Writing Journals to Rectify Infractions

EFFECTIVENESS OF JOURNAL WRITING TO RECTIFY STUDENT INFRACTIONS AND BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS A Junior High School Research Paper Presented to The Junior High School Department Bulacao, Talisay City, Cebu In Partial Fulfillment of the Course Requirements in Research 9 (Quantitative Research)

ALUSIN, HANNA JOAN H. CABREROS, KRIS JEREMY C. CAZAR, ARON B. ENAD, KRISTINE ANGEL T. GARCIA, EARL REINER B. NAZARENO, NOEL EPHRAIM M. SAMPAGA, ANGELA KEESHIE B. SUAREZ, CLARENCE ALBERT B.

March 2020 Asian College of Technology – Integrated School

TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: The Problem and it’s Background Rationale………………Page 1 Theoretical Background………Page 4 Conceptual Framework…………Page 5 Statement of the Problem…………Page 6 Significance of the Study…………Page 7 Definition of Terms……………Page 9 Chapter 2: Review of Related Literature & Studies………….Page 11 Chapter 3: Research Methodology…………Page 14 Chapter 4: Presentation, Analysis, and Interpretation of Data…………….Page 17 Chapter 5: Summary of Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendations……Page 19 Bibliography…………….Page 21 Appendix………………Page 23

CHAPTER 1 THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND Rationale Schools are places around the world where students can learn and experience new things and have a better understanding of the world around them with the help of parents and teachers, as well as learning from other people of what they have discovered from what they have learned in school. In the 21st Century, the researchers know that there are some schools that have adapted to the way of the 21st Century learning with the growing advanced technology and making the face of teaching kids and teenagers today, making it much easier with the growing technology we have within this century. That, however, is not all about the technology that got kids into learning. Some other schools have kept the same way and taught the students the traditional way, despite the growing technology around them. There is one implementation that has not left its walls of schools around the world, and that is school violations.

The school violations are known to be common within schools to prevent students from doing inappropriate and dangerous things like stealing or hazing on school grounds, or even being late to school; the common and dangerous ones for students to do in school. Once a student has been caught in the act of one of these school violations whether it would be one of the teaching personnel or another student, then they would be taken to a separate classroom within the school and having to let them write different journals as a form of punishment to discipline the students from performing more school violations

than they have caused during that time. With that being said, they would be watched by a group of students over the students with school violations and writing journals within that same classroom. Most students are writing these journals to fill up an entire page or writing the journal of a chosen topic to write around, back to back. Once they do, they finish writing their journals and makes a that they would not do the same thing, however that same promise would often break through once or twice if the students are being careful with their time at home and at school, causing to break one of the violations that occurs within the school due to many reasons.

Stated in a research study by Patricia A. Connor-Greene entitled “Making Connections: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Journal Writing in Enhancing Student Learning” that has been first published in January 1, 2000, although journal writing has been extensively described and advocated in the teaching literature, little attention has been given to empirical assessment of its effectiveness in increasing student learning. In their article, they describe journal writing as a way to actively engage students in learning about personality theories and include new criteria for instructor evaluation of journal entries.

Through journal writing, students can record through a concrete experience, integrating the observation into abstract concepts or theories as the students reflect on their recorded observations of experience; it also lets the students use the abstract theories in making decisions and solving problems.

There are many benefits that a student can have with journal writing, but the main benefit for the researchers to know is for the students to be able to deal

with issues that they are having a difficult time of coping with different problems that they are currently dealing and the teachers would be able to understand their students even better, and it also helps in improving the relationship between the students and teacher, and another way of communicating with the teachers easier with journal writing, making them aware of what is happening to them.

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Journal Writing to rectify student infractions and behavioral problems. The researchers will be performing an investigation and research about how effective journal writing is for the students to correct their infractions and behavioral problems within the school grounds or even at home. That way, the students would not perform the same kind of mistakes and cause the same school violations that have brought them over to writing journals and being able to change themselves with their behavior and understanding their past mistakes. Aside from being able to rewrite the mistakes that the students have made in school, they would also improve on who they really are as an individual and learn many abilities that they thought they would not be able to learn and understand through.

