Reflective Essay Research Articles

A Yin-Yang approach: Investigating students’ beliefs about teaching and learning in music among college students in Macau, China

This exploratory study aims to investigate the beliefs of college students in Macau, China, regarding teaching and learning in the field of music education, including factors influencing students’ views and their ideal music classroom environment. Employing a Rigorous Mixed Methods Framework that included surveys, observations, interviews, and reflective essays, a sample of ( n = 120). Chinese college students and ( n = 3) college music instructors were selected for participation. In the initial phase, findings revealed a nuanced perspective among students, demonstrating a stronger preference for the Constructivist Conception over the Traditional Conception. However, during the second and third phases, the findings revealed a preference for traditional and master-apprentice styles of learning in practice. Through the analysis of all three phases of research, this study unveiled a complex and juxtaposed ideology of music learning among Chinese students. While there was a misalignment between students’ ideologies and behaviors, they consistently expressed a desire for a more collaborative, creative, supportive, and open environment in which they can freely share their musical passion. Rather than adhering to a binary approach, the findings suggest the necessity of embracing a more nuanced “Yin-Yang” perspective in Macau.

Uncovering Reflections of Preclinical Medical Students from Clinical Shadowing: A Thematic Analysis

Purpose Clinical shadowing(CS) offers preclinical medical students the opportunity to observe certified physicians in practice. Analyzing the content of students’ reflective writings(RWs) to understand core competencies they perceived during CS, as well as stages of their reflections, can offer valuable insights for course design and instructor guidance. This study aimed to address this matter by employing a thematic analysis of students’ RWs to explore the learning outcomes derived from CS. Materials and methods The dataset of the thematic analysis comprised de-identified RWs from preclinical medical students who participated in the clinical shadowing program during the first semester of the 2019 academic year at National Taiwan University College of Medicine. Two researchers independently extracted and categorized pertinent content from the texts of RWs, aligning them with the six core competencies of ACGME and mapping them to the stages of Kolb’s learning cycle. Additionally, correlation with shadowing specialties and fields was investigated. Results In total, 155 RWs were analyzed. Patient care emerged as the most frequently reflected competency(30%), followed by systems-based practice(23%), and medical knowledge(21%). The shadowing specialties and fields had an impact on the core competencies students perceived. In terms of Kolb’s learning stages, concrete experience(66%) predominated in RWs, while abstract conceptualization(19%) and reflective observation(14%) were less prevalent. For each competency, concrete experience was the prevailing stage, with active experimentation being the least dominant one. Students exhibited varying proportions of reflections at different stages for each core competency. Conclusions Clinical shadowing experiences enable preclinical medical students to explore required clinical core competencies, with emphases depending on the shadowing specialties and fields. Currently, most reflections are concentrated at Kolb’s concrete experience stage. This study offers valuable insights for designing future CS programs and improving faculty development, aimed at helping students achieve deeper and more comprehensive reflective learning in relation to core competencies, and even professional identity.

A study on the affordances of digital fairy-tale rewriting: A critical literacy approach to digital multimodal composing

Digital multimodal composing (DMC) is the production of texts using multimodal semiotic resources and digital tools. This study integrated critical literacy pedagogy into DMC in an EFL context through both course design and task design, proposing digital fairy-tale rewriting (DFTR) as a genre of DMC for critical literacy practices. Taiwanese university students in the study created multimodal videos of retold fairy tales addressing social issues to promote critical literacy. The study adopted a conceptual framework of DMC affordances to examine the possibilities afforded by DFTR. Affordances refer to the potential and limitations of a mode for meaning representation and communication, as perceived by teachers and students. Data collected included participants’ surveys, reflective writings, and analysis of the DMC artifacts. Results indicated substantial evidence of technological, educational, and social benefits of DFTR compared to past learning experiences, with enhanced affordances including transmediation, multiliteracies, creativity, and civic participation. Digital skills and multimodal literacy were developed to strengthen critical literacy learning across four dimensions, enriching prior studies on DMC affordances and critical literacy scholarship. The study also contributed a refined conceptual framework of DFTR affordances, expanded by new affordances of generating interest, nurturing creativity and multiple perspectives, and promoting more active civic participation.

