The effects of reflective journaling on elementary school students’ collocation learning

This study examines how elementary English learners’ awareness and learning capacity regarding collocations are enhanced through reflective journaling activities. Sixteen elementary students with varying levels of English proficiency participated in a two-month class, during which they wrote reflective journals to enhance their knowledge of collocation and improve their learning attitudes. The study consistently observed and examined their developmental changes in collocation learning throughout the activities by analyzing teacher observation notes, voice recordings of classroom sessions, and students’ journal entries. The learners’ progress regarding collocation improvement, learning interest, and self-efficacy was categorized into three stages of learning development: progression, potential development, and regression or stagnation. Based on these categories, 11 cases were in the progressive and the potential development stages, while five were in the regression or stagnation. These findings show that the success of reflective journaling was not dependent on learners’ English proficiency or age. The positive outcomes of each case in this study suggest that reflective journaling can be a beneficial approach to collocation learning, especially for younger learners with relatively low English proficiency. Moreover, integrating a teacher’s affective feedback and image-based learning activities alongside reflective journaling can further enhance collocation learning for these learners.