Making Interaction Key to Self-Directed Learning Projects

Reflective learning has been supporting the teaching and learning process. Literature suggests several methods to encorage student's reflection. The aim of the research is to investigate the use of journal writing to know students' perception and comprehension about teaching and learning process in English as Foreign Language Classroom towards student's self awareness and critical thinking. A qualitative research was conducted. The students' learning experinces through portfolio in the form of journal were analysed for data of the research. The subject of the research was the first year students of English Education Department, University of PGRI Adi Buana Surabaya, Indonesia. The Students attended one semester (16 meetings) program of Intensive English Course as one of the subjects in the English Education Department. The information obtained from the students was based on researcher's experience in utilizing the journal as a reflective medium in the classroom. The result indicated that the journal helped students to recognize their feeling and create deeper insight of English teaching and learning towards self-awarness and critical thinking development.

Croatian Journal of Education, 2014

The efficacy of reflective writing in stimulating critical thinking and developing metacognitive awareness has been widely recognized; yet, in spite of the clear benefits provided by reflective tools such as learning journals, the ultimate success of such activities largely depends on whether or not learners are receptive to their use. In the Turkish educational system, where a student-centred, constructivist approach to learning is still a novel practice, it may be especially difficult to implement reflective writing successfully. Thus, in this action research project, the investigator decided to explore the attitudes of Turkish graduate students in an English Language Teaching Methodology course towards the use of learning journals as a reflective tool. The findings indicate that, after some initial resistance, most of the participants found reflective writing to be an effective learning strategy. In light of the participants’ views, some suggestions are offered concerning the implementation of reflective writing in contexts where students may not be familiar with the process of reflection.

An-Najah University Journal for Research - B (Humanities)

This study reports on the contribution of reflective journal writing to students’ development of knowledge and skills in authentic learning of BA students in a Hebron University, Palestine (n=76). The research was conducted using both quantitative and qualitative methods to ascertain the nature and the impact that reflective writing and reflective journals may have upon the quality of student teachers’ reflection upon five dimensions of authentic learning. The results obtained from the questionnaires and the analysis of the reflective journals revealed that students held positive attitudes towards the journal reflection process with regard to all five dimensions. Participants generally viewed their experiences in reflective journal writing to be valuable and enjoyable. They particularly valued the active involvement and personal ownership as supportive to improving their language skills. هدفت هذه الدراسة لمعرفة مدى مساهمة كتابة المجلات التأملية في تنمية قدرات الطلبة ومهاراتهم في تعل...

Croatian Journal of Education-Hrvatski Casopis za Odgoj i obrazovanje, 2014

The efficacy of reflective writing in stimulating critical thinking and developing metacognitive awareness has been widely recognized; yet, in spite of the clear benefits provided by reflective tools such as learning journals, the ultimate success of such activities largely depends on whether or not learners are receptive to their use. In the Turkish educational system, where a student-centred, constructivist approach to learning is still a novel practice, it may be especially difficult to implement reflective writing successfully. Thus, in this action research project, the investigator decided to explore the attitudes of Turkish graduate students in an English Language Teaching Methodology course towards the use of learning journals as a reflective tool. The findings indicate that, after some initial resistance, most of the participants found reflective writing to be an effective learning strategy. In light of the participants’ views, some suggestions are offered concerning the imp...

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

Santalka, 2009

The aim of the article is to get acquainted with the types of journals used in education to help students to learn. The paper presents some ways of fostering student's learning through reflective journaling. It also describes the key aspects of a new method ARRIVE cycle in connection with teachers preparation to use reflective journals in a classroom. The article also presents self-assessment in reflective journaling and students' need to self-evaluate their learning process. Reflective journaling as central to students' self-evaluation is described as a means of fostering metacognition.

Journals have received an increased interest in education context. They have been found to be a fruitful way of communication between teacher and students. Liuolienė & Metiūnienė (2009) mention some purposes of journal writing. It can create a positive atmosphere for learning and foster deep learning by making learners relate new knowledge with the previous one. Moreover, as confirmed by Boud (2001), journal writing encourages students to articulate their level of understanding. It is part of reflective learning and a tool to facilitate language skill development. Through this activity learners are shaped to become reflective, which is crucial for their learning advancement. The study aimed at describing the effects of journal writing on ELESP students in three courses from different semesters. They were Structure I, Textual Pronunciation, and Micro Teaching classes. The sources of the data were the students' reflective writings. From the analysis it was discovered that the stud...

The Korea English Education Society (KEES) 2013 Conference Proceedings (pp. 65-73)

This study assessed the benefits of keeping reflective journal writing on improving English writing skills, increasing motivation, enhancing creativity, and critical thinking among university students. It also explored differences in students' performance and attitudes due to gender, and some writing practices. The sample consisted of 120 male and female students from four sections of an undergraduate writing course. A 19-item questionnaire was distributed and the items were structured according to three dimensions: improving learning, motivation and self confidence, and value and convenience. The results of the study indicated the positive effects of the use of reflective journal writing in enhancing motivation and self-confidence and improving learning in general and the writing skills in particular. The results also indicated that female students favored reflective journal writing more than male students. Furthermore, students who voluntarily wrote their own * "It is generally believed that the thinking process involves two aspects: reflective thinking and critical thinking. They are not separate processes; rather, they are closely connected" (Brookfield 1987).

Front. Psychol, 2022

Reflective journal (RJ) writing has been recognized as an effective pedagogical tool for nurturing students’ lifelong learning skills. With the paucity of empirical work on the dimensionality of reflective writing, this research sought to qualitatively analyze students’ RJ writing and design a generic reflection scheme for identifying dimensions of reflective thinking. Drawing on the theoretical scheme, another aim was to design and validate a questionnaire to measure students’ perceptions of their reflective writing experiences. The last aim was to quantitatively measure the link between perceived reflective writing and students’ tendency to use RJs in their future careers and personal lives. This exploratory sequential research included the following steps: First, experts’ review and analysis of 1312 RJ entries were attained. This step led to the design of a theoretical scheme of reflective writing and a 31-item questionnaire, used to gather data from 171 students (second-year pre-service teachers and third-year health managers). Partial Least Squares analysis corroborated the structure suggested by the theoretical scheme: two timelines–reflections regarding the current course assignments and those related to the student’s future development. Students’ tendency to use reflective skills in their future professional lives was highly connected to their long-term reflections, including learning experiences linked to academic, professional, personal, and multicultural development. The current study’s suggested validated generic scheme can be adapted and integrated into different curricula, thereby possibly increasing the potential of infusing RJ instructional strategies into higher education curricula, improving the quality of reflection in student journals, and promoting lifelong learning skills.