REFLECTIVE JOURNAL

Submitted by,
JessyMol A S
 Introduction
Quantitative assessments are based on facts and associated data.
Quantitative assessment tools focus on countable values. They evaluate
the individual’s skills, knowledge, and performance based on specific
standards by matching outcomes with goals. For assessing quantitative
assessment of data the following tools are very much helpful. They are: -

Reflective journal
Student portfolio
. Graphs and diagrams
 Reflective Journal

Reflective journals are note books or piece of paper that students use
when writing about and reflecting their own thoughts. The act of reflecting on
thoughts, ideas, feelings and their own thoughts, learning encourages the meta
cognitive development skills. The students who write their classroom learning date
wise, period wise and subject wise daily can refer to it later and this is called the
classroom reflective journal of students.
Meaning of Reflective Journal:

Reflective journals are personal records of students’ learning experiences.

Students typically are asked by their instructors to record learning-related
incidents, sometimes during the learning process but more often just after they
occur.

A reflective journal is an account of work in progress, but more essentially an

opportunity for reflection on the learning experience it should provide you a
means of engaging critically and analytically with module content.
Definition of Reflective journals

A reflective journal is a personal record of student’s learning experiences.

It is a space where a learner can record and reflect upon their observations and
responses to situations, which can then be used to explore and analyse ways of
thinking.

According to Kara Taczak, “Reflection is a mode of inquiry’’. A deliberate

way of systematically recalling writing experiences to reframe the current writing
situation.
Structure of reflective journal

1. Structured journals : Students are given specific questions,

target, or a set of guidelines to base their writings.

2. Unstructured journals : Students are required to record

their thoughts and feelings.

Aspects of structured and unstructured
journal
• Discuss or argue a journal paper from various perspectives.

• Compare and contrast an issue with prior or new knowledge.

• Generate questions and think deeply.

• Describe personal experiences and integrate them into the issues in concern.

• Develop the ability and critical attitude to integrate learning into real world
experiences.
• To express the students meta cognition thoughts.

• To synthesize or analyze some materials or resources for building up a

argument.

• To express freely for or against the specific question given by

teachers.
Usage of Reflective journals

Reflective journals are used to explore situations from a personal

perspective, but generally within the context of learning from students’ own
experiences. They are used to reflect on, in and for action.
Reflective Journal –model format
Name of the student:
Std& section:
Subject/ Topic of the lesson:
Date: Time:
1. Understanding the subject matter –regarding
2. How subject matter is related in our daily life –regarding
3. The serial acts that I have to do regarding the subject matter
4. Remarks on doubts , question to be asked or any other problems
5. Overall idea of the today’s learning activities in the classroom
Teachers Remarks

Signature of the teacher

Guidelines for writing a good Reflective
Journal
• The teacher can show a model journal writing and can ask then to
follow it.
• The teacher can allot ten minutes in each period for writing this
journal in the classroom and can make them sit separately and ask
them write the journal. He should supervise them while writing
their journals.
• The teacher should practice their students in writing this journal
right from the beginning of the academic year.
• The teacher can give feedback of their learning using this journal
daily in the classroom.
Guidelines for writing a good Reflective Journal
Scoring Key Very Good Good Average Below average

Reflection
Students writing If the students has If they have written If they have written If they have written
their learning linking written this journal about their learning what they have only what the
it with their life with critical thinking experiences and learn without teacher told in the
situations and giving examples their learning mentioning how classroom
from the problem they have learnt it.
solving in the life
situations.
Scoring Key Very Good Good Average Below average
Presentation
Writing cogently in If the journal entries The journal entries The journal are not The journal entries
the journal and are written with a are written with with deep do not seen to be
expressing their logical discussion discussion but if the discussion and their original views.
perspectives along with entries do not without any cogent
expressing their express their order.
perspectives about reflective thinking.
the topic learnt in
the class room
Scoring Key Very Good Good Average Below average
Entries are
complete The journal entries Even though the Writing the learning Writing the steps in
are complete and journal entries steps without any their learning
The journal entries they prove their describe the link between them without links among
are complete and learning clearly and learning activities by in describing the them.
express their express how they linking them with steps of their
learning fully. learnt the topic step their learnings the learning.
by step in the entries are not
classroom. complete.
Advantages of Reflective Journal
Active learning

The process of reflection encourages the students to take the initiative to

be active, self-driven; allows individual learner to explore concepts and ideas in
relation to their thoughts and feelings from different perspectives. Students can
become independent thinkers through the practice and to enable themselves to
solve various problems on their own.
Understanding the progress of students

Reflective journals provide good opportunities for teachers to gain better

understanding about how the students think and feel about the course, and the

learning progress of the students throughout the course, which will eventually

enhance the students' learning process.

Improving writing skills

Writing reflective journals can involve students in a new form of writing

which they may not have a chance to experience in the past. This exposure can

bring out improvement in students' writing skills.

Freely expressing personal views and criticizing of one-self

Reflective journal assignments provide the platform for students to freely

express what they think and feel about the course and their learning process, and

also promote their expression of ideas, personal experiences and opinions. This is

an ideal place for students who are generally not willing to speak up in the classes

and tutorials to express themselves.

Enhance critical thinking and creativity

The process of self-reflection enhances the development of critical

thinking skills among students when they relate their knowledge to real world

issues. It It can help students develop their creativity and a questioning attitude

towards different issues and problems.

Disadvantages of Reflective Journal
Difficult for objective marking

Due to the subjective nature of reflective assignments, it is rather difficult

for assessors to be objective and have consistent grading. Different assessors when

marking may have quite a large discrepancy in their judgment of different types of

work.
Time consuming for grading

The context of reflective writing can often be very wide, and involves a

wide range of concepts, issues, and perspectives. As a result, it often takes

considerable amount of time for assessors to read and grade students' works.
Confidentiality

As students have to disclose their personal and private views and

information in their reflection, some of them may be unwilling to honestly
disclose their real perspectives. They may be concerned that what they wrote will

significantly affect the grade they receive.

Clear guidelines needed

Many students may not be familiar with the procedure of writing reflective
assignments and may feel very lost when working on it for the first time. Teachers
have to give clear guidelines to students about what should be included in the
reflective journals, what can be learnt from writing it, as well as how they will be
graded.
Conclusion

Reflective journals and learn logs can be useful as a teaching and learning
tool either format can be adopted in any discipline where you can determine what
students are learning and in what areas they need assistance. Re open to read
entires by students who might request feedback more often than scheduled.
References

i) Nagarajan, K & Natarajan, S. (2019).

Assessment for Learning. Sriram Publishers: Chennai.
ii) Shanmugaboopathi, P.S. (2017).
Assessment for Learning. Samritha Publications
Chennai
Web Sources

i) https://education- your dictionary.com/for-teachers/reflective-journal-writing-

tips-for-students.html.
ii) https://wikieducation.org/Reflective-journals.
iii) https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/iatl/study/ugm odules/humananimal
studies/assessment/reflective journal/
iv) https://www.nin.edu/citl/resources/guides/instructional -guide/ reflective-
journals-and-learning-logs-shtml.