What is the Reflective Project?

​The reflective project is one of the four compulsory components of the IB Career-related Programme (CP) core. The reflective project is an in-depth body of work produced over an extended period of time and submitted towards the end of the CP. It is the product of the students’ own initiative and should reflect their personal experience of the CP.

The reflective project is intended to promote high-level research, writing and extended communication skills, intellectual discovery and creativity through a variety of different approaches. Schools are encouraged to help students to recognize and make use of the links between all strands of their CP in order that the reflective project can be a formal representation of their studies overall.

The reflective project focuses on an ethical dilemma of an issue directly linked to the student’s career-related study. In addition to a written essay, students keep a record of their reflections on the process of undertaking and completing the reflective project using the Reflections on planning and progress form (RPPF). This record forms part of the final reflective project assessment.

Students will work with the Reflective Project Committee and their PPS teacher to learn about the Reflective Project requirements. Students must focus on an ethical dilemma within their chosen career pathway; however, there are 2 ways in which they may complete this.

Options for the reflective project

OPTION 1

A written essay (maximum 3,000 words). This should cover all the reflective project's requirements except reflection, which forms the content of the RPPF.

OPTION 2

A written essay (1,500 - 2,000 words) accompanied by an additional format (film, oral presentation, interview, play or display). Together, the written essay and additional format should cover all the reflective project's requirement except the RPPF.

ADDITIONAL FORMATS

The permitted additional formats are:

• A short film (7 minutes). Students are free to create whatever type of documentary they believe will be a valuable component of their reflective project, for example a documentary, a drama, a news report, and so on. They can choose to submit a written film script instead (700 words).

• A spoken presentation (recorded n audio/video; 7 minutes) An interview allows students to be creative by imagining and developing a discussion between two or more people. They can choose to submit a written script instead (700 words).

• An interview (recorded on audio/video; 7 minutes) An interview allows students to be creative by imagining and developing a discussion between two or more people. They can choose to submit a written script instead (700 words).

• A play (recorded on audio/video; 7 minutes), The play should include one or more characters performing a spoken drama that supports elements of the reflective project. It can include dialogue, music and sound effects. Student can choose to submit a written script instead (700 words).

• A display ( a storyboard or photo essay using up to 15 annotated images; 700 words) A storyboard/photo essay is usually a linear narrative through imagery. Students can decide what their imagery will accomplish and how it will contribute to the reflective project overall. For example, it could provide an overview of their reflective project and create points of discussion or illustrate particular ideas.

Function of additional format

The chosen additional format should support and add information to the reflective project overall. For example, a film or presentation could reflect the different perspectives of the stakeholders involved, or detail the local/global manifestation of the issue, while the written essay contains the central arguments(s) of the ethical dilemma.

Crucially, the content of the additional format must be different from the essay. For example, students should NOT take an argument presented in the essay and then repeat it in the additional format. The two elements should complement each other, each adding value to the other, ensuring that as an overall submission the assessment criteria are satisfied. Repetition or simply reformatting information will lose a student marks.

Whatever the format the student chooses, it must be capable of being sent electronically to the IB for moderation. Live links to the reflective project are not permitted.

Time

Students should also consider carefully the amount of time associated with each format. Students are assessed on the reflective project's content NOT their technical skills. Students should not spend the majority of their time making a technically brilliant film, but leaving insufficient time to write their accompanying essay.

The AIMS of the Reflective Project allows students the opportunity to:

The reflective project aims to give students the opportunity to:

1. Produce an extended piece of work

2. Engage in personal inquiry, action and reflection on a specific ethical dilemma

3. Present a structured and coherent argument

4. Engage with local and/or global communities

5. Develop research and communication skills

6. Develop the skills of critical and creative thinking.

The Reflective Project links to the 5 Themes from PPS and asks Twelve Questions to Inspire a Successful Reflective Project

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

• How will you ensure you spend enough time on each aspect of the project?

• What environments and working conditions do you work best in?

• What's your most comfortable and successful writing style?

INTERCULTURAL UNDERSTANDING

• What is it that I do not know about others?

• What are some different cultural contexts to consider?

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

• What's my most comfortable and successful voice?

• How should my voice be modified or amplified to be more in alignment with the situation?

THINKING PROCESSES

• What are your strengths and preferred modes of inquiry?

APPLIED ETHICS

• What are some ethical situations you have observed at work, in an internship, or through your career studies?

