How Oral, Peer, and Teacher-Based Reflection Strengthen JFL Students’ Sakubun Writing
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58706/ijorce.v4n2.p180-192Keywords:
Japanese as a foreign language, reflective writing, sakubun, writing performanceAbstract
Writing is an essential component of Japanese as a foreign language (JFL) learning, yet many learners experience difficulties due to the complexity of Japanese writing systems and rhetorical conventions in sakubun. This study examines reflective writing as a pedagogical approach to support university students’ writing development and metacognitive awareness in JFL context. The research aims to investigate how three forms of reflection, namely oral reflection through classroom discussions, collaborative reflection through peer review and peer dialogue, and teacher-based reflection through structured feedback and reflective portfolios, support students’ writing development. This study employed a mixed-methods research design to examine the implementation of reflective writing in JFL instruction. Data were collected from 38 undergraduate JFL learners via classroom observations, written portfolios, and reflective notes. The findings indicate that reflective practices contributed to improvements in students’ sakubun writing performance and enhanced their awareness of the writing process. Students showed clearer sentence structures, more developed ideas, and greater grammatical accuracy in their revised texts. Reflective discussions and peer feedback also encouraged collaborative problem-solving during the revision process. These findings suggest that reflective writing can support the development of learner autonomy and self-regulated learning in JFL writing classrooms. The study also offers pedagogical insights for integrating reflection-oriented activities into sakubun instruction. Overall, the study concludes that multimodal reflective practices can function as an effective pedagogical strategy for supporting writing development in JFL context. In relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the study contributes to SDGs 4 (Quality Education) by promoting reflective and student-centred learning practices, and to SDGs 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by supporting more inclusive learning opportunities through collaborative and participatory classroom interaction.
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