Keeping a Critical Eye on One&#x02019;s Own Teaching Practice: EFL Teachers&#x02019; Use of Reflective Teaching Journals

doi:10.65961/AJELT-2000-1-001

PDF(45 KB)

Asian Journal of English Language Teaching ›› 2000, Vol. 10 ›› Issue (1) : 1-18. DOI: 10.65961/AJELT-2000-1-001

Articles

Keeping a Critical Eye on One’s Own Teaching Practice: EFL Teachers’ Use of Reflective Teaching Journals

Noorchaya Yahya

Author information +

History +

Abstract

Although journal writing is a popular pedagogical class assignment required by teachers in EFL classes, there is still room for research into the use of journal writing by teachers themselves to monitor the effectiveness of their teaching practice. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of keeping reflective teaching journals by EFL teachers in their own classrooms. The study examined reflective teaching journals — written or recorded accounts of teaching — kept by teachers in the study for the purpose of later reflection. The corpus data in the study was comprised of (1) the reflective teaching journal entries which teachers kept for twelve weeks and (2) transcriptions of regular group discussions that took place for the purpose of sharing and discussing important issues addressing the teachers’ own professional growth. The study explored the following research questions: a) What functions do reflective teaching journals serve for EFL teachers? b) How do reflective teaching journals help teachers solve teaching problems they face? and c) What effects does sharing of the reflective teaching journals in the support group have on empowering teachers in their EFL profession? Results of the study included substantial qualitative reports, which reinforced the significance of EFL teachers’ use of reflective teaching journals as a self-monitoring device in their teaching process. The theoretical and pedagogi- cal implications of the study are set out and discussed.

Cite this article

EndNote

Ris (Procite)

Bibtex

Download Citations

Noorchaya Yahya. (2000). Keeping a Critical Eye on One’s Own Teaching Practice: EFL Teachers’ Use of Reflective Teaching Journals.Asian Journal of English Language Teaching , 10(1): 1-18. https://doi.org/10.65961/AJELT-2000-1-001

References

Bartlett, L. (1990). Teacher development through reflective teaching. In J. C. Richards & D. Nunan (Eds.), Second language teacher education (pp. 202- 214). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Bolin, F. S. (1988). Helping student teachers thinking about teaching.Journal of Teacher Education, 39(2), 48-54.
O’Malley J. M., & Chamot, A. U. (1990). Learning strategies in second language acquisition. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Prisco, K. L. (1990). The aesthetic journal: A creative tool in art education.School Arts, 90(3), 24-26.
Richards J. C.,& Lockhart, C. (1994). Reflective teaching in second language classrooms. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Roland, C. (1995). The use of journals to promote reflective thinking in prospec- tive teachers. In L. Galbraith (Ed.), Preservice art education: Issues and prac- tice (pp. 119-133). Reston, VA: The National Art Education Association.
Ruddock, J. (1984). Teaching as an art, teacher research and research-based teacher education. Second Annual Lawrence Stenhouse Memorial Lecture, University of East Anglia, Norwich.
Schmidt, J. (1985). “Older and wiser? A longtitudinal study of the impact of college on intellectual development.”Journal of College Student Personnel, 26 (5), 388-394.
Staton J., Shuy R. W., Peyton J. K., & Reed L. (1988). Dialogue journal communication: Classroom, linguistic, social and cognitive views. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
Susi, F. (1995). Developing reflective teaching techniques with preservice art teachers. In L. Galbraith (Ed.), Preservice art education: Issues and practice(pp. 107-118). Reston, VA: The National Art Education Association.
Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Yinger, R. J., & Clark, C. R. (1981). Reflective journal writing: Theory and practice. East Lansing: Institute for Research on Teaching, College of Educa-tion, Michigan State University.