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An - Najah Univ. J. Res. (Humanities). Vol. 26(4), 2012
Reflective Journal Writing as an Effective Technique in the
Writing Process*
Mohammed Farrah
English Department, Faculty of Arts, Hebron University, Palestine
E-mail: mfarrah@hebron.edu
Received: (5/6/2011), Accepted: (29/4/2012)
Abstract
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).
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paragraphs were more motivated to write than others and had a much
better perception. In sum, reflective journal writing makes the writing
course enjoyable, motivating, relevant and exciting.
Keywords: reflective writing, motivation, experiential learning,
critical thinking
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1. Introduction
Reflective journal writing is an effective learning technique that
enables students to learn while they are writing. Students can use journals
for a number of purposes such as writing about interesting topics,
expanding their imagination, and establishing connections between new
information and the things they already know. Kerka (1996) points out
that journal writing is considered to be a critical aspect of knowledge
processing and that it helps the learners to “articulate connections
between new information and what they already know” (p.2). This
technique helps students to enhance their learning as they have the
opportunity to think and reflect on what they have learnt.
Moreover, reflective journal writing has the potential to promote
critical thinking. Priest and Sturgess (2005) suggest that journal
reflection provides an invaluable experience as it helps ‘the individuals to
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subject their personal beliefs to critical analysis in a safe environment’
(p.2). In addition, journal writing encourages students to keep an
invaluable record for their thoughts, feelings, experiences, personal
values and beliefs. As explained by Dyment and O’Connell (2003),
journal writing is the “recording of daily events, personal reflections,
questions about the environment, and reactions to experiences.”
Furthermore, reflective journal writing offers students opportunities
to communicate with their instructors with confidence and motivation as
there is no anxiety related to assessment or grading (Park, 2003). On the
contrary, students can have a role to evaluate themselves and monitor
their progress. Garfield (1994) pointed out that engaging the learner in
self-assessment is a critical and early part of the assessment process and
learners “need to learn how to take a critical look at their own
knowledge, skills, and applications of their knowledge and skills.” Gil-
Garcia and Cintron (2002) opined that a reflective journal involves
learners in ‘self-assessment, collaborative critique, self-reflection and
goal setting’ (p.1). According to Graham (2003), reflective journal
writing helps students to develop confidence, competence in their writing
and perceive themselves as writers.
2. What is Reflective Journal Writing?
According to a study prepared by The Learning Centre, The
University of New South Wales in 2008, reflective writing is:
− your response to experiences, opinions, events or new information
− your response to thoughts and feelings
− a way of thinking to explore your learning
− an opportunity to gain self-knowledge
− a way to achieve clarity and better understanding of what you are
learning
− a chance to develop and reinforce writing skills
− a way of making meaning out of what you study
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The Learning Centre
Another report prepared by ProDAIT (2006) (Professional
Development for Academics Involved in Teaching) revealed what is
meant by reflective journal writing and its benefits. According to this
report, reflective journal writing has a number of values. First, reflective
journal writing provides an informal place where learners can write their
own reactions to their experiences. Second, it can enhance the
'conversation with oneself'. Third, journal writing can be a tool that helps
learners make better sense of their experiences by summarising them and
actively trying to understand them. Finally, it enables learners to go back
and 'see' their own thinking. To explain, learners will have “a lasting
record of thoughts that provides evidence of our own development” (p.1).
3. Theoretical Framework
Using reflective journals as a learning tool is deeply rooted in several
learning theories (interactionists theories, reflective thinking theory
(Dewey, 1933), learner autonomy, experiential learning, personal growth
and professional development). Dewey (1938) advocated learning
experiences that promote meaningful learning. According to him,
effective learning can take place when learners are actively engaged with
the content in an extremely personal way. He opined that experiential
learning is an ingenious means to achieve this purpose as learners are
highly motivated. Dewey (1938) believed that there was a need for “a
theory of experience in order that education may be intelligently
conducted upon the basis of experience” (p. 23). Dewey (1933)
suggested a pattern of thought that aims to “transform a situation in
which there is experienced obscurity, doubt, conflict, disturbance of
some sort, into a situation that is clear, coherent, settled, harmonious” (p.
101-102).