Theoretical Background The study that the researchers are taking a part of is about the effectiveness of journal writing to rectify student infractions and behavioural problems. Journal writing is an instrument to help students observe their own experience and make their own theories in solving problems, understanding who they are as an individual within the school campus and in public. The theory that the researchers would be using in this study is the Reflective Journal Writing Theory and Practice, which has been created by Robert J. Yinger and Christopher M. Clark, the theory was published in July 1981. Stated in the theory that journal writing is a powerful learning tool for both students and teachers, uniquely suited for professional thought and reflection. Writing requires the writer to simultaneously represent ideas in all three of Jerome Bruner’s modes of representations, which are enactive, iconic and symbolic, forcing a degree of thought integration not found in other modes of expression. They also state in their paper of the theory that feedback and opportunity for reflection are also cited as powerful writing features that support learning.

The researchers would be using this theory because they would be able to find out how the students convey their ways in performing and writing reflective journal writing. They would be able to produce their critical thinking when it comes to certain things, finding out what is right or what is wrong. They make sure that it was all in their opinion within that certain topic of the journal.

Conceptual Framework

Statement of the Problem The researchers aimed to find out the effectiveness of Journal Writing to rectify student infractions and behavioral problems if they have certainly changed and improve their attitude within the school campus and stop causing many more infractions and behavioral problems. This study drives the researchers to answer the following questions: 1. Does Journal Writing enhance the students’ self reflection as an individual?

2. Does the use of Journal Writing improve the students’ experiences through their infractions and behavioral problems?

3. Does Journal Writing improve students in terms of?

3.1 Having a better relationship with teachers 3.2 Observing the experiences in making theories in solving problems

Significance of the Study The researchers of this study aim to determine the effectiveness of journal writing to rectify student infractions and behavioral problems that can help in improving writing skills and observing their understandings through the infractions that they have caused within the school campus. This study will specifically benefit the following: Students. They’re the main benefit in this study by the researchers because journal writing helps in rectifying their infractions and behavioral problems, improving who they are as an individual in learning about the experiences through the infractions they have caused within the school campus and their behavioral problems. With the students being the main benefit of the study by the researchers, they would be able to observe and summarize the changes they made through journal writing.

Teachers, the second benefit that will be implying in this study. With the students performing this learning method of journal writing, the Teachers would also be doing journal writing too, in order to keep track of their students and what had happened during those class hours. They would also be using journal writing to reflect and understand different events that have occurred during that time of day and better understand themselves, and improve who they are as an individual, just like the students. They would also have a better connection with the students that have caused more than three student infractions and witnessing their behavioral problems, reading through their journals is a way for them to better understand what their students are doing and a better connection with them.

Young Adults. Normally, this study would imply to mainly the students. However, young adults can also use journal writing as well and, just like the students and the teachers as part of this study, to take note of events that have happened in their lives and reflect on those events of what they did, whether it’d be a good thing or a bad thing. They would better understand their situation better and improve themselves as a member of society and change who they are as a person.

Definition of Terms Journal Writing - It is the process of recording personal insights, reflections and questions on assigned or personal topics. In this study, it is a process of observing and recording infractions and behavioral problems by students in school recorded and checked by the teachers.

Journals - Journals, specifically academic journals, serve as permanent and transparent forums for the presentation, scrutiny, and discussion of research. In this study, journals are being used as the records for students that have caused infractions and behavioral problems in school.

School Violations - Implemented within the school campus and premises, they are rules that prevent the students from doing dangerous or inappropriate acts in school. In this study, the researchers would use the school violations as an indicator of how many infractions and problems the students have caused in school.

