Introduction: Reflection is the process of consciously monitoring one's own thoughts, emotions, core beliefs, assumptions, and knowledge. Through reflective practice, we learn from our own experiences and integrate theory and practice. Purpose: The purpose of this master's thesis is to examine differences in self-assessed aspects of reflective practice among students in different years of full-time and part-time study. Additionally, we examined the role of certain demographic factors in students' reflective practice. Methods: We used a non-experimental quantitative research method. We used the Reflective Practice Questionnaire (RPQ). We conducted both longitudinal and cross-sectional comparisons of self-assessed aspects of reflective practice among full-time and part-time students. In the cross-sectional study, the final sample included 468 students who participated in the study only once, while in the longitudinal study, we included 24 students who participated in all three years of study. Results: There were no statistically significant differences among students in the three years in terms of ratings of reflection after an activity, reflection during an activity, and reflection with others, nor were there differences between regular and part-time students. In the cross-sectional comparison, students in the second year rated their self-assessment higher than first-year and third-year students. Results from the longitudinal study showed a decline in the level of reflection during an activity as students progressed in their studies, while ratings of reflection with others and self-assessment increased slightly from the first to the second year but declined by the final year. Students who had attended a nursing school before their studies reported higher levels of self-assessment than their peers with a different educational background. Aspects of reflective practice were statistically significantly and moderately positively correlated with job satisfaction during internships. Discussion and Conclusion: Contrary to expectations, progression through the program does not lead to an increase in reflective practice among students. This calls for further investigations and likely suggests that this topic needs to be taught more intensively. Reflective practice plays a favorable role in students' job satisfaction, probably because it supports their professional development and helps them find meaning in their work.
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