• What are some ways that ethical codes and standards can be reviewed and improved in the workplace?

• Is there an ethical dilemma that you find particularly concerning?

• What are the similarities and differences between personal ethics and professional ethics?

Reflections on planning and progress

Students record their reflections on planning and progress form provided - the RPPF - after each of their three formal meetings with their supervisor. The RPPF and the Researcher's Reflection Space can both be found on ManageBac which will be used for communication and recording all meetings and documents.

THE RPPF

The completion of this form is a mandatory part of the reflective project. It helps the students to reflect on their planning and progress, including:

• their initial ideas

• any concerns to discuss with their supervisor

• the outcome of those discussions

• interim thoughts about the reflective project's planning, progress, and content

• any changes that need to be made as a result of the interim thoughts

• finishing the project and their conclusions.
  

The RPPF has two further functions:

• Together with the formal meetings with the supervisor, it provides the evidence to assess the students against Assessment Objective 5 (AO5): Engagement and reflection on planning and progress.

• It also acts as a record to support the authenticity of their work.

The RPPF is informed by scheduled meeting between the students and the reflective project supervisor where progress, planning, and issues are discussed. The form is designed to document these discussions and is a formally assessed element of the reflective project.

​A "Researcher's Reflection Space" (RRS)

Reflection is an integral part of the reflective project. Students should not see it as something that happens only sporadically, before a meeting or when they have a form to fill in. A "researchers reflection space" can help with this.

The RRS could be a journal or a blog to record day-to-day thoughts on progress within the reflective project.

The space can help students PREPARE for the meeting with their supervisor and identify what to include in the RPPF. Writing thoughts down regularly in this way may also help to develop the student's skills of crucial analysis.

When shared with their supervisor, the journal or blog can give greater insight into students' thought processes and their progress within the reflective project.

The RRS is not submitted or formally assessed, but should inform the scheduled meetings with the supervisor, which in turn inform the RPPF.

ADVICE TO STUDENTS FROM EXAMINERS

• Read the assessment criteria

• Read previous essays to identify strengths and possible pitfalls

• Spend time working out the research question (imagine the finished essay)

• Work out a structure for the essay

• Start work early and stick to deadlines

• Maintain a good working relationship with their supervisor

• Construct an argument that relates to the research question

• Use the library and consult librarians for advice

• Record sources as they along (rather than trying to reconstruct a list at the end)

• Use the appropriate language for the subject

• Let your interest and enthusiasm shown

• Write the abstract

• Check and proofread the final version carefully

RECOMMENDED: THINGS TO AVOID!

Students should not work with a research question that is too broad or too vague, too narrow, too difficult, or inappropriate. A good research question is one that asks something worth asking and that is answerable within 750-3,000 words. It should be clear what would count as evidence in relation to the question, and it must be possible to acquire such evidence in the course of the investigation. If a student does not know what evidence is needed, or cannot collect such evidence, it will not be possible to answer the research question. In addition, students should not:

• Forget to analyze the research question

• Ignore the assessment criteria

• Collect material that is irrelevant to the research question

• Use the intent uncritically

• Plagiarize

• Merely describe or report (evidence must be used to support the argument) REPEAT THE INTRODUCTION IN THE CONCLUSION

• Cite sources that are not used. One further piece of advice is as follows:

  • 1. THE more background a student has in the subject, the better the chance he or she has of completing a high-quality Reflective Project.

    2. Choosing to write the Reflective Project in a subject that is not being studied as part of the career-related path often leads to lower marks.

Calendar Due Dates for the class of 2022

August and September 2021 - Meet with your supervisor to review your rough draft.

September 15th - Complete your 2nd RPPF based on your meeting with your supervisor regarding your rough draft

October and November 2021 - Complete your Reflective Project

December 1st - Final draft of your Reflective Project

December 17th - Complete your final RPPF and Viva Voce with your supervisor

Calendar Due Dates for the class of 2023

January 2022 - Meet with the Reflective Project Committee

January 31st - Complete your Reflective Project proposal and worksheet

February 11th - Meet with your supervisor and complete your first RPPF

February and March - Begin work on your Reflective Project

February 28th - Complete your Annotated bibliography for your Reflective Project - remember, you can add and take away resources as you work on your RP

March 31st - Complete your outline for your Reflective Project - please note we recommend you checking in with your supervisor at this point - but it is not a recorded and documented meeting for the RPPF

May 20th - Complete your rough draft for your Reflective Project