Infractions - It is a violation or infringement of a law or agreement. In this study, the researchers would be using infractions as a way to gain information on students that have the knowledge of disruptive behavior and the other students would have the duty of reporting said behavior to the school’s faculty staff.

Rectify - It is the way to put something right or correct a mistake. In this study, the researchers would find out how effective it is for the students to

rectify their student infractions and behavioral problems due to their school violations.

Behavioral Problems - These involve a certain pattern of disruptive behavior from any student within school and cause problems in school, at home, and in social situations. In this study, the researchers would be determining the behavior from the students and how journal writing can place an effect with rectifying their behavioral problems.

CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Journal Writing in its various forms is a means for recording personal thoughts, daily experiences, and evolving insights (Rog Himestra, 2002). The process of journaling often evokes conversations with the self, another person, or even imagining a different person that the individual is writing about. Add the advantage available in most journaling formats of being able to review or reread earlier reflections

and a progressive clarification of insights is possible. This

learning method of journaling becomes a tool to aid learners in terms of personal growth, synthesis, and/or reflection on new information that is acquired.

Through journal writing, there are a number of potential benefits in maintaining a journal, diary, or log. For example, enhancing intellectual growth and development is achievable by most learners, especially as they gain more experience with the writing or recording procedures. However, they are pleased with how these learning tools can help learners in their personal development and ability to examine new knowledge in critical ways. The following benefits of journal writing are Personal growth and development, an investment within an individual through a growing awareness of personal thoughts and feelings.

Intuition and self-expression, learning to trust that inner voice and interpreting new thoughts or even dreams can increase self-confidence not only in the classroom but in many other places within the school, or even at home. Lastly, Problem Solving. Which means utilizing a journal writing technique often helps in

the solution of problems, which can increase personal insights and reflections on life experiences.

Reflection within journal writing is defined as “a form of mental processing with a purpose and/or anticipated outcome that is applied to relatively complex or unstructured ideas for which there is not an obvious solution.” The definition of reflection was by one of the most well-known advocates of the use of reflective learning journals by an individual named Moon. According to Moon, one of the prerequisites of reflection is that it should serve a purpose and have an anticipated outcome. Used to help students in considering the process of someone’s own learning, critically reviewing the learning materials, build theories from the gathered information and observations that they have made and finally engaging in their personal or self-development, or to empower themselves of who they are as individual learners. Stated in the same study, the students find reflective learning journals roughly find it difficult because the main reason is that they have not done learning journals before and are not sure on how to do it. The main difficulty for students when it comes to reflective learning journals lies in the fact that the students are given relative freedom of choosing what they want to write and reflect on.

Reflective journal writing offers many opportunities for the students to be able to communicate with their instructors with confidence and motivation through this learning method and tool. Additionally, journal writing is a way to encourage the students in keeping an invaluable record for their thoughts, feelings, experiences, personal values and beliefs. Explained by Dyment and

O’Connell (2003), journal writing is the “recording of daily events, personal reflections, questions about the environment, and reaction to experiences.”

Reflective journal writing can also offer means to enlighten learners’ thinking habits, and to engage with their instructors in meaningful dialogue where both can examine their thinking patterns and reflect on them for the students, and this goes the same way for the teachers when they are able to make their own reflective journal writing to be able to communicate with their students and improving their relationship with one another.

Research also shows that reflective journal writing is a tool for teachers to aid them in continuing to learn to teach well during classes. It is a learning tool that helps to clarify values and to assist with the creation of ideas for the adults, so it is not only a learning tool but an actual learning tool for adults and for younger people as well. The use of journal writing was directly related to the class subjects and the students’ learning increased in school. Heron (2003) found that journal writing need not be repeated or planned. Starting in the course of their study, there came a time when the students were not interested in what one of the instructors was teaching and decided to write a letter to the parents about the situation, explaining why they were not interested in the content of the class. Eventually, they were given a task of writing down a journal at that time and it was an impromptu writing exercise designed to get them thinking about why they might not be learning and what was holding them back from learning the material during class.

