An Approach to Progress Learning Outcomes: International Graduate Students’ Engagement in Reflective Practice and Reflective Journal Writing during Pandemic

Abstract

Reflective practice (RP) and reflective journal writing (RJW) are considered the most important ways to enhance students’ learning progress. During the pandemic, offline learning has replaced online learning to keep students safe and healthy. This research solely examined reflective practice during online learning, which is significant as online education is less effective and students carry the full study load. However, this study’s core purpose was to determine international graduate students’ perceptions regarding RP and RJW during online learning in the pandemic period. It also investigated whether student engagement in RP enhances their critical reflection and learning progress. The mixed-method (QUAN-QUAL) approach was utilized in this study. The sample consisted of 123 international graduate students who were enrolled in various disciplines and majors in China and at least attended two consecutive semesters (24 weeks) online. The survey questionnaire was based on 28 items to collect the quantitative data. The questionnaire was categorized into four variables: self-education, learning progress, critical reflection, and engagement. While semi-structured interviews were conducted with 5 participants for qualitative data collection, the quantitative results indicated that all of the statements received good ranks and could be used to study how reflective journals helped students improve their self-education, critical reflection, writing skills, learning progress, and engagement. In addition, the results revealed a statistically significant beneficial association between engagement, self-education, critical reflection, and learning progress. Qualitative findings corroborated the quantitative results that participation in RP and RJW boosted students’ critical thinking skills and facilitated their learning and development. Based on the results, this study concluded that RP or RJW enhance success ratios as well as critical reflection, which is effective not only in learning but also in professional and practical settings.

The Review of Fundamental Framework for Reflective Thinking and Practice in Science Education: Implications for Transformative Science Learning

“…Even though they may still be relevant to the context of education and research, their frequency of occurrence is not significant enough to be the primary focus of discussion Our systematic review generated three main themes; 1. Teaching strategies include tools of reflection (Archer et al, 2022;Bunt & Gouws, 2020;Chen, 2020;Cheng et al, 2019;Cirak Kurt & Yildirim, 2021;Draissi et al, 2021;Elsayary, 2021;Eppler et al, 2021;Guo et al, 2022;Halpin et al, 2020;Ketonen & Henrik, 2023;Kulgemeyer et al, 2021;Muhammad et al, 2023;Orcid et al, 2023;Parmin, 2019;Treibergs et al, 2022;Vogelsang et al, 2022;Williams, 2020;Yang et al, 2022;Zach & Ophir, 2020). 2.…”

“…By doing so, students are better equipped to connect new information with past experiences, think in abstract and conceptual terms, employ specific strategies to tackle novel tasks, and comprehend their own cognitive processes to create efficient learning strategies ( Gette & Kryjevskaia, 2019;Erickson et al, 2021). Students with the ability to engage in reflective thinking are conscious of their learning experiences and capable of utilizing this knowledge to address diverse problem situations, thereby enabling them to handle these situations proficiently (Aslam et al, 2021;Hiscox et al, 2022;Muhammad et al, 2023). Students who have honed their reflective thinking abilities possess the ability to identify and prioritize solutions in various situations, allowing them to make informed decisions and successfully tackle more complex tasks.…”

“…It encompasses a thorough scrutiny of one's conduct and past experiences for personal growth (Wang & Lin, 2008;Erickson et al, 2021;Menon & Azam, 2021;). The notions of reflexivity and critical reflection are commonly associated with reflective practice (Öztürk, 2020;Tran et al, 2022;Muhammad et al, 2023). Reflexivity pertains to an individual's ability and inclination to exhibit comprehensive self-awareness and reflect on their position in relation to their environment.…”

“…Reflexivity pertains to an individual's ability and inclination to exhibit comprehensive self-awareness and reflect on their position in relation to their environment. On the other hand, critical reflection refers to a profound contemplation that involves recognizing the impact of one's assumptions, and evaluating actions and responsibilities from ethical, moral, and societal perspectives (Holden, 2012;Grice & Franck, 2017;Muhammad et al, 2023). Due to the significance of reflective practice in improving educational achievements and individual development, an increasing demand exists for the creation of an allencompassing reflective practice framework to provide guidance for educators and learners in applying this technique proficiently in diverse settings.…”

“…Australia and Sweden are also countries that have been productive in this area, with both countries having a consistent number of articles published over the years. Hong, 2019;Gette & Kryjevskaia, 2019;Halpin et al, 2020;Burgin, 2020;Quarderer & Mcdermott, 2020;Leopold & Smith, 2020;Menon & Azam, 2021;Naidoo et al, 2021;Tran et al, 2022;Treibergs et al, 2022) On the other hand, China and Canada have had a slower rate of publication in this area. Overall, this analysis of Figure 4 suggests that Turkey and the USA are leading the way in research on reflective thinking, while Australia and Sweden are also contributing significantly to this area of research.…”