IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i3p1898-d1040644.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

An Approach to Progress Learning Outcomes: International Graduate Students’ Engagement in Reflective Practice and Reflective Journal Writing during Pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Hafiz Muhammad Ihsan Zafeer

    (School of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710062, China)

  • Yanping Li

    (School of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710062, China)

  • Samra Maqbool

    (College of Teacher Education, College of Education and Human Development, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China)

Abstract

Reflective practice (RP) and reflective journal writing (RJW) are considered the most important ways to enhance students’ learning progress. During the pandemic, offline learning has replaced online learning to keep students safe and healthy. This research solely examined reflective practice during online learning, which is significant as online education is less effective and students carry the full study load. However, this study’s core purpose was to determine international graduate students’ perceptions regarding RP and RJW during online learning in the pandemic period. It also investigated whether student engagement in RP enhances their critical reflection and learning progress. The mixed-method (QUAN-QUAL) approach was utilized in this study. The sample consisted of 123 international graduate students who were enrolled in various disciplines and majors in China and at least attended two consecutive semesters (24 weeks) online. The survey questionnaire was based on 28 items to collect the quantitative data. The questionnaire was categorized into four variables: self-education, learning progress, critical reflection, and engagement. While semi-structured interviews were conducted with 5 participants for qualitative data collection, the quantitative results indicated that all of the statements received good ranks and could be used to study how reflective journals helped students improve their self-education, critical reflection, writing skills, learning progress, and engagement. In addition, the results revealed a statistically significant beneficial association between engagement, self-education, critical reflection, and learning progress. Qualitative findings corroborated the quantitative results that participation in RP and RJW boosted students’ critical thinking skills and facilitated their learning and development. Based on the results, this study concluded that RP or RJW enhance success ratios as well as critical reflection, which is effective not only in learning but also in professional and practical settings.

Suggested Citation

  • Hafiz Muhammad Ihsan Zafeer & Yanping Li & Samra Maqbool, 2023. "An Approach to Progress Learning Outcomes: International Graduate Students’ Engagement in Reflective Practice and Reflective Journal Writing during Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-15, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:3:p:1898-:d:1040644
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/3/1898/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/3/1898/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Robert G. Bringle & Julie A. Hatcher, 2000. "Institutionalization of Service Learning in Higher Education," The Journal of Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 71(3), pages 273-290, May.
    2. Wong Yeou Min & Rosnidar Mansor & Syakirah Samsudin, 2017. "Facilitating Reflective Practice in Teacher Education: An Analysis of Student Teachers’ Level of Reflection during Teacher Clinical Experience," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 7(3), pages 599-612, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Samra Maqbool & Hafiz Muhammad Ihsan Zafeer & Pingfei Zeng & Sufyan Maqbool & Zineb Draissi & Saima Javed, 2024. "Inventive leadership styles and their impact for achieving sustainable development goals in education at secondary schools: a case study from Multan, Pakistan," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-11, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Asghar Ali & Iqbal Ahmad & M. Anees-ul-Husnain Shah, 2017. "Exploring Factors Influencing Employability ofVocational Training Graduates in Pakistan:A Factor Analysis," Global Regional Review, Humanity Only, vol. 2(1), pages 389-404, June.
    2. Anna Bogedain & Rüdiger Hamm, 2020. "Strengthening local economy – an example of higher education institutions’ engagement in “co-creation for sustainability”," REGION, European Regional Science Association, vol. 7, pages 9-27.
    3. Shantha Indrajith Hikkaduwa Liyanage & Fulu Godfrey Netswera, 2022. "Greening Universities with Mode 3 and Quintuple Helix Model of Innovation–Production of Knowledge and Innovation in Knowledge-Based Economy, Botswana," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 13(2), pages 1126-1156, June.
    4. Spraul, Katharina, 2009. "Service Learning im Rahmen der Speziellen Betriebswirtschaftslehre „Public & Nonprofit Management“ – Eine Fallstudie," ZögU - Zeitschrift für öffentliche und gemeinwirtschaftliche Unternehmen, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 32(2), pages 171-182.
    5. Margaret O’Mara, 2012. "Beyond town and gown: university economic engagement and the legacy of the urban crisis," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 37(2), pages 234-250, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:3:p:1898-:d:1040644. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.