A Combination of Action Research and Reflective Journal Writing in an English as a Foreign Language Class: Learners’ Psychological Point of Views and Their Grammar Use in Writing

Abstract

Action research (AR) and reflective thinking (RT) can enhance learning since both processes provide students with the opportunities to step back and think about how they actually solve problems. While there is a robust academic inquiry on reflection practices and AR in the educational setting, investigating learners’ reflections through AR practices can shed more light on related research. This study implemented reflective journal writing through AR and aimed to investigate (1) the participants’ views about reflective journal writing, (2) the effects of journal writing on RT development, and (3) the learners’ grammar use in writing. Eighty language learners formed the two experimental and control groups of the study. The possible relationship between the RT level and participants’ final exam was checked. Analyses of the participants’ journals, the semi-structured interview, the questionnaires’ results, and the final exam scores were considered. The findings showed that the participants had positive views about journal writing, and they could enhance their level of RT as well as their grammar use in writing; nevertheless, no relationship between the RT level and final exam scores of the participants was found. The methodology and the results of the study could be conducive to welcoming alternative methods of teaching and assessment that encourage the learners’ reflective practices and active engagements in language classes.

The Effect of Reflective Journaling on Writing Skills of English As a Foreign Language Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study

“…This students' writing improvement supported the previous studies of how reflective journaling contributed to improve students' self-reflection practice (Bruno & Dell'Aversana, 2016, critical thinking (Sudirman et al, 2021), and provide the opportunity to develop their thinking and writing skills (Hashim et al, 2023;Ono & Ichii, 2019). Additionally, reflective journal contributed to improve students' writing skills, such as the capability to make noun clause and arrange complex sentences smoothly in their writing (Tahmasbi et al, 2022). The current findings also confirmed the students' capability in organize ideas and make complex writing construction improved which assessed based on a scoring rubric adapted from Kim (2019).…”

“…Many educators and researcherss put so much efforts in developing learning method due to the important role of critical thinking in professional practice (Ruiz-Lopez et al, 2015). Indeed, reflective journaling have a potential to enhance the ability in higher-order critical thinking and evaluative skills (Tahmasbi et al, 2022). However, the teacher's guidance is necessary (Hung, 2019) and the practice of using reflective journaling should be implemented in the long-term in order to obtain maximum results.…”

“…Moreover, reflective journaling have a potential to develop students' higher-order critical thinking and evaluative skills in a long-term implementation (Tahmasbi et al, 2022). The ability to critically analyzing a situation and searching for feasible solution, which lead to decision making as the attempts to solve the problem.…”