Similarly, Kolb (1984) believes that experiential learning is a vital
aspect in engaging the learners. According to him, “learning is the
process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of
experience” (p. 38). Kolb outlined a four-stage model that leads to
effective learning: (a) concrete experience, (b) reflective observation, (c)
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abstract conceptualization, and (d) active experimentation. It is a cyclical
model of learning where learners may begin at any stage and then follow
the sequence (Figure 1).
Figure (1): Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle.
Reflective journal writing can promote learning through Kolb's four
stages, where the learners actively experience certain activities such as a
journal where they talk about a specific experience in stage one and
reflect back on that experience in stage two. In the third stage, learners
think and try to explore explanations regarding the meaning of the
experience. Finally, in stage four, learners try to use their experiences,
make connections with the new information to make decisions and solve
problems resulting in better interpretations, or understandings of their
experiences. Similarly, Scanlon and Chernomas (1997) described the
processes of writing a journal in a three-stage reflective learning model:
− Stage 1 of reflection is awareness. This could be stimulated by
thoughts about an event in teaching that went well, or seemed
problematic.
Kolb’sExperientialLearning
Cycle
4
Testing
in new
3Forming
abstract
concepts
2
Observati
onand
1Concrete
experiences
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− Stage 2 involves the individual in critical analysis of the event,
exploring what happened and why. We consider how this experience
relates to previous ideas and practice.
− At stage 3, a new perspective emerges, or previous ideas are
confirmed or reinforced, based on the reflection. From this,
developments occur, in thinking or feelings, and sometimes there
will be changes in practice.
Consequently, reflective journal writing, as a learning tool, offers
learners with various opportunities to discover new ideas and reveal inner
secrets. According to Baldwin (1991), "Writing bridges the inner and
outer world and connects the paths of action and reflection" (p. 9).
Rogers (1982) stated that "the only learning which significantly
influences behavior is self-discovered self-appropriated learning" (p.
223). Vygotsky (1986) opined that reflective journal writing enables
learners to make connections between themselves and the world around
them. He indicates that:
Thought is not begotten by thought; it is engendered by emotion, i.e.,
by our desires and needs, our interests and emotions. Behind every
thought there is an affective-volitional tendency, which holds the answer
to the last "why" in the analysis of thinking, (p. 252)
According to Vygotsky (1978)
"We have also come to know a great deal more about the
significance of collaborative learning, for many now believe that how we
come principally to know ourselves is through the interaction with each
other. Beginning with ….. the view that thinking is a social activity,
initially shared among people but gradually internalized to reappear again
as an individual achievement. The conception of mind inherent in the
constructivist view not only is active in nature, but also seeks out
dialogue and discourse with other minds. These social settings provide an
audience for an individual's attitudes, opinions, and beliefs, where
audiences request clarification, justification, and elaboration. Learning
with understanding is more likely when one is required to explain,
elaborate, or defend one's position to others, as well as to oneself;
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striving for an explanation often makes a learner integrate and structure
knowledge in new ways" (p.158).
Reflective journal writing can offer means to enlighten learners’
thinking habits, and to engage with their instructors in meaningful
dialogue where both can examine their thinking patterns and reflect on
them. According to Chapman (1990), “students' writing in response to
reading is one of the most valid indices of whether the student has been
able to derive meaning from the text” (p.1). He adds that the process
“should reflect various types of writing as well as levels of complexity
related to the task assigned in the prompt” (p.1).
4. Literature Review
The use of reflective journal learning as a tool to enhance the
learning process has been the subject of several studies. A number of
studies suggested that journal writing is a supportive tool that encourages
reflective activity in learners and that reflective thinking skills can be
taught and learned (Francis, 1995).
Several studies investigated the effects of reflective journal writing
on students’ learning. O'Connell and Dyment (2006) investigated the
benefits of the journal as a tool to encourage students in the process of
reflecting on their own learning and improving their own writing skills.
Similarly, Kerka, (1996) indicated that students’ responses can be used in
order to “articulate connections between new information and what they
already know” (p.2). Chirema, (2007) examined the use of reflective
journals in promoting reflection and learning in post-registration nursing
students. The study revealed that student writing “can be used as
evidence for the presence or absence of reflective thinking”. According
to the study, this evidence also indicates that reflective journal writing is
a useful tool that may promote reflection and learning as students become
better aware of their learning achievements.
