The Impact of Reflective E-Journaling on Korean Adult EFL Learners’ English Anxiety and Course Achievement

Abstract

Objectives This study explores the potential impact of online reflective journaling on English anxiety and academic achievement among Korean adult EFL learners in an online English course. It aims to investigate whether con-sistent engaging in reflective e-journaling can act as a mediator to help overcome vague anxiety related to English learning by reflecting on their learning processes, leading a positive effect on course achievement. Methods This study involved 148 participants who took “Basic English Reading for Graduate School Students in Professional Studies” in a 15-week online course. Data was collected from students’ weekly e-journaling, the FLCAS survey, and their final exam scores, using a mixed-methods approach. Results The results revealed that high achievers in course achievement exhibited higher levels of anxiety, while the reverse was not observed. While there was a positive correlation between achievement and anxiety levels, there were no significant differences in course achievement across anxiety levels. High levels of English anxiety were associated with more frequent reflective journaling, promoting learning process awareness and academic performance. It was reported that sharing journals on the LMS board facilitates students interaction, motivating active engagement. Conclusions This study demonstrated that even high-achieving students can experience elevated levels of English anxiety, and poor academic performance is not solely attributed to heightened anxiety levels, refuting the conventional concept of English anxiety. The findings of the current study suggest that facilitative anxiety prompts consistent engagement in reflective journaling, which enhances meta-cognition of one’s learning process, thus serving as a mediator for improving academic performance.