ERIC Number: EJ891208
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Aug
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0742-5627
EISSN: N/A
The Quality of Reflection in Student Journals: A Review of Limiting and Enabling Factors
Dyment, Janet E.; O'Connell, Timothy S.
Innovative Higher Education, v35 n4 p233-244 Aug 2010
Although reflective journals are widely used across many disciplines in higher education, the research that examines their use presents an unclear picture of the quality of reflection found in them. Some research reveals that student journals contain primarily deeply reflective entries. Yet other research 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 this article, we seek to explore these conflicting results and identify 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. We draw upon our reading of the literature, our multi-phase research project on journal writing, and reflections on our own teaching practice.
Descriptors: Journal Writing, Student Journals, Teaching Methods, Reflection, Teacher Student Relationship, Teacher Expectations of Students, Feedback (Response), Student Evaluation, Writing Instruction, Writing Skills, Higher Education
Springer. 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-348-4505; e-mail: service-ny@springer.com; Web site: http://www.springerlink.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A