The Effectiveness of Implementing Reflective Journals in Teaching Culture to College of Education Learners at Kuwait University: A Quasi-experimental Research

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to assess the effectiveness of reflective journaling on students’ perception of culture from an anthropological perspective in one of the professional preparation courses offered by the College of Education, Kuwait University. To conduct this research, the researchers used Pretest/Posttest Control Group Design. Participants in the experimental group enrolled in pre-training sessions on writing reflective journals. A total of 102 students were taught by one instructor five consecutive classes, with a control group )n = 50( taught by a traditional teaching method; and an experimental group (n = 52) taught by writing reflective journals. On the sixth class, participants from both groups completed the posttest. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ANCOVA with the pretest serving as a covariate. Findings of this research showed a significant mean difference in posttest scores between groups, suggesting that the use of reflective journals increased students’ perception of culture in the experimental group. Interpretations and recommendations were included at the end of the research.