Lew and Schmidt (2007) conducted a study at a post-secondary
institution to investigate the extent to which students believe that journal
writing improves their learning. They found that “students’ beliefs about
the usefulness of journal writing in enabling students to think and write
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reflectively are related to their beliefs about improving learning through
frequent journal writing, and the use of the journal writing as an
impression management tool, and as a means to feedback on team work”
(p.579). They concluded that using online reflection journals offers
numerous opportunities for students to reflect on their learning, and for
facilitators to monitor students’ progress through their reflections.
Williams (2008) investigated the use of reflective journal writing in
an 8
th
grade classroom. She found that reflective journal writing created
greater class participation, stronger academic achievement, and a better
opportunity for students to connect with the subject matter.
Spaulding and Wilson (2002) examined the journals of 34 students.
They posited that reflective journal writing can serve four purposes for
the student. According to them, journal writing is important for students
as it serves as a permanent record of thoughts and experiences,
establishes and maintains a relationship with the instructor, provides a
safe outlet for frustrations and concerns; and aids internal dialogue.
Consequently, reflective journal writing can aid in promoting critical
thinking skills when learners use the writing process to analyze
challenging classroom issues and to establish alternative solutions to
those problems (Dyment, and O’Connell, 2003).
Greiman and Convington (2007) examined the journal writing
experiences of student teachers to obtain insight into the process of
developing reflective practitioners. They found that student teachers were
somewhat comfortable with writing as a form of communication and
many perceived that journal writing went well. The participants in their
study identified reflective thinking as the most frequent benefit of journal
writing.
Sen (2010) examined students’ reflective writing in terms of
identifiable outcomes and explored students’ thoughts on reflection and
reflective writing as a process. The study revealed a positive relationship
with a number of outcomes, academic learning, the need for self
development, actual self development, critical review, awareness of ones’
own mental functions, decision making and empowerment and
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emancipation. According to Sen (2010), the most important advantage
was evident when learners “were most analytical in their reflection and
expressed that in deeply analytical reflective writing” (p. 91). Dyment
and O’Connell (2010) sought to explore the conflicting results between
the research that shows that student journals contain primarily deeply
reflective entries and the other research that presents a less optimistic
perspective, finding that a majority of student journals contain mostly
descriptive accounts of events, with little to no critical reflection present.
In their study, they identified a series of factors that may limit or enable
high quality reflection in student journals. Such factors are clarity of
expectations, training, responses, assessments, relationships with the
lecturer, and developing the practice. They drew upon their reading of the
literature, their multi-phase research project on journal writing, and
reflections on their own teaching practice.
Maloney and Campbell-Evans (2002) suggest that the interaction
between journal writers and their audience ‘provides opportunities for
student teachers to make practical theory explicit’ (p.39). The analysis
and critical observation can help student teachers to ‘critique and modify
their practice’ (Gil-Garcia and Cintron, 2002, p.4). Hine (2000) believes
that mentoring develops ‘more self-reflective, meta-cognitively aware
and self-directed learners’ (p.1).
Based on the reviewed literature, it is noticed that reflective journal
writing is vital for maximizing interaction among students, increasing
motivation, and developing critical thinking skills. Moreover, some
researchers reported better achievement for students in the subject matter.
5. Statement of the Problem
University students encounter writing problems due to the lack of
some writing practices, writing skills and ideas that would help them to
be competent writers. This is obvious when students are asked to write
essays for various university courses. This may lead them to score low
grades in some courses or even fail in others. Consequently, there is a
need to examine if reflective journal writing can advance students’
writing fluency and increase their motivation.
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6. Significance of the Study
The use of reflective journal writing enables students to write
unconstrained on an interesting topic related to texts that they have
covered in a certain course or any other personal experiences they have
undergone. Unimpeded by fear about grades, students are more
motivated and confident in their writing skill and are able to acquire good
writing skills. This practice is helpful for students improving the
students’ competence in writing. Reflective journal writing is chosen in
this research to show that it has the potential of maximizing the students’
involvement and motivation. Moreover, students can express their
thoughts and feelings through such journals without worrying about
spelling and grammar.
7. Objectives of the Study
This paper aims at examining the benefits of keeping reflective
writing journals in improving English writing skills, increasing
motivation to write, enhancing creativity and critical thinking skills
among Hebron University students. It also aims to explore if there are
differences in students performance and attitudes due to gender, level of
proficiency, writing practices.