한국 영어 학습자들의 영어 학습 회복탄력성: 설명적 혼합연구법을 중심으로

Objectives This study aims to investigate the characteristics of English learning resilience among Korean learners by using explanatory sequential mixed methods. Methods To this end, in the first stage, a five-point Likert scale questionnaire of four constructs (social support, satisfaction, persistence, and emotional regulation) measuring English learning resilience was administered to 180 students at a university in Seoul. In the second stage, reflective essays about their English learning at each school level were collected from 52 students at a university in Seoul. The average and standard deviation for each question were calculated from the questionnaire, and episodes related to each construct were analyzed through repeated reading. Results The analysis on the questionnaire showed the scores for ‘satisfaction’ and ‘persistence’ were high among the four constructs. Qualitative analysis revealed that teachers' support and emotional control were found across the school levels. However, emotional recovery strategies and strategic flexibility appeared with higher frequency as the school level advances. Conclusions This suggests that interventions to promote English learning resilience reflecting the characteristics of the school level are needed to help learners overcome the challenges in learning English.

A Poetic Reflective Essay Conceptualizing a Case for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Higher Education

A Poetic Reflective Essay Conceptualizing a Case for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Higher Education

Teaching Self-Regulated Learning Through Reflective Writing: Experiences of First-Year Medical Students With the Master Adaptive Learner Model

Teaching Self-Regulated Learning Through Reflective Writing: Experiences of First-Year Medical Students With the Master Adaptive Learner Model

REFLECTION IN THE STRUCTURE OF INNOVATIVE COMPETENCE OF TEACHERS IN GENERAL SECONDARY EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

The issue of the article concerns the topical issue of innovative competence and its components. The author aimed to characterize one of the components of this education, which refers to the ability to analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of pedagogical activity, as well as to adjust it as necessary. It is about the skill of reflection as one of the leading features of a teacher with highly developed innovative competence, since the creation and implementation of innovations requires regular analysis not only of the process of implementing something new in the educational process but also of observing and evaluating the personality of the teacher as a specialist who carries out innovative activities. Thanks to the use of such methods of scientific research as system-structural and system-functional analysis, generalization and systematization of theoretical aspects of the topic, observation, and study of the products of pedagogical activity, the author conducted a review of scientific literature regarding the essence of innovative competence of a teacher of a general secondary education institution, its structure and key characteristics, in particular, reflection skills. In addition, the publication provides information on reflective competence, which, on the same level as innovative competence, occupies a prominent place in the system of professional characteristics of a teacher regulated by normative documents. The unifying feature for both is the skill of reflection, therefore the article also presents the views of domestic scientists on the essence of this phenomenon and methods of its development and improvement. In addition, practical tools (reflective questionnaires, tables; reflective essays; pedagogical portfolios, etc.) are characterized, which contribute to the formation and improvement of the ability to reflect on one's pedagogical activity, in particular innovative ones. The publication analyzes fragments of reflective essays from teachers of general secondary education institutions who took the experimental course "Innovative aspects of the teacher's activity". This made it possible to conclude the reflexive competence of teachers, the development of reflection skills, as well as to substantiate reflection as a component of innovative competence.

Enhancing Trust and Embracing Vulnerability in the College Classroom: A Reflection on Ungrading and Co-Creation in Teaching and Learning

In this reflective essay, we explore how we and our students experienced trust and opened ourselves up to being vulnerable in two iterations of a course that was built on the pedagogies of ungrading and co-creation in teaching and learning (CCTL). As approaches that fall under the broader umbrella of critical pedagogy, ungrading usually involves an alternative to conventional alphanumeric grading systems, while co-creation in teaching and learning consists of a varied scale of student-and-instructor partnerships in the classroom. The course contexts explored here take ungrading to mean student self-assessment and self-assignment of grades, and our implementation of co-creation focused on significant elements of the course such as expectations, content, assignments, and assessments. We suggest that our combination of these pedagogies exposed the significance of vulnerability to nurturing trust in the college classroom. After an overview of the salient points in the literature on these pedagogies and a discussion of trust and vulnerability, we recollect our own experiences of them in a co-taught second-year honors course. Drawing from our reflections and those expressed in student writing, we observe that we brought a significant level of trust in each other and our students to the course. Further, we note that the processes of sharing authority embedded in both pedagogies significantly deepened that trust while also underscoring, in retrospect, the remarkable degree of vulnerability made accessible to students and instructors alike. Instructors who wish to implement these approaches should be keenly aware of the additional opportunities that trust and vulnerability, as made possible via these pedagogies, offer for building relationships in the classroom and working toward increased inclusivity and equity in the course community.

