A Specific Implementation of Reflective Journals in Self-Regulating Academic Presentation Skills

Reflection journal writing is recognized as an effective learning activity in facilitating learners’ self-regulative skills and abilities and their academic performance in the literature. It is evident that self-regulation is of vital importance in learning. Hence, this study aims to investigate self-reflective journal writing on university students’ self-regulation strategies in a scope of academic presentation and speaking course. An exploratory mixed-method research design was adopted. The participants were selected with convenience sampling method and included 94 undergraduate students studying at a prominent English-medium instruction public university. The data was collected through an online questionnaire, and students’ reflections on the ‘Reflection Journal’ task, which aimed to develop their awareness of the strategies that work for their own learning. Students were assigned to videotape their two main presentations during a required language course, and to keep a journal to reflect on certain points predetermined by the course instructor. The study aims to both investigate the perceptions of students about self-regulated learning in presenting, and the effectiveness of the journal task in promoting their learning. The findings indicated that the majority of students benefited from the task which helped them to reflect on their own micro-level presentation skills. This study concluded that reflective journal keeping could facilitate students’ self-regulation and learning performance when developing academic presentation skills.

A Specific Implementation of Reflective Journals in Self-Regulating Academic Presentation Skills

Reflection journal writing is recognized as an effective learning activity in facilitating learners’ self-regulative skills and abilities and their academic performance in the literature. It is evident that self-regulation is of vital importance in learning. Hence, this study aims to investigate self-reflective journal writing on university students’ self-regulation strategies in a scope of academic presentation and speaking course. An exploratory mixed-method research design was adopted. The participants were selected with convenience sampling method and included 94 undergraduate students studying at a prominent English-medium instruction public university. The data was collected through an online questionnaire, and students’ reflections on the ‘Reflection Journal’ task, which aimed to develop their awareness of the strategies that work for their own learning. Students were assigned to videotape their two main presentations during a required language course, and to keep a journal to reflect on certain points predetermined by the course instructor. The study aims to both investigate the perceptions of students about self-regulated learning in presenting, and the effectiveness of the journal task in promoting their learning. The findings indicated that the majority of students benefited from the task which helped them to reflect on their own micro-level presentation skills. This study concluded that reflective journal keeping could facilitate students’ self-regulation and learning performance when developing academic presentation skills.

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