8. Research Questions
The research questions of the study were:
a. What are the benefits of reflective journal writing as perceived by
Hebron University students?
b. Does reflective journal writing enhance motivation to write and
confidence, among Hebron University students?
c. Does reflective journal writing improve language learning among
Hebron University students?
d. How do the students perceive the value and convenience of the
reflective journal writing process?
e. Are there differences in the students’ attitudes due to their gender
and writing practices?
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9. Methodology
The present section discusses the population, research instrument,
procedure, developing the questionnaire and its reliability.
9.a. Population
The sample for the study consisted of 120 male and female students
from four writing classes. Participants were students from sections of an
undergraduate writing course taught by the same instructor throughout
the academic year 2010/2011.
9.b. Research Instruments
Development and Distribution of the Questionnaire
The questionnaire was developed based on the literature review
conducted by the researcher. The researcher developed an appropriate
questionnaire that is suitable for examining attitudes towards reflective
journal writing practices. The items were structured according to three
dimensions that were addressed in the study. The three dimensions are
improving learning, motivation and self-confidence, and value and
convenience. The questionnaire consisted of 19 statements using Likert’s
5-point scale, (Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly
Agree) (See Appendix).
A 19-item questionnaire was distributed during the Fall and Spring
semesters of the academic year 2010/2011. The questionnaire was
distributed to the students at the end of both the Fall semester and the
Spring semester. This questionnaire was used to elicit their views about
the benefits of reflective journal writing enhancing and improving
language learning, motivation and self-confidence, as well as examining
its value and convenience. Quantitative data was analyzed statistically by
using the SPSS program.
9.c. Procedure
The students were encouraged to write daily or weekly reflective
journals based on certain articles they read or experiences that have
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undergone. It was a voluntary exercise but by the end of each semester
the majority of the students wrote at least 10 journals and some wrote
more than 30 journals.
10. A. Reliability of the Questionnaire
The reliability coefficient of the questionnaire was tabulated. The
result showed that the overall Cronbach Alpha Coefficient of the
questionnaire is high (r = 0.80) indicating a high degree of internal
consistency, and therefore presenting a considerably reliable instrument.
10.B Validity of the Questionnaire
Two experts from Hebron University examined the content validity
of the questionnaire. One of them is from the Faculty of Education and
he is expert in designing questionnaires and statistical analysis and the
second is an associate professor in Applied Linguistics. Both were asked
to validate the content of the questionnaire and to assess its clarity and
suitability to examine the degree to which the scale of items reflected
reflective journal writing dimensions. The two experts commented on the
questionnaire format, structuring of some item and if each item in the
questionnaire was applicable for a Likert-scale student response. Based
on their suggestions, the necessary changes were made and incorporated
in the final questionnaire.
11. Results and Discussion
This section presents the results of Part One in the Questionnaire,
demographic information and some students’ writing practices:
11.a Gender
The majority of the respondents were females which reflects the
overall population of Hebron University, Palestine. The overwhelming
majority of students 102 (85%) were females, 18 (15%) were males.
11.b Writing Practices:
As the study concerns a writing course, it is also interesting to see the
students’ writing practices. Questions on students’ writing practices were
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asked (e,g. When do you start writing a paragraph? Throughout this
course, I wrote, … I practise writing English paragraphs, my high school
teachers encouraged us to write journals. I read English newspapers and
magazines. I only write English paragraphs when my instructor gives me
an assignment to do). The results are shown in Table 1.
Table (1): Writing Practices (n=120).
Writing Practices Options Number Percentage%
When do you start
writing a
paragraph?
Several days before it
is due
55 45.8
About a day before it
is due
51 42.5
At the last possible
minute
14 11.7
Total 120 100
Throughout this
course, I wrote
3-5 journals weekly 22 18.3
1-2 journals weekly 74 61.7
1-2 journals monthly 22 18.3
Missing 2 1.7
Total 120 100
I practise writing
English paragraphs)
Every day 13 10.8
Twice a week 53 44.2
Once a week 39 32.5
Twice a month 11 9.2
Once a month 3 2.5
Missing 1 .8
Total 120 100
I only write English
paragraphs when
my instructor gives
me an assignment to
do
Yes 51 42.5
No 69 57.5
Total 120 100
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…continue table (1)
The following section presents results of Part Two in the
questionnaire. It aims to answer the research questions of the current
study.
a. What are the benefits of reflective journal writing as perceived
by Hebron University students?
Descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations) were
calculated for the whole questionnaire items to examine the benefits of
reflective journal writing as perceived by Hebron University students.
The reliability coefficient for the 19 items was tabulated. The result
showed that the overall Cronbach Alpha Coefficient of the questionnaire
items is (r = 0.80) indicating a high degree of internal consistency. See
Table 2 for the calculated means of items and their standard deviation.
Writing Practices Options Number Percentage%
My high school
teachers encouraged
us to write journals
Yes 33 27.5
No 87 72.5
Total 120 100
I write English e-
mail to my friends
and family
Yes 69 57.5
No 51 42.5
Total 120 100
I read English
newspapers and
magazines
One hour daily 31 25.8
More than two hours
daily
3 2.5
More than four hours
weekly
39 32.5
I do not read 46 38.3
Missing 1 .8
Total 120 100
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Table (2): means and standard deviation for the whole items in the
questionnaire.
No Statement M SD
1 Reflective Journal writing helped me to talk about
my experiences 4.32 .840
2 Reflective Journal writing helped me to express
my ideas and opinions 4.33 .714
3 Reflective Journal writing helped me to respond
to my thoughts and feelings 4.21 .829
4 Reflective Journal writing stimulated my critical
thinking skills 4.09 1.021
5 Reflective Journal writing was a way of thinking
to explore my learning 4.13 .784
6 Reflective Journal writing was an opportunity to
gain self-knowledge 4.24 1.037
7 Reflective Journal writing helped me understand
what I am learning 4.06 .843
8 Reflective Journal writing allowed me to describe
what I understood 4.15 1.034
9 Reflective Journal writing offered me a chance to
develop and reinforce my writing skills 4.39 .873
10 Reflective Journal writing enhanced my
communication skills 3.78 1.119
11 Frequent journal writing increased my creativity 4.13 1.058
12 Journal writing motivated me to write more 4.18 .961
13 I did not understand what I am supposed to write
in my journal (Recoded) 3.95 1.302
14 I did not have enough time to write in my
journals (Recoded) 3.48 1.489
15 Reflective Journal writing is a waste of time
(Recoded) 4.55 .969
16 I find it easy to write in my journal 3.18 1.090
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…continue table (2)
No Statement M SD
17 Reflective Journal writing should be
encouraged/continued 4.27 .959
18 I would like to share with the class what I wrote
in my journal 3.34 1.247
19 Overall, this was a worthwhile experience 4.35 1.120
As the table reveals, most of the items got high ratings with item
number 15 getting the highest rating (m=4.55). This means that student
did not perceive the reflective journal writing as a waste of time. It
should be noticed that the data for this item has been recoded as it is
negatively structured. Responses to negatively stated items (n = 3) were
reversed so that for all items the highest response score was indicative of
a positive rating of each statement.
Item 19 lent support for this perception as most of the students
perceived the reflective journal writing as a worthwhile experience
(m=4.35) by receiving a very high degree of agreement among the
participants. The item that got second place and got a very high rating
(mean=4.39) is item number 9 (the Reflective Journal writing offered me
a chance to develop and reinforce my writing skills). This item is
followed by items number 1, number 2, and number 6. These three items
address the issue of talking about personal experiences, expressing their
ideas and thoughts, and gaining self-knowledge.
The items that got less agreement are items 14, 16, and 18. The least
rating for item number 16 (mean=3.18) means that some students did not
“find it easy to write in their journal.” This is explained in item number
14 which addressed the issue of having sufficient time to write journals.
This item got a medium rating (mean=3.48) which means that the process
of journal writing is a demanding process and it requires time for
students to reflect and express their thoughts. Similarly, the students gave
a medium rating to item number 18 (mean=3.34) (I would like to share
with the class what I wrote in my journal). This means that though most
of them viewed the process of journal writings as a worthwhile
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experience, not all of them are ready to share their personal experiences
with their classmates.
b. Does reflective journal writing enhance motivation to write and
confidence, among Hebron University students?