With that being said, that type of reflective learning journal was an unplanned journaling that can revitalize the learning experience when instructors feel that the students need an exercise in reflection through the learning method and tool of reflective journal writing.

Journals may be focused narrowly, on the subject matter of one discipline, or broadly, on the whole range of a person’s experience. The journal encourages writers to become conscious, through language, of what is happening to them, both personally and academically. Student writers should be encouraged to experiment with their journals, to write often and regularly on a wide variety of topics, to take some risks with form, style, and voice. Students should notice how writing in the early morning differs from writing late at night.

They might also experience how writing at the same time every day, regardless of inclination or mood, often produces surprising results. Teachers sometimes look suspiciously at journal writing. For some it is too personal, unstructured or informal to assign in the classroom; for others it is too difficult to measure; and for still others journal writing simply serves no practical pedagogical purpose-it is a waste of time.

The principles advocated in the widely acclaimed keynote texts on reflection have nominally been followed for over 30 years in educational programmes and schemes for professional development. This article was prompted by the impression that practice and theorising reported in publications about journal writing does not consistently endorse the advice in the seminal literature, and is potentially confusing for those who seek advice and direction. In

particular, some writers tolerate or encourage narrative reporting without significant reflection thereon; many articles only feature aspects of the reflective cycle, and metacognitive forward planning that aims to validate the emerging generalisation is often neglected.

Reflective practice has now become the leading paradigm in second language teacher education and development programs worldwide. Teacher reflection refers to teachers subjecting their beliefs and practices of teaching and learning to a critical analysis. One way that has been suggested to promote reflective practice for experienced ESL teachers is through journal writing.

Journal writing is generally required of student teachers; however, there is a void in career and technical education research regarding this activity.

The student teachers' preferred reflective modality was verbal reflection, self-reflection, and written reflection. Journal structure in the form of a prompt was not found to significantly impact journal writing outcomes. A "like/dislike" phenomenon associated with journal writing and reflection was discovered.

Student teachers perceived that journal writing is a personal and unique endeavor.

CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research Design The Research Design for this study is a Quantitative approach of research. The Quantitative approach will determine the effectiveness of journal writing to rectify student infractions and behavioral problems through the respondents' answer of how effective it is for them to improve and change themselves as an individual through the use of Journal Writing. The respondents would be answering specific questions to see the percentage of the students agreeing or disagreeing with the questions that journal writing really helped them or not. Moreover, the Quantitative approach that will be utilized by the researchers as a case study of Quantitative research.

Research Subject The subjects of the researchers in this study are the students in the Junior High School Department and the researchers would be interviewing about the effectiveness of journal writing. The researchers will only have 30 respondents from the Junior High School Department, specifically coming from the Grade 7 to Grade 9 with 10 respondents from each grade level, and answering the following survey questions given in this study by the researchers.

Research Environment In this study, the researchers will be having their data and information collection at Asian College of Technology - Integrated School Bulacao Campus, specifically within the Junior High School Department of the campus.

Population and Sampling The population needed for the researchers in this study are going to be 30 students coming from Grade 7 to Grade 9 within the Junior High School Department, 10 respondents will be randomly picked in each grade level. Either Male or Female and there is no specific age requirement needed within the research population.

These 30 respondents are a mix of Grade 7 to Grade 9 students and would be answering a series of questions about just how effective journal writing is in rectifying their student infractions and behavioral problems.

Research Instrument The researchers will be performing an interview with 30 respondents from Grade 7 to Grade 9 of the Junior High School Department. The respondents will be giving survey questions from the researchers and answering the following questions during the survey: 1.

Does Journal Writing improve your self-reflection?

2.

Does Journal Writing lessen the possibility of making the same mistake

again?

3.

Does Writing make you regret the consequences of your actions?

4.

Does Journal Writing make you a better person?

5.

