What are the six stages of Gibbs' reflective cycle?

The six stages are Description (what happened), Feelings (what you were thinking and feeling), Evaluation (what was good and bad), Analysis (what sense you can make of it), Conclusion (what else you could have done) and Action plan (what you will do if it happens again). They come from Gibbs (1988), Learning by Doing.

Can I write a Gibbs reflection in the first person?

Yes. Reflective essays are usually written in the first person because you are analysing your own experience. Keep an academic tone when you discuss theory and evidence, and check your module brief in case a particular section must be written in the third person.

Which stage of Gibbs' cycle is most important?

Analysis usually carries the most marks, because it is where you explain why things happened using theory, research and professional standards. It should normally be the longest section of your essay.

Should I use headings for each Gibbs stage?

It depends on your assignment brief. Some modules expect a heading for each stage, which makes the structure clear. Others ask for continuous prose where the stages flow without headings. If the brief does not say, ask your tutor or check your handbook.

How do you reference Gibbs' reflective cycle?

In Harvard style the reference is: Gibbs, G. (1988) Learning by Doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods. Oxford: Further Education Unit, Oxford Polytechnic. In the text you would cite it as (Gibbs, 1988). Follow your university's preferred referencing guide for exact punctuation.

What is the difference between Gibbs and Kolb's reflective models?

Kolb's (1984) experiential learning cycle has four stages: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation and active experimentation. Gibbs' cycle builds on this idea but adds explicit stages for feelings, evaluation and an action plan, which makes it more structured and easier to use for a written reflective essay.

Gibbs Reflective Cycle: How to Write a Reflective Essay

Quick answer

Gibbs' Reflective Cycle has six stages: Description, Feelings, Evaluation, Analysis, Conclusion and Action plan. Give the most words to Analysis, where you link the experience to theory and evidence, keep Description short, and finish with a specific action plan for next time.

The Gibbs reflective cycle is the model most UK students meet first when they are asked to write a reflective essay. Nursing, midwifery, social work, education and MBA programmes all use it, because it turns a vague instruction ("reflect on your experience") into six clear stages you can write about in order.

Many students still struggle with it. They spend most of the word count describing what happened, write a paragraph about feeling nervous and finish with a generic promise to "communicate better". That earns a pass at best. This guide explains what each stage really asks for, how to share your word count, how to bring in theory, and then shows the whole cycle working in a short example from a nursing placement.

What is the Gibbs reflective cycle?

Graham Gibbs set out the cycle in Learning by Doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods (Gibbs, 1988), published by the Further Education Unit at Oxford Polytechnic. It built on the idea of experiential learning, where people learn by having an experience, thinking about it and then trying something different next time.

The model has six stages arranged in a loop: Description, Feelings, Evaluation, Analysis, Conclusion and Action plan. Because it is a cycle, the action plan feeds into the next experience, which you can then reflect on again. That is why it suits professional courses where reflection is meant to be ongoing rather than a one-off essay.

Tip: Reference it in Harvard style as: Gibbs, G. (1988) Learning by Doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods. Oxford: Further Education Unit, Oxford Polytechnic. Check your handbook for the exact referencing style your course uses.

The six stages of the Gibbs reflective cycle explained

Each stage answers a guiding question. Use these questions as prompts when you plan your paragraphs.

Cycle diagram of Gibbs' six stages in order: Description, Feelings, Evaluation, Analysis, Conclusion and Action plan, with the question each stage answers. — The six stages of Gibbs' Reflective Cycle (Gibbs, 1988) and the question each one answers. Tap or click to enlarge.

1. Description: what happened?

Set the scene briefly: where you were, who was involved (anonymised), what you did and what the outcome was. Keep it factual and short. No analysis yet.

2. Feelings: what were you thinking and feeling?

Describe your emotions and thoughts before, during and after the event. Be honest. Markers look for self-awareness, and admitting that you felt anxious, defensive or out of your depth is often what makes the later analysis meaningful.

3. Evaluation: what was good and bad about the experience?

Make a balanced judgement. What went well, and what did not? Include both, even if the experience felt mostly negative or mostly positive.

4. Analysis: what sense can you make of the situation?

This is the most important stage. Ask why things went well or badly, and use theory, research, policy or professional standards to explain it. This is where your essay becomes academic rather than a diary entry.

5. Conclusion: what else could you have done?

Summarise what you learned, both about this situation and about yourself or your practice more generally. Consider what you could have done differently.

6. Action plan: what will you do next time?

Set specific, realistic actions with a timescale and say how you will know you have improved. Many students frame this with SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound).

How many words should each stage get?

A common mistake is to give each stage equal space. Description and feelings should be brief, while analysis carries the most marks because it shows critical thinking. The split below is a sensible starting point for a 1,500-word reflective essay. Adjust it if your marking criteria say otherwise.

Introduction: around 100 words (what you are reflecting on and which model you are using).
Description: around 150 to 200 words.
Feelings: around 150 words.
Evaluation: around 200 words.
Analysis: around 450 to 500 words.
Conclusion: around 150 to 200 words.
Action plan: around 200 words.

