This article explores learning opportunities offered by students' written reflections as they learn through writing an action research proposal. From tapping into students' reported struggles, I analysed data using three stages of qualitative data analysis: data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing (Miles and Huberman 1994). It emerged that the inescapable psychosocial learning environment which was created influenced students' learning patterns. The more students realised that they could not escape the situation, the more they changed their conceptions of learning; developed a learning etiquette; and developed degrees of acceptance, fulfilment, empowerment and autonomy. It is in terms of these indications that I argue for the provision of different reflection avenues, process-oriented supervision and use of action research principles to encourage students' deep learning of content at hand.