-assessment and evaluation of a clinical learning experience. This work is a study of 30 undergraduate nurses and their use of reflective diaries during a period of community health care practice. The theoretical basis of the study is based on Schön's work on reflection-in-action. The research tool, developed for the study of nursing practice by Powell, is based on Mezirow's levels of reflectivity. The findings are that, in the sample used, students do reflect on their practice according to Mezirow's levels of reflectivity, but that the highest number of reflections occur at the lower levels of reflectivity (94% of the total number of scores). However, although only 6% of the total number of scores were found at the higher levels of reflectivity, some 22 of the samples of 30 students did attain conceptual and theoretical reflectivity, the highest levels of reflectivity.