Tip: If your description is longer than your analysis, your balance is wrong. Cut the story back and spend the words explaining why things happened.

First person or third person?

Reflective writing is normally written in the first person ("I felt", "I noticed", "I will"), because you are analysing your own experience. Most UK universities expect this for reflective essays and portfolios. Writing "the student felt anxious" usually sounds distant and can weaken the sense of genuine reflection.

That does not mean the whole essay is informal. Use the first person for your experience and feelings, but keep an academic tone in the evaluation and analysis, where you bring in literature and evidence ("Research suggests that...", "According to the NMC Code..."). Some assignments that combine reflection with a wider academic essay ask for third person in certain sections, so always check your module brief.

How to link theory in a reflective essay

Linking theory is what separates a strong reflective essay from a weak one. The aim is to use literature to explain your experience, not to list theories for the sake of it. Theory belongs mainly in the evaluation and analysis stages, with lighter use in the conclusion and action plan.

Nursing and healthcare: the NMC Code (Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2018), communication frameworks such as SBAR, models of person-centred care, and research on patient anxiety or handover.
MBA and management: Tuckman's (1965) stages of group development (forming, storming, norming and performing), Belbin's team roles, leadership and conflict management models.
Learning and reflection itself: Kolb's (1984) experiential learning cycle, which Gibbs' model builds on, or Schön's ideas of reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action.
Recent, peer-reviewed articles that discuss a similar situation, so you can compare your experience with published evidence.

Tip: A useful sentence pattern: "This experience reflects [theory/author], who argues that [point]. In my case, [how it applied or did not apply], which suggests [insight]."

Gibbs reflective cycle example: a nursing placement

Below is a short worked example showing each stage. It is deliberately brief so you can see the structure; a full essay would develop each stage further, particularly the analysis. Note that the patient is anonymised, as the NMC Code requires confidentiality.

Description

During my second-year placement on a surgical ward, I was asked to prepare a patient, whom I will call Mrs A, for discharge. Her daughter arrived and became upset because she had not been told her mother was going home that day. I tried to reassure her but did not know the details of the care package, so I fetched my practice supervisor, who explained the plan and arranged a meeting with the discharge coordinator.

Feelings

I felt anxious and flustered when the daughter raised her voice, and I worried I had done something wrong. Afterwards I felt relieved but also frustrated with myself for not being able to answer her questions.

Evaluation

Positively, I stayed calm, listened to the daughter's concerns and recognised the limits of my knowledge, escalating to my supervisor rather than giving inaccurate information. Less positively, I had not checked whether the family had been involved in discharge planning, and my reassurance at first was vague.

Analysis

The NMC Code (Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2018) asks nurses to recognise and work within the limits of their competence, which supports my decision to escalate. However, the daughter's distress appears to have come from a gap in communication earlier in the discharge process. Literature on discharge planning commonly highlights that involving family carers early reduces anxiety and confusion at the point of discharge. Using a structured approach such as SBAR to hand over the situation to my supervisor would also have made my escalation clearer and quicker. Reflecting on Kolb's (1984) cycle, I can see this experience moving from a concrete event to a new understanding: that reassurance without information can increase rather than reduce anxiety.

Conclusion

I learned that good communication with families starts before discharge day, and that I need a better understanding of the discharge process. I also learned that escalating appropriately is a strength, not a failure.

Action plan

Within the next two weeks of placement, I will ask the discharge coordinator to explain the ward's discharge process and shadow at least one family discharge meeting. Before any discharge I am involved in, I will check that the next of kin has been informed. I will practise using SBAR when escalating and ask my supervisor for feedback on it at my mid-point review.

Tip: For an MBA team project, the same structure works. Description: a team member missed deadlines. Feelings: frustration. Evaluation: the final report was submitted, but tension built. Analysis: Tuckman's storming stage and unclear roles. Conclusion: roles and expectations should be agreed early. Action plan: a team charter in week one of the next project.

Common mistakes in Gibbs reflective essays

Writing a long story in the description and leaving too little space for analysis.
Treating feelings as a single sentence ("I was nervous") rather than exploring thoughts and how they changed.
An evaluation that is only positive or only negative.
Analysis with no references, or references that are named but not applied to your situation.
A vague action plan such as "I will improve my communication skills" with no specific actions or timescale.
Breaking confidentiality by naming patients, colleagues, organisations or wards. Use pseudonyms or initials and follow your course rules.
Using the stage names as headings when your brief asks for continuous prose. Some modules want headings, others do not, so check your handbook.

A quick checklist before you submit

1Have you introduced the experience and named the Gibbs (1988) reflective cycle as your model?
2Is your description factual, brief and anonymised?
3Have you explored your feelings honestly, before, during and after?
4Does your evaluation include both strengths and weaknesses?
5Is your analysis the longest section, with theory or evidence applied to your experience?
6Does your conclusion state what you learned and what you could have done differently?
7Is your action plan specific, realistic and time-bound?
8Are all sources referenced correctly in your required style?

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Gibbs' Reflective Cycle: How to Write a Reflective Essay (With Example)