Exploring the intercultural potential of picturebooks in early secondary EFL classrooms in Austria

Abstract Intercultural education has constituted an interdisciplinary teaching principle in Austrian upper and lower secondary curricula since 1992 and was reinforced by a decree in 2017. Literary texts have been identified as promising resources and valuable tools for initiating intercultural learning through their frequently inherent multi-perspectivity encouraging students to empathize with characters, consider different perspectives, contrast viewpoints, relate stories to personal experiences, and reflect on diverse ideas. However, research on the implementation of intercultural teaching and learning using literature in foreign language classrooms has so far mostly focused on upper secondary education and has frequently related to using postcolonial fiction writings. To counter the knowledge gap on the implementation of intercultural learning in lower educational levels, this study adopts a literary science approach to explore the potential of picturebooks in early secondary EFL classrooms. Using The Little Green Jacket (Dee, 2020), it specifically examines perspective-taking as a key dimension of intercultural learning. Through written learner reflections, the research study assesses whether students in two Austrian EFL classrooms (n = 35) can adopt a different viewpoint. The findings show that most students are successful, or at least partly successful, in perspective-taking and mostly describe emotions of sadness but also hopefulness in their reflective writings. Thus, the study suggests that picturebooks have the potential to facilitate perspective-taking as an essential dimension of intercultural education among young EFL learners with low language proficiency, highlighting their largely untapped potential in early language education.

Creating a safe space: medical students’ perspectives on using actor simulations for learning communication skills

BackgroundCommunication skills are an essential part of clinical competence that need to be acquired during health professions education. Simulations are extensively used for learning communication skills and have long been integral to medical degree programmes. In this research we use qualitative methodology to explore fourth-year medical students’ experiences in simulations aimed at improving versatile doctor-patient communication, focusing on their learning with trained actors.MethodsThe data comprises reflective writings from 208 fourth-year medical students, gathered after a communication skills course. These students provided informed consent for their writings to be included in the research. We performed an inductive qualitative content analysis on the textual data, with findings presented as themes, supported by categories, codes, and excerpts from raw data to enhance the trustworthiness of the analysis.ResultsWe identified eight key themes capturing students’ learning experiences through simulations: practising in a safe learning environment, valuing feedback, gaining new perspectives, finding simulations valuable and enjoyable, boosting confidence and self-knowledge, and viewing simulations as authentic and engaging learning opportunities. Some students offered critical perspectives on simulations. Throughout the course, students learned diverse aspects of patient care, emotional and behavioural communication dynamics, and lessons from medical errors. Some students offered critical perspectives on simulations, and a few indicated they did not learn anything new.ConclusionsA safe learning environment is vital for encouraging learners to explore, make errors, and absorb feedback to improve their communication with patients. Students predominantly valued the communication skills training with actors and the constructive feedback received and given in the debriefing discussions. However, some students expressed critical views toward simulations. Simulations are not static; they evolve and require continual improvements. Hence, we advocate for the ongoing exploration and enhancement of communication skills learning methods, including simulations, with careful consideration for students’ vulnerability and the importance of psychological safety. Additionally, it is critical to address students’ perceptions that certain clinical teachers prioritise biomedical knowledge over communication skills. Providing tailored training for teachers regarding the learning methods and the desired outcomes of communication courses is essential.

Health Professions Students' Reflections About Principles of Interprofessional Collaboration after Shadowing Interprofessional Palliative Care Rounds.

Future healthcare professionals are educated on collaborative practice methods through interventions that may include shadowing. While shadowing allows students to learn from and about other health professions, it often fails to offer an opportunity for the student to work and collaborate with other health professionals. This study sought to investigate themes regarding interprofessional students' experiences during a palliative care shadowing activity and their understanding of collaborative patient-centered care, social determinants of health, and health disparities. Twenty-eight students representing 13 health professions from the Interprofessional Palliative Care program at Jefferson Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education at Thomas Jefferson University submitted reflection essays at the conclusion of their shadowing experience. Four hundred ninety-eight sentences from 28 essays were analyzed via qualitative directed content analysis. Coding categories were determined a priori using definitions of collaborative practice from the 2023 Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) competencies and definitions of social determinants of health from Healthy People 2030. Thirty-two percent of sentences described IPEC competencies, 18% described social determinants of health/ health disparities, 4% included student emotional reactions, and 2% included student descriptions of the development of their professional role. These results suggest that shadowing offers an opportunity to identify and learn interprofessional competencies in interprofessional palliative care curricula, as made evident through student reflection assignments.

