Four studies addressed the development of reflective thinking. Sobral (2000) studied the development of reflective thinking based on activities designed to foster reflection during an elective experience. 103 students working in small groups were encouraged to partic- ipate in: self-appraisal of their learning, discussion of their learning strategies and feedback about them to others in the group. A non-randomized group of controls was made up of students who did not participate. Prior to participating in the elective, there were no significant differences between course participants and non-participants with respect to sex, learners’ characteristics (Kolb’s learning style, self-confidence as a learner, and the meaning orientation of the short version.
