Journal Writing and Its Effect on Reflective Practice and Critical Thinking of Prospective Teachers

Abstract

The present study aimed to examine the effect of journal writing on the development of reflective practice and critical thinking of prospective teachers within the positivist paradigm. The researcher employed an A-B-A single subject research design. This study was experimental in nature. The population of the study was all comprised prospective teachers enrolled in the Department of Education at the University of Lahore. A purposive sampling technique was used to select eighteen students from the B.Ed. (Hons) Elementary 7th semester program. The intervention spanned 16 weeks and adhered to an A-B-A withdrawal structure, which was adapted from a fundamental time-series design. It consisted of three phases: an initial baseline period without any intervention, a treatment phase during which critical-thinking strategies were introduced, and a withdrawal phase that reverted to baseline conditions. Data were analyses by using inferential statistics, particularly a one-way repeated measures ANOVA, which remained suitable for exploring changes within subjects over several time intervals. The finding exposed a statistically significant increase in participants' critical-thinking scores during the intervention. On the base of these results, it is advisable for teacher education programme to integrate reflective journal writing, mentoring experiences, and peer feedback. Furthermore, professional development workshops and training sessions focused on plans for reflection and critical thinking could further improve the professional development of future educators.