A Glimpse of My Progress: Exploring Reflective Journaling as an Innovation to Enhance Metacognitive Skills, Motivation, and Acceptability of Learners

Abstract

Reflective Journals catalyze increased metacognitive awareness by prompting learners to examine their thought processes. The integration of reflective journaling enhances the clarity of goal setting, thus allowing learners to track progress and employ appropriate strategies for advancement. In this study, the researchers explored this strategy in facilitating learners’ metacognitive skills, motivation in learning, and learners’ acceptability of this strategy as a learning tool. The participants of the study were twenty-two learners enrolled in the Biochemistry subject at UM Digos College. A descriptive-quantitative research approach was utilized in analyzing the data from three modified and validated questionnaires that were used and analyzed: Metacognitive Awareness Inventory, Students' Motivation Towards Science Learning, and Acceptability of reflective journaling. Based on the metacognitive awareness inventory results, students’ metacognitive awareness was fairly observable (%=83.63). The findings also indicated adequate and decent students’ motivation toward science learning (x̄=3.72). The result also revealed that students found reflective journaling to be moderately acceptable as a learning innovation (x̄=3.96) and reported being very satisfied with it. This means that the metacognitive tool, such as an organized RJ, will equip science learners to become critical thinkers and goal-oriented, filled with foundational adaptiveness to new knowledge and intellectual and emotional growth.