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The ability of practitioners to think about what is done and why and to assess past actions, current situations, and possible outcomes is vital to professional practice that is reflective and not routine. Twentythree graduate students enrolled in a first professional degree program in physical therapy used a structured journal-writing activity during their first clinical experience as a method of reflective inquiry. Students were asked to keep a journal throughout their clinical experience according to a set of guidelines. Student journals and feedback surveys were coded and analyzed using qualitative data analysis techniques. Results demonstrated that students had a consistent focus on self-concerns and self-growth. The journal served as an outlet for student feelings and as a structured method for cognitive reflection. It provided students with a method of tracking their development throughout the clinical experience. Structured journal writing provided students with a framework for reconstructing events and thinking more critically about their actions. Recommendations for development of further activities for encouraging reflective practice are offered.
Jensen et al. (Tue,) studied this question.