Descriptive statistics were calculated for the questionnaire items that
are related to increasing motivation and developing confidence. They are
6 items. The reliability coefficient for the 6 items was tabulated. The
result showed that the overall Cronbach Alpha Coefficient of the 6 items
is (r = 0.71) indicating a good degree of internal consistency. See Table 3
for the calculated means of items and their standard deviation.
Table (3): means and standard deviation for the motivation and self-
confidence dimension.
No Statement M SD
1 Reflective Journal writing helped me to talk about
my experiences 4.32 .840
2 Reflective Journal writing helped me to express
my ideas and opinions 4.33 .714
3 Reflective Journal writing helped me to respond
to my thoughts and feelings 4.21 .829
10 Reflective Journal writing enhanced my
communication skills 3.78 1.119
11 Frequent journal writing increased my creativity 4.13 1.058
12 Journal writing motivated me to write more 4.18 .961
As Table 3 reveals, generally, most of the items got a very high
rating. This indicates that reflective journal writing helps in enhancing
learners’ motivation and builds up their confidence. This is in agreement
with Graham’ study (2003), where she found that reflective journal
writing develops confidence and competence among learners, and Thrope
(2004) who found that such as reflective learning journals to be
meaningful learning experiences for learners. Moreover, Park (2003)
found in his study that some students reported a growth in their self-
confidence.
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c. Does reflective journal writing improve language learning among
Hebron University students?
Descriptive statistics were calculated for the questionnaire items that
are related to increasing motivation and developing confidence. They are
6 items. The reliability coefficient for the 6 items was tabulated. The
results showed that the overall Cronbach Alpha Coefficient of the 6 items
is (r = 0.73) indicating a good degree of internal consistency. See Table 4
for the calculated means of items and their standard deviation.
Table (4): means and standard deviation for improving learning
dimension
No Statement M SD
4 Reflective Journal writing stimulated my critical
thinking skills 4.09 1.021
5 Reflective Journal writing was a way of thinking
to explore my learning 4.13 .784
6 Reflective Journal writing was an opportunity to
gain self-knowledge 4.24 1.037
7 Reflective Journal writing helped me understand
what I am learning 4.06 .843
8 Reflective Journal writing allowed me to describe
what I understood 4.15 1.034
9 Reflective Journal writing offered me a chance to
develop and reinforce my writing skills 4.39 .873
As Table 4 reveals, generally, all of the items got a very high rating.
This indicates that reflective journal writing stimulates critical thinking
skills and helps learners to explore their own learning by giving them an
opportunity to gain self-knowledge. It also helps learners to understand
what they learnt and to reflect on what they understood. All of this will
definitely offer the learners’ an opportunity to develop and reinforce their
writing skills, one of the objectives of the writing course. This is in
agreement with the findings of Lew and Schmidt (2007) who reported
that their students believe that journal writing contributes to improving
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their learning. They reported that their students indicated that reflective
journal writing has a valuable effect on their learning “as enabling them
to think and write reflectively”. Similarly, Williams (2008) found that
“ninety-four percent of the students said the journals helped them
understand and describe their learning,” and “ninety-four percent of the
students stated the journals made their subject matter easier.” Moreover,
Dyment and O’Connell (2010) concluded that “reflective journals require
students to engage in critical reflection and higher order thinking; they
force students to be more open-ended and less prescriptive and, they
permit students to be creative and questioning.”
d. How do the students perceive the value and convenience of the
reflective journal writing process?
They are 7 items in this category. The reliability coefficient for the 7
items was tabulated. The result showed that the overall Cronbach Alpha
Coefficient of the 7 items is (r = 0.68) indicating an acceptable degree of
internal consistency. See Table 5 for the calculated means of items and
their standard deviation.
Table (5): means and standard deviation for the value and convenience
dimension
No Statement M SD
13 I did not understand what I am supposed to write
in my journal (Recoded)
3.95 1.302
14 I did not have enough time to write in my
journals (Recoded)
3.48 1.489
15 Reflective Journal writing is a waste of time
(Recoded)
4.55 .969
16 I find it easy to write in my journal 3.18 1.090
17 Reflective Journal writing should be encouraged /
continued
4.27 .959
18 I would like to share with the class what I wrote
in my journal
3.34 1.247
19 Overall, this was a worthwhile experience 4.35 1.120
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As Table 5 reveals, the items that addressed the ease and
convenience of the reflective journal writing process got a medium rating
indicating that the process is a demanding one and requires sufficient
time. This means that the process is difficult and challenging. This is in
agreement with Park (2003) who found in his study that a recurrent
theme in many journal entries was difficulty of the task. Similar findings
were reported in Thrope (3004) who found reflective learning journals to
be demanding and time-consuming. Sen (2010) concluded her study by
saying that “Reflective practice is not a clear concept to understand at
first; it is also challenging to teach and can be demanding in the amount
of student support that is needed, but with that commitment, the students
can benefit from the skills they develop.”
