Reflective writing in the pandemic period: A university students’ reflection

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic forced process of conducting thesis guidance should be online. The online tutoring process requires students to critically evaluate, consolidate, and reflect independently in the writing process. Reflective writing skills help in the independent learning process of thesis writing. This qualitative study analyzed pedagogical aspects based on reflections of experience of 7th-semester students in reflective writing activities while working on thesis assignments in the undergraduate program of Elementary School Teacher, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia at Serang Campus during the COVID-19 pandemic. By involving 67 students, reflective writing learning data were analyzed based on learning feedback and online guidance collected through an online survey and a combination of semi-structured interviews via teleconference. The data collection process is carried out in the odd semester of the 2020/2021 academic year. This study confirmed that reflective writing activities could make students overcome difficulties in writing online guidance. Students can independently implement the context of reflection in the writing process and develop logical thinking in scientific writing. Reflective writing activities are considered appropriate for medium-term structured learning and assignments such as theses. These results can be a basis for using reflective writing practices in other writing assignments during the online learning period. Reflective writing practice was expected to be integrated into learning to encourage students to get used to reflective practice

Keywords

• online learning
• thesis
• reflective writing
• students’ reflection
• pandemic

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