Modules

Levels of reflective thinking and ethics reflection in academic writing

Instructions for:TraineeTrainer

Related Initiative

Goal

Learn about how to monitor the development of reflection skills during a training and how to analyse ethics sections of doctoral dissertations to evaluate the quality of ethical considerations

Duration (hours)

1

For whom is this important?

Prospective Research Integrity TrainersResearch Ethics CommitteesResearch integrity trainersSenior researchersSupervisors

Part of

BEYOND

Steps

1Learn about levels of reflective thinking

2Framework for analysing ethics sections

What is this about?

Kember and his colleagues (Kember, 1999; Kember et al., 2000; for elaborations see also Kember et al., 2008; Bell et al., 2011) have specified Mezirow’s (1991) reflection levels:

-non-reflective thinking – which means showing habitual action and just repeating words;

-descriptive level – which means describing what happens and how it is happening;

-analytical level – may include other levels but also includes reflection on experience, i.e., what it means (to me);

-reflective/critical level – may include all previous levels but the crucial part is to display change or redirection, recognition of own pre-defined beliefs and values, and understanding how those influence any perspectives taken.

In a similar way, ethics sections in doctoral dissertations can be seen as one type of display of learning of REI, especially if the final piece of writing can be compared to earlier drafts. Based on an analysis of the ethics sections of 60 PhD dissertations, Marita Cronqvist (2024) has identified topic areas and corresponding criteria (Table 3). This framework could be applied in the analysis of the content and evaluating the quality of ethical considerations displayed in the research ethics section of dissertations (Table 3).

Both frameworks—the levels of reflective thinking and the framework for assessing ethics sections—can thus be used to monitor and analyse how reflection and ethical awareness are demonstrated and developed in the context of REI.

1

Learn about levels of reflective thinking

There is evidence of how such a framework can be used to analyse reflective journals/learning logs (see Bell et al., 2011). We have tested the feasibility of this framework also in the context of REI. Figure 1 illustrates how reflection levels are displayed during a 6-week diary-keeping period related to REI learning. As indicated, some participants (P1–P5) show various levels, but some indicate constant levels. The exploration suggests that it is possible to analyse reflective journals/writing in REI context applying the framework of levels of reflective thinking.

Figure 1. Eexample of analysis results (reflection levels) of learning diaries by 5 training participants (P1-5).

2

Framework for analysing ethics sections

Ethics sections in doctoral dissertations can be seen as one type of display of learning of REI, especially if the final piece of writing can be compared to earlier drafts. Based on an analysis of the ethics sections of 60 PhD dissertations, Marita Cronqvist (2024) has identified topic areas and corresponding criteria (Table 1). This framework could be applied in the analysis of the content and evaluating the quality of ethical considerations displayed in the research ethics section of dissertations (Table 1).

Table 1. Criteria for assessing ethics sections (Cronqvist, 2024)

There may be guidelines present in different countries on which ethics components should be considered in the dissertations, but there seems to be no consensus on that. The topics identified by Cronqvist (2024) can be used to analyse the content and quality of the ethical considerations in dissertations, but perhaps also research articles or reports on research conduct.

Remarks

Authors: Erika Löfström, Anu Tammeleht, Simo Kyllönen,

This course was produced on behalf of the BEYOND project. The BEYOND project was finded by the European Union uder the grat agreement n. 101094714

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