Does writing in a Journal improve the attitude from their students,

infractions and behavioral problems at school?

6.

Have you ever gotten a school infraction or behavioral problem? If so, did

Journal Writing help improve your attitude in school?

Data Gathering Procedure In this study, the researchers would be addressing an approval letter to be given to the principal in interviewing the high school students within the Junior High School Department at Asian College of Technology Bulacao Campus. Upon conducting this study the researchers will ensure an approval permission by the randomly picked students within the Junior High School Department to undergo the said survey questions in the progression of this study.

CHAPTER 4 PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

Chapter 4 will be tackling the gathered data through the given survey questions that have been answered through the 30 respondents from Grade 7 to Grade 9, 10 from all three grade levels, within the Junior High School Department at Asian College of Technology - Integrated School. The researchers in this study began their survey questions, as their data gathering procedure, to 10 randomly picked respondents from each of the three grade levels of Grade 7 to Grade 9 on Tuesday, January 14, 2020. Afterwards, all of the survey questionnaires have been answered and getting all of the data gathered in this study.

The following are the gathered data and results needed in the survey questions: QUESTIONS

YES

NO

1.

23

7

Does Journal Writing improve your self-reflection?

(76.67%) (23.33%) 2.

Does Journal Writing lessen the possibility of doing 23

the same mistake again?

3.

7

(76.67%) (23.33%)

Does writing make you regret the consequences of 20

10

your actions?

(66.67%) (33.33%)

4.

20

Does Journal Writing make you a better person?

10

(66.67%) (33.33%) 5.

Does writing in a Journal improve the attitude from 19

their students, infractions and behavioral problems?

11

(63.33%) (36.67%)

The results from the survey are now in and the majority of the respondents’ answers from these questions are all positive. Some respondents’ answers were negative because those same respondents may or may not have changed their attitude through the use of Journal Writing after causing an infraction or having behavioral problems at school. But for the respondents that have answered positively from the survey questions given, however, there was one more question given in the survey, and that question is: Have you ever gotten a school infraction or behavioral problems? If so, did Journal Writing help improve your attitude in school?

Most of the answers to this question were both “Yes” and “No”, however most of the times that they were doing Journal Writing did or didn’t help improve their attitude within the school premises. With that being said, the final results of the data gathering all agree that journal writing has an effect in rectifying their infractions and behavioral problems, changing and improving themselves in school, at home, and in social situations within the community.

CHAPTER 5 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS Summary of Findings After the researchers in this study have gathered the necessary data from the survey questions that the 30 respondents answered, most of the answers that were given by the said respondents were all positive, with 23 out of 30 respondents agree and a percentage of 76.67%, and only a small amount of those respondents have answered some of the questions negative, with 7 to 11 out of the 30 respodents disagree with the given questions with the percentage at around 23.33%. With that being said, it has been gathered that Journal Writing is effective in rectifying student infractions and behavioral problems at school. Sure, their attitudes may or may not have changed and improved at school, but with Journal Writing, it creates an effect on that respondent to improve their attitude and learning from the student infractions and behavioral problems they have caused within the school premises.

Conclusions With all of that being said, this research study has proved the effectiveness of Journal Writing in rectifying student infractions and behavioral problems.

Recommendations The researchers of this research study want to recommend to the other students within the Junior High School Department and the Grade School Department that this research study can improve their attitude within the school

premises, if they have ever caused a student infraction or a behavioral problem in school. This lets them all know that Journal Writing is Effective in rectifying student infractions and behavioral problems, along with the possible change of attitude within the school premises and lessens the possibility of making the same mistakes again.

