A development reflection explains one decision: what you chose, why, what evidence pushed you, which option you rejected and what you will do next. Keep it to one decision so there is room for real detail.
This lesson is part of the SPM subjects and learning resources section. Follow your school’s format and rules for any work you submit.
What are the five parts?
- Decision: what you changed or kept.
- Reason: the need or criterion behind it.
- Evidence: a test result or observation.
- Alternative: one option you did not choose, and why.
- Next step: what you will do or test next.
Worked example: changing the handle material
Here is an original example. A student’s cardboard handle for a book box developed a crease after five tests with a 2 kg load (see explain a prototype observation without overclaiming).
Decision. I replaced the cardboard handle with a strip of folded cloth tape.
Reason. The need was a handle that carries 2 kg repeatedly, and cardboard was the weak point.
Evidence. The cardboard handle creased after five trials. The tape version was tested five times with the same load and showed no change.
Alternative. I considered doubling the cardboard layers, but that would have made the handle stiff to grip, so I rejected it.
Next step. I will test the tape handle with a 3 kg load for 10 trials to see whether it still holds.
The mistake that costs marks
The common slip is a reflection that lists improvements with no cause: “I improved the handle and it is better now. I learned that testing is important.”
| Part | Vague | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Decision | “Improved the handle” | Replaced cardboard with cloth tape |
| Reason | None | Cardboard was the weak point for repeated 2 kg loads |
| Evidence | “It is better” | Crease after 5 trials versus no change in 5 trials |
| Alternative | None | Doubling cardboard, rejected because it was stiff to grip |
| Next step | “Keep testing” | 3 kg load, 10 trials |
Check yourself
A student changed a bookshelf model from 3 shelves to 2, because the model tipped forward when loaded. Write the decision, reason and alternative in one short paragraph, inventing a test result and a rejected option.
Answer
Your details will differ.
A strong model: “I reduced the model from three shelves to two. The need was a shelf that stays upright with 1 kg of books, and the three-shelf version tipped forward in three of four trials. I considered adding weight to the base, but that made the model too heavy to move, so I rejected it. With two shelves it stayed upright in all four trials.”
It gives a decision, a reason, evidence and a rejected alternative.
What to study next
Put the skills from all four lessons together in the Invention original practice set. If you want to revisit how the criteria were chosen, read compare original concepts using explicit criteria.
Use the structured answer self-review to check your five parts. A teacher can work through your own decisions in online one-to-one Invention tuition.