The use of critical reflection manual in writing reflective journal: A case study of Malaysian student teachers’ perceptions

Abstract

Reflective journal writing is a common tool for reflection to engage student teachers (STs) in reflective practiceduring teacher clinical experience (TCE) or teaching practicum. However, studies have shown that STs who haveundergone the TCE often demonstrated low levels of reflection in their reflective writings. Therefore, the purpose ofthis paper was to discuss the effectiveness of critical reflection manual (CRM) in promoting critical reflectionamong STs during TCE based on the STs’ perceptions. The CRM is developed through a systematic review ofliterature on various models of reflection, tools for reflection and approaches to developing a manual. It is developedspecifically to guide STs to engage in critical reflection in their reflective writings during TCE. Primary data werecollected from in-depth interviews and analysed by using content analysis technique. Eight STs from Sultan IdrisEducation University (UPSI) who were given exposure to the CRM during TCE were purposely selected to beinterviewed. The findings indicated that the use of CRM by the STs had an overall positive impact. In addition, mostSTs gave positive perceptions of the CRM and provided several suggestions for improving the effectiveness of thisCRM.Keywords: critical reflection, critical reflection manual, reflective journal writing, reflective writings, studentteachers, teacher clinical experience