SELF-REFLECTIVE ESSAY                                                                                                         3 
 
me to approach information from a fair point of view which enabled me to carry out research 
free from personal bias.  Using the social constructivism interpretive framework theory, I tried 
understanding the individual's social, political and situational contexts in which they are in and 
consider the reality of their lives before concluding the research.  
My research skills have improved tremendously throughout the semester. I have 
transformed from a student who would quickly Google information and adapts to another 
researcher's point of view and justifies their reasoning. I have learned to achieve that proper 
qualitative research through investing in finding the original data and using interpretative 
frameworks to ascertain the reliability of the information acquired. 
Regarding forum discussions, they enabled me to express my opinions and learn from 
other people participating in the talks too. I have benefited from these discussions because I 
learned how to communicate myself and accompany my arguments with proper research. I, 
however, realized that the process of dialogue requires patience and an open mind. The later 
because people will always have a different unique way of reasoning and talks do become 
helpful when we appreciate these different ideas before criticizing them. It was frustrating 
dealing with biased ideologies from other students participating in the discussions and also 
having to admit that some of the research I had done could not be a reliable source to back up my 
points. Despite that the forum discussions were enlightening. I gained knowledge, and it felt 
good to know I can always seek help from other people in case I encounter a challenge during 
my research documentation. The forum discussions were worth it.