Gibbs' Reflective Cycle
Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30
CORE DEFINITION
Developed by Graham Gibbs in 1988, it is one of the most famous cyclical reflective models, guiding you through six stages to explore an experience: description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion, and action plan. 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 next time). Scaffolding role: emotional integration, systematic reflection. This cycle differs from other reflective models in explicitly acknowledging emotions and separating evaluation from analysis. This integration of "doing" and "thinking"...
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
Emotional integration, systematic reflection. This cycle differs from other reflective models in explicitly acknowledging emotions and separating evaluation from analysis. This integration of "doing" and "thinking"...
Anchor fast decisions
A cyclical reflective model developed by Graham Gibbs in 1988. Six stages: Description → Feelings → Evaluation → Analysis → Conclusion → Action Plan. The mechanism is **emotional integration**—explicitly acknowledging emotions and separating them from analysis, allowing "doing" and "thinking" to connect, thus digesting experience more completely than other reflection models that focus only on rationality.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/6Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflective_practiceverified
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