5Rs framework is developed by Bain et al (2002) to help students to understand what is involved in (self-)reflection. It is an acronym and therefore, easy to remember. Furthermore, when applied correctly it guides you to create depth in your written reflection assignment.

5R's in Reflection

“means by which we make sense of experience in relation to self, others, and contextual conditions, as well as reimaging and/or planning future experience for personal and social benefits” (Ryan, 2013, p. 145). ​

R1: Reporting

• Every reflection process starts with an experience. Describe what has happened in detail including emotions, thoughts or behaviours of yourself and others involved

R2: Responding

• It helps you to explore what made you think, feel or behave this way. The responding process includes 3 elements:
  • Draw attention to significant aspects of and/or feelings felt during the experience --> make a choice to narrow down your topic of reflection.
  • Add your meaning or judgment regarding the experience, for example ‘I believe that the client felt not understood and heard’ 
  • Identify a problem, what has affected you in this experience. It is often closely linked to a behavioural pattern.

R3: Relating

“To relate or make connections you are trying to identify behavioural triggers and the story that is underlying (means not immediately obvious) the behavioural trigger.”

• To explore if the ‘problem’ from different perspectives --> explores the experience from an intrapersonal view.
  • Your perspective
    • You relate the behaviour and actions described in the experience from yourself and others involved to your general self.
      • General self includes your past experiences, knowledge, skills, personality, strengths and weaknesses, world view and aspirations of your ideal self, personal learning, or growth
  • Perspective of other(s)
    
    • You view the situation through different ‘lenses’ --> describe the interaction between your behaviour and the behaviour of the others involved.
• Technique that can be applied to clarify a ‘problem’ is to describe ‘the problem’ in terms of behavioural triggers and behavioural responses
  
  • A behavioural trigger is any stimulus that impacts our behaviour and actions
  • Behavioural response is the initial reaction to a behavioural trigger
  • When the behavioural trigger leads to the same behavioural response in similar experiences it likely is your behavioural pattern
• Final step --> stating the most important insights or understandings gained from exploring the behavioural triggers of yourself and the other(s).

R4: Reasoning

“In-detail analysis how the relevant behavioural patterns of all persons involved are underlying the situation and why the behavioural patterns of all persons involved are important to an understanding of the situation.”

• Taking an interpersonal view --> exploring the relationships between behavioural patterns of the person(s) involved interact.
  • Perspective taking is required to analyse the situation from all angles
    • Use intuition and cognition to sense, categorise and codify an experience to derive meaning and understanding from it.
    • Meta perspective: skill to regulate one’s mental process that occurs before engaging in action

R5: Reconstructing

• Reframe or reconstruct future practice.
  • Describes alternative responses or behaviour
  • Explains how the plan works, what the possible benefits or downsides are and how and why it would benefit you, others involved, the situation and your professional development.