BIBLIOGRAPHY David Boud, February 22, 2002, Wiley Online Library, “Using journal writing to enhance reflective practice”, Retrieved From: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ace.16 Robert J. Yinger and Christopher M. Clark, July 1981, Stanford Libraries, “Reflective Journal Writing: Theory and Practice”, Retrieved From: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/234556686_Reflective_journal_writing_ From_theory_to_practice Mohammad A Farrah, April 2012, ResearchGate, “Reflective Journal Writing as an Effective Technique in the Writing Process”, Retrieved From: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258030767_Reflective_Journal_Writing _as_an_Effective_Technique_in_the_Writing_Process?fbclid=IwAR0UjRWG7Q_ HBzcblM58n1Pmao7D8b9m_wqUKdqortpxiGfK-bMUTIFcHsM Ribut Wahyudi, January 2013, ResearchGate, “Teaching of Journal Writing”, Retrieved From: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282664316_Teaching_of_Journal_Writi ng?fbclid=IwAR22aD6fuzt86xSV4FHJXbFNrIMTmS2HJ2nQ4pU1tQOIxfDtcvz3c GnbDa0 Rog Himestra, September 2002, Microsort Word Docs, “Uses and Benefits of Journal Writing”, Retrieved From: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.463.6103&rep=rep1&ty pe=pdf

Patricia A. Connor-Greene, January 1, 2000, Journals.sagepub, “Making Connections: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Journal Writing in Enhancing Student Learning”, Retrieved From: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1207/S15328023TOP2701_10 Toby Fulwiler, 1982, wac.colostate.edu, “The Personal Connection: Journal Writing across the Curriculum”, Retrieved From: https://wac.colostate.edu/books/language_connections/chapter2.pdf/ John Cowan, December 27, 2013, journals.sagepub.com, “Noteworthy matters for attention in reflective journal writing”, Retrieved From: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1469787413514647 Thomas S.C Farrell, February 09, 2013, tandfonline.com, “Teacher self-awareness through journal writing”, Retrieved From: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14623943.2013.806300 Bradley Greiman and Holly Covington, January 01, 2007, ingentaconnect.com, “Reflective Thinking and Journal Writing: Examining Student Teachers' Perceptions of Preferred Reflective Modality, Journal Writing Outcomes, and Journal Structure”, Retrieved From: https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/acter/cter/2007/00000032/00000002/art 00005

APPENDIX Appendix A: Transmittal Letter NINA TERESA C. ALILIN, MAed Junior High School Principal Asian College of Technology - IS Bulacao, Talisay City, Cebu Ma’am: Good Day, In line with the research subject, we the Grade 9-Justice would like to humbly ask permission to allow us to pull out 10 students from Grade 7 - 9 as they are the research respondent in our research entitled “The Effectiveness of Journal Writing to Rectify Student Infractions and Behavioral Problems”. They will be out for 5-minute time estimation for they will answer the prepared interview questions designed to meet the necessary data for the success and accomplishment of our study. We will start excusing students until the desired or chosen respondents are interviewed.

Thank you for spending your time reading this. We hope that the undersigned receives a favorable response.

Thank you.

Sincerely yours, Grade 9-Justice Researchers Group # 1 Noted by: Roxan Mae T. Jao, LPT Research Adviser Floramae S. Arain, LPT JHS Coordinator Nina Teresa C. Alilin, MAed School Principal

Appendix B: Survey Questions Name (OPTIONAl):

Grade & Section:

Age: 1.

Does Journal Writing improve your self-reflection?

Yes No

2.

Does Journal Writing lessen the possibility of making the same mistake again?

No Yes 3.

Does Writing make you regret the consequences of your actions?

No Yes 4.

Does Journal Writing make you a better person?

No Yes

5.

Does Writing in a Journal improve the attitude from their students, infractions and behavioral problems?

No Yes

6.

Have you ever gotten a school infraction or behavioral problem? If so, did Journal Writing help improve your attitude in school?

Appendix C: Research Instrument The researchers only used survey questionnaires with the guided questions for the respondents to answer for the gathering of the necessary data in this study.

Appendix D: Research Location The research study was conducted at Asian College of Technology Integrated School Bulacao Campus in Bulacao, Talisay City, Cebu.