Learning journal: improving teaching strategies through students' reflections

Abstract

This study concerns how teachers use students reflections to improve their teaching strategies. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of students reflections in the learning process, and how the teachers use those reflections to improve teaching strategies. This research used a qualitative approach, and was a case study which involved 17 students from grade nine and two teachers in two different lessons in Sukma Bangsa School. The study was conducted from September 1st, 2016 to October 15th, 2016. The instruments used in this research included students journals, classroom observations, semi-structured student interviews and semi-structured teacher interviews. Students journals, teacher interviews and student interviews were done in the four meetings. The data from students journals and student interviews were used to answer the first research question, while classroom observations and teacher interviews were used to answer the latter. In addition, the data was analyzed using narrative analysis. The results of the study indicated that the role of students journals in learning was to know students points of view and to explore students needs. The students points of view included students feelings, students difficulties, students understanding, and students activities. In addition to students needs, the students gave some suggestions to the teacher related to the subject, teaching method, facilities, and teachers attitudes. Equally important, it was found that the ways the teachers improved were by changing their teaching methods and changing their attitudes. Therefore, it was considered that the teachers were able to develop their pedagogical competence and maintain the classroom management relationship. The barrier to teachers improvement was also discussed. Additionally, the students perceived that how the teacher taught was not really important for them. They remarked that a good relationship with the teacher is more important than a good teaching strategy.