Regarding the items that addressed the value of the reflective writing
process, they got a very high rating as revealed in items 15, 17, and 19.
This indicates that the students enjoyed the experience of reflective
journal writing and thus they did not consider it to be a waste of time. On
the contrary, they viewed it as a worthwhile learning experience and
consequently it should be encouraged/continued. This is in agreement
with Park (2003) who found that “most students recorded that they felt
that this was a useful thing to do and valuable to them in a number of
important ways. One of his students described the experience as “a most
beneficial exercise” and another student describing it as, “a worthwhile
exercise” and a third student describing it as “rewarding, and at times
quite enjoyable to do… an effective tool for learning.” He added that his
students demonstrated more enthusiasm by reporting that they feel it is a
most beneficial exercise, “one I feel which will continue to work in the
future, especially with regard to triggering further reading and thinking
about it.” Similarly, Williams (2008) found that seventy-five percent of
the participants in her study stated they would like to continue using the
reflective journals.” A final point that is noticed in this table is item
number 18. As the table reveals, not all of the student would like to share
with the class what they wrote in their journal. This point has been raised
by Dyment and O’Connell (2010) when they explained that their
participants “have repeatedly expressed their reluctance to reflect
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honestly and deeply if they are concerned about the trustworthiness of the
reader.” To support their findings, they cited Epp (2008) who revealed
that “students might choose to keep writing superficially if they have
reason to believe that the reader does not create a safe space for their
deep thoughts, ideas, and reflections.” Dyment and O’Connell (2010)
clarify that students share information about their relationships, families,
histories, hopes, fears, our concerns, joys, sadness, and dreams. Due to
this, they suggested “that this sharing allows a trusting relationship to
develop, and this trusting relationship often manifests itself in the
students’ journals.” According to them, what is needed is a fairly mature
and responsible group of students who can handle the issue of journal
sharing.
e. Are there differences in the students’ performance and attitudes
due to their gender and writing practices?
In order to examine whether there is a significant difference between
the male and female students and reflective journal writing, a t-test was
carried out and Table 6 shows that there is a significant difference at
0.001.
Table (6): t-test for Equality of Means.
Gender N M SD T Df Sig.
Attitude Female
Male
102
18
4.115
3.742
.454
.478
3.152 118 0.001
This means that female students have better perception for the
reflective journal writing process. This is in line with the literature that
shows the superiority of females in the language arts.
Similarly, the researcher investigated whether there is a significant
difference between some students’ writing practices and their perception
of the reflective journal writing process. A t-test was carried out. Table 7
shows that some dimensions have a significant difference and others
have no significant difference.
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Table (7): t-test for Equality of Means for some writing practices.
Group N M SD T df Sig.
I write English
emails to my
family and
friends
Yes 69 4.09 .46537 0688 118 .493
No
51 4.02 .49801
My high
school English
teachers
encouraged me
to write
journals
Yes 33 3.98 .46998 -1.100 118 .274
No
87 4.08 .48094
I only write
English
paragraphs
when my
instructor
gives me an
assignment to
do
Yes 51 3.88 .46256 -3.601 118 .001
No
69 4.19 .45117
As Table 7 reveals there were no significant differences between the
students who said they write English emails and the students who are
encouraged to write emails by their high school teachers. However a
significant difference appeared between the students who only write
English paragraphs when they are instructed to do so by their instructors.
As Table 9 reveals the students who do not wait until they are asked by
their instructors to write paragraphs viewed the process of reflective
journal writing in a much better way than those who only start writing
when they are instructed by their teachers. Cisero (2006) reported that
“students who had more favorable attitudes toward the journal
assignment tended to have higher journal grades. These findings suggest
that students who were motivated to put effort into the assignment not
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only had higher journal grades, but also saw the benefits of journal
writing (in terms of their favorable attitude).”
