On a path to becoming more self-regulated: Reflective journals’ impact on Chinese English as a foreign language students’ self-regulated writing strategy use

Abstract

A number of studies have confirmed the positive effect of writing reflective journals on L2 learning. However, the relationship between writing reflective journals and the use of self-regulated writing strategies remains unclear. To redress this knowledge gap, we assigned 38 Chinese English as a foreign language (EFL) students three journal-writing tasks in which they reflected on their writing processes and explored (1) the types of self-regulated writing strategies and changes to those strategies that the students’ reflective journals documented; (2) how students with varied writing-proficiency levels differed in their use of self-regulated writing strategies; and (3) the effects of reflective-journal writing on students’ self-perceived use of self-regulated writing strategies in particular, and on their L2 writing in general. Among the 19 kinds of strategies identified in 112 reflective-journal entries, only five (i.e., handling feedback, resource management, text processing, emotion regulation, and idea planning) were demonstrated relatively frequently. The use of seven strategies (i.e., self-monitoring and evaluation, idea planning, perspective change, emotional control, effort regulation, peer learning, and resource management) exhibited significant increases over time, especially during the second-half of the focal semester. In addition, our journal data highlighted individual variation in proficiency levels: with high-proficiency students significantly more likely than others to apply idea planning, feedback handling, and resource management and low-proficiency ones significantly more likely than others to engage in goal-setting. The qualitative results suggest that the practice of journaling raised students’ awareness and may have contributed to an increase in their use of self-regulated writing strategies. In particular, the findings reveal how students internalized and reconstructed the various SRL processes taking place via writing reflective journals. For L2 educators using or considering using reflective journals, these findings contain fresh insights that could help them not only to increase their students’ SRL levels, but also to provide more individualized SRL guidance.

Delving into the Depth: Exploring the Role of Reflective Journaling on L2 Saudi Students’ Academic Writing Practices

“…This act of continuous self-assessment allowed her to track her progress, identify areas needing improvement, and adjust her strategies accordingly. This finding aligns with the findings of Zhang et al (2022), which emphasized the importance of reflective journaling in developing self-monitoring, self-assessment, and goal-setting among L2 students. However, in contrast to Hirose and Sasaki (2000), who found that teaching writing combined with reflective journaling enhanced only the L2 students" writing mechanics, the present study provided empirical evidence on how reflective journaling assisted students in improving all aspects of their writing, such as the structure (as in Reem"s case) and language use (as in Mona"s example).…”

“…Amal demonstrated how reflective journaling helped her acknowledge her strengths and identify her weaknesses. This self-awareness was crucial for effective self-monitoring, allowing her to set goals to track her progress (Cresswell, 2000;Zhang, Li, Chieh, & Han, 2022). This finding aligns with a prior study by Liao and Wong (2007), who discovered that reflective journaling provided L2 students with insights to articulate their writing strengths and identify their weaknesses to monitor their writing progress.…”

Unraveling the Path to Success: Exploring Self-Regulated Language Learning among Chinese College EFL Learners

“…Previous studies have extensively investigated the effectiveness of SRLL among Chinese college learners (e.g., Shen et al, 2023; Y. Zhang et al, 2016, 2022). These research endeavors have provided valuable insights into the factors that affect SRLL and how they influence language learning achievements within this particular context.…”

“…Self-Regulated Language Learning Among Chinese College EFL Learners Previous studies have extensively investigated the effectiveness of SRLL among Chinese college learners (e.g., Shen et al, 2023;Y. Zhang et al, 2016Y. Zhang et al, , 2022.…”

“…By incorporating self-regulation principles into language teaching methodologies, educators can foster a learner-centered environment that promotes autonomy, self-efficacy, and active engagement. This, in turn, can lead to improved language learning outcomes and increased learner satisfaction (Y. Zhang et al, 2022)…”