Using Reflective Writing as a Predictor of Academic Success in Different Assessment Formats

Abstract

<b>Objectives.</b> To investigate whether reflective-writing skills are associated with academic success. <b>Methods.</b> Two hundred sixty-four students enrolled in a pharmacy practice course completed reflective statements. Regression procedures were conducted to determine whether reflective-writing skills were associated with academic success in different assessment formats: written, oral, and video tasks. <b>Results.</b> Reflective-writing skills were found to be a predictor of academic performance in some formats of assessment: written examination; oral assessment task and overall score for the Unit of Study (UoS). Reflective writing skills were not found to predict academic success in the video assessment task. <b>Conclusions.</b> Possessing good reflective-writing skills was associated with improved academic performance. Further research is recommended investigating the impact of reflective skill development on academic performance measures in other health education.