Bringing a Social Justice Lens to Matthews’ Five Propositions for Genuine Students-as-Partners Practice: A Narrative Review

In 2017, in the second issue of the International Journal for Students as Partners (IJSaP), Matthews presented five propositions for genuine students-as-partners practice. Whilst these propositions did not focus directly on social justice, a social justice ethos (seeking to achieve parity of participation for all in higher education) was implicit within the discussion. Working with students as partners (SaP) can contribute to social justice, and a social justice perspective can contribute to the practice and conceptualization of students-as-partners work. From this perspective, I present a narrative literature review that brings a social justice lens to Matthews’ five propositions by examining 26 publications (research articles, case studies, reflective essays, and opinion pieces) in IJSaP concerning students-as-partners work. These are identified using the search terms “justice”, “equity”, “inclusion”, and “ethical”. The review provides clear examples of how the practice of working with students as partners can promote equity and inclusion in higher education, thereby striving toward social justice.

THE IMPACT OF INSTAGRAM-BASED E-PORTFOLIO ON STUDENTS’ MOTIVATION IN WRITING

This study aims to investigate the impact of utilizing Instagram as a platform for creating and sharing e-portfolio on students’ motivation in the context of writing. As the digital landscape continues to advance, teachers seek innovative approaches to engage students in English classroom and enhance their language skills. Instagram, a popular social media platform known for its visual-centric nature, serves as a unique medium for showcasing and sharing individual work. The research employs a qualitative research design, combining multi-method approach, incorporating open-ended questionnaire, classroom observation, content analysis of students' e-portfolios and students’ reflection essays, to assess the motivational effects of Instagram-based e-portfolios on students. The participants of this study include a sample of students in SM St. Peter Telipok, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The study explores the impact of visual and interactive elements on students' motivation, self-efficacy, and overall writing performance. This study seeks to enrich and add to the existing literature on progressive teaching methods by shedding light on the motivational factors linked to the integration of Instagram-based e-portfolios. Ultimately, understanding the impact of such platforms on students' motivation in writing can inform educators and curriculum developers in designing effective and engaging strategies for enhancing writing skills in the digital age.

Educational Pathways in Italy: Emanuel’s Perspective—Reflective Essay for the Special Issue: “Community Sponsorship and Complementary Pathways: Global Movements for Resettling Refugees Driven by Local Actors”

Educational Pathways in Italy: Emanuel’s Perspective—Reflective Essay for the Special Issue: “Community Sponsorship and Complementary Pathways: Global Movements for Resettling Refugees Driven by Local Actors”

Equitable teacher education in a virtual world: the promise of learning-oriented assessment

ABSTRACT This study reports teacher perceptions towards learning-oriented assessment (LOA) in an English language teaching certification course (Kompetanse for Kvalitet, KfK). The course was delivered online during emergency remote teaching caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Equitable practices in instruction and assessment aimed at collaboration, dialogue, group engagement, and active involvement based on LOA practices. Even though using assessment to promote learning has been gaining prominence, applying LOA in online learning has recently gained momentum. Thus, the study reports on how an online implementation of LOA is perceived by participants of a teacher education program concerning their learning. Data collection tools included a questionnaire (n = 132) and randomly sampled reflective writings (n = 23) submitted as part of the learner portfolio. Data were analyzed qualitatively through thematic analysis and quantitatively on SPSS using descriptive statistics and Factor Analysis with Varimax rotation. Findings indicated that LOA was perceived positively, offering opportunities to improve language and skills, link course content with teaching practice, and reflect on learning. Using LOA in post-COVID times empowered course participants to identify and monitor their progress and skills. The study has implications for teacher educators integrating LOA and technology in professional development to maintain equity and cultivate efficient learning.

