Assessing the impacts of students' reflective journals on the professional development of student-teachers in Enchi College of Education

Abstract

The study examined students' understanding of the Students' Reflective Journal (SRJ), student-teachers' responses to the SRJ, and its impact on professional development. A quantitative approach was employed in the study. Specifically, the descriptive survey design was employed. The study was conducted at Enchi College of Education and 24 partner public basic schools in the Aowin Municipality, Western North Region, Ghana. The sampling procedure consisted of the following steps: the census approach was employed to engage 30 College Tutors, including Supported Teaching in Schools Coordinators (STCs), while stratified sampling was used to select 77 Mentors and 325 Student-Teachers. This gave a sample size of 432 respondents for the study. The main instrument used to collect data was a questionnaire. The content validity was determined by seeking expert judgment from specialists, while the instrument's reliability was ascertained using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The results indicated that the SRJ enhanced self-reflection and improved professional growth, supported collaborative learning, and facilitated lifelong learning. However, they struggled with providing accurate responses. The study recommended that workshops should be conducted to clearly define and emphasise the roles of tutors and mentors in STS activities.