Conclusion and Recommendations
This study showed that the participants in this study had positive
attitudes towards reflective journal writing. The results of this study
indicated the positive effects of the use of reflective journal writing in
enhancing motivation and self confidence, improving learning in general
and the writing skills in particular.
Moreover, the study indicated that female students favored the
reflective journal writing process more than the male students. In
addition to that, the results of this study indicated that the students who
used to write paragraphs voluntarily had better attitudes than students
who just wrote when instructed by their teachers. Thus, we can see that
using reflective journal writing is beneficial to students as demonstrated
by the results of this study. Additionally, the students who voluntarily
wrote their own paragraphs were more motivated to write than the others
and had a much better perception. To sum up, reflective journal writing
can be used to develop the writing skills as evidenced by the statistically
significant differences among the participants. Using reflective journal
writing in EFL teaching has the added advantages of increasing
motivation and self-confidence, and improving learning. Moreover,
reflective journal writing makes the writing course enjoyable, motivating,
relevant, and exciting. Thus, students should be aware of the benefits to
be gained from reflecting and writing down those reflections in order to
encourage them to continue the reflective writing practice.
Based on the results of this study, the researcher recommends the
following:
1. Due to its benefits, reflective journal writing should be an integral
component of university writing courses.
2. Similar studies should be carried out at other Palestinian universities in
order to see whether their results corroborate or oppose the results of
the present study.
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3. English writing instructors at the university level should encourage
their students to use reflective journal writing due to its many benefits.
4. Future studies in this domain should deal with other significant
variables such as the socio-economic level, place of residence (rural,
urban) and the role of the native and foreign cultures.
5. Future studies should investigate more thoroughly why female
students have better perception of attitudes toward and performance in
reflective journal writing.
Acknowledgement
The researcher would like to thank Dr. Hanna Tushyeh of the
English department at Hebron University for editing this paper and the
students of the writing course for their enthusiasm, participation and
cooperation.
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Appendix
The purpose of this questionnaire is to measure the students’ attitudes towards
Journal writing. Please read the statements carefully and answer PART I and PART II
Your answers will be kept strictly confidential and anonymous.
PART (I): Please, tick (3) the appropriate box.
A- Gender: Female Male
B- Year of study: Second Third
C- Current GPA: Below 60 60 – 69 70 – 79 80-89 90 and above
D- Major English (Education) English (Literature) English/ minor French
E- When do you start writing a paragraph?
1- Several days before it is due
2- About a day before it is due
3- At the last possible minute
F- Throughout this course, I wrote
A - 3-5 journals weekly
B - 1-2 journals weekly
C- 1-2 journals monthly
G- I practise writing English paragraphs
a- Every day
b- Twice a week
c- Once a week
d- Twice a month
e- Once a month
H. I write English email to my friends and family
a- Yes b- No
I – My high school teachers encouraged us to write journals
a- Yes b- No
J - I read English newspapers and magazines
a- One hour daily
b- More than two hours daily
c- More than four hours weekly
d- I do not read
K- I only write English paragraphs when my instructor gives me an assignment to do
a- Yes b- No
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PART (II): Indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following
statements regarding your views about Journal writing by putting a tick (3) in the
appropriate box using the scale given below
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree
1 2 3 4 5
No 1234 5
1 Reflective Journal writing helped me to talk about my
experiences
2 Reflective Journal writing helped me to express my ideas and
opinions
3 Reflective Journal writing helped me to respond to my
thoughts and feelings
4 Reflective Journal writing stimulated my critical thinking
skills
5 Reflective Journal writing was a way of thinking to explore
my learning
6 Reflective Journal writing was an opportunity to gain self-
knowledge
7 Reflective Journal writing helped me understand what I am
learning
8 Reflective Journal writing allowed me to describe what I
understood
9 Reflective Journal writing offered me a chance to develop
and reinforce my writing skills
10 Reflective Journal writing enhanced my communication
skills
11 Frequent journal writing increased my creativity
12 Journal writing motivated me to write more
13 I did not understand what I am supposed to write in my
journal
14 I did not have enough time to write in my journals
16 Reflective Journal writing is a waste of time
17 I find it easy to write in my journal
18 Reflective Journal writing should be encouraged/continued
19 I would like to share with the class what I wrote in my
journal
20 Overall, this was a worthwhile experience