Research partnerships as transformational learning experiences

A common partnership between faculty and students in post-secondary education is that of researcher as a primary investigator (PI) and research assistant (RA). In this reflective essay, we examine an unconventional research partnership between Allison, a PI, and Bailey, an RA. Our experiences as PI and RA prompted us to reflect upon our learning partnership. We asked: In what ways might the role of RA be transformative (Mezirow, 1994) in teacher education for both researcher and student when it is approached through partnership? This partnership is unique because of its relational approach, where the PI and the RA collaborated in making decisions about the direction of the RA work. The RA’s perspective offered a different viewpoint on the research focus through which the researcher aimed to gain insights. This approach altered the dynamics of the research partnership, which evolved along the lines of both partners acting as equal contributors and co-learners through the research process. In this paper, we reflect on our consequential learning. Specifically, we focus on the learning that occurred when Bailey self-directed RA work on the topics of radical imagination, restorative justice, and appreciative inquiry, as well as the insights Allison gained through Bailey’s work. We use “I” in our respective sections and “we” and “our” in our collective writing, and we also refer to ourselves in the third person for clarity when needed.

Developing an open and dialogic review of reflective essays

Developing an open and dialogic review of reflective essays

Mixed methods research on reflective writing in teacher education.

In this paper, mixed methods research is presented and discussed in the context of research on reflective writing for the professional development of pre-service teachers. First, we present prominent theoretical frameworks to analyze reflective writings. Second, we review relevant methodological approaches of research on reflective writings in teacher education, such as qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. Third, we present a study from our research lab combining qualitative content analysis and linguistic analyses as an example for a concurrent mixed method approach. The results of the qualitative content analysis indicated that 198 reflective writings of pre-service teachers were primarily descriptive and on a low level. Computational linguistic analyses revealed that affective and cognitive terminology utilization in reflective writing differed significantly across the different levels of reflection, with a higher frequency of such terms correlating with deeper levels of reflection. Thus, essential challenges and opportunities of implementing such a mixed method study to analyze reflective writings are illustrated and discussed. Finally, we conclude the paper by discussing on how mixed methods approaches might be further advanced in the field of reflective writing research in teacher education.

“The patient as teacher” - thematic analysis of undergraduate medical students’ experiences with an experiential learning project in palliative care

BackgroundExperiential learning holds high potential for medical students’ education in palliative care. At RWTH Aachen University in Germany, medical students can participate in the course “The Patient as Teacher” offering a one-to-one exchange with a terminally ill patient over a period of several weeks complemented with four supervision sessions and writing of a reflective essay. The course had run from 2005 to 2020 before it was paused due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This study aimed to assess the course’s value as a palliative care teaching tool by investigating students’ motivation and experiences over the years 2005–2020.MethodsA stratified sample of 24 essays was taken from all submitted essays (n = 78), eight essays from the years 2005–2009, 2010–2014, and 2015–2020. Subsequently, a thematic analysis of the selected essays was conducted.ResultsThe students felt motivated by the opportunity to gain more experience in palliative care, to improve their communication skills and to decrease insecurities in interaction with terminally ill patients. They learned about the patient’s biography and medical history, and encountered physical, psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions of living with a life-limiting disease. Moreover, they experienced relationship building and communication with a terminally ill patient outside their role as future doctors. Ultimately, they considered their participation as a beneficial experience on both a personal and professional level.ConclusionsThe course “The Patient as Teacher” presents a valuable tool for experiential learning in palliative care, which has elicited an unceasingly positive response among the students who participated over the years. It has facilitated medical students in overcoming insecurities in dealing with terminally ill patients and supported them in further developing their professional identity.

Getting it off your soul: transformative conversations for processing traumatic experiences

ABSTRACT Emergency workers are confronted with trauma as an essential part of their work. Learning how to moderate the impact and coping with traumatic experiences is at the center of this study. The researchers empirically chart ways that emergency workers cope with trauma, process and integrate these experiences, and describe what supports their learning. Findings suggest a need to engage in alternative forms of communication, differentiating between professional and emotional feedback in order to foster transformative learning. The study reveals two different, complementary ways to constructively communicate, each with its own architecture: structured debriefs and transformative conversations. Mezirow borrowed from Habermas’s idea of rational discourse in dialogue, some of which is seen in debriefs, wherein emotions are set aside in the intensity of the moment in favor of processing facts and identifying decisions and actions for the future. In transformative conversations, by contrast, emergency workers seek to understand their inner selves and make meaning of their experiences. The research shows that certain conditions for transformative conversations need to be in place in order to work through emotions and unblock cognition by recognizing and working through affect, emotion, and potential vicarious trauma. This qualitative analysis derives from 57 reflective writings collected from paramedics and firefighters.