Background: Journal writing is often used to gauge student skills and knowledge. There is disagreement as to whether journals should be graded because students may embellish experiences or write what the instructor wants to read. If students are not engaged in honest reflection, the benefit of reflective practice is reduced. Purpose: The purpose of this correlational non-experimental study was to examine if a relationship exists between the grading of reflective journals and student honesty in reflective journal writing. Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework for this study was based on Schӧn’s reflective practice theory. This theoretical framework is suitable as students participate in reflective journal writing learning from experience and response to the situation, scaffolding on previous knowledge with the application of new knowledge. Methods: The correlational, non-experimental study was conducted at five Midwestern U.S. pre-licensure nursing programs. Data were collected using an anonymous survey. The non-probability sampling technique was used to examine the existence of a relationship between the grading of reflective journals and student honesty in reflective journal writing. Results: Findings indicated that a significant relationship exists between the grading of reflective journals and student honesty. The relationship between reflective journal writing and embellishment was negative and non-significant. Conclusions: This study revealed that a relationship exists between graded reflective journals and study honesty in reflective journal writing. Nurse educators and policy makers need to assess the process of reflection which involves critical thinking and problem-solving instead of grading the written component; possibly, changing to a complete/incomplete grade.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:nova.edu/oai:nsuworks.nova.edu:hpd_con_stuetd-1061 |
| Date | 01 January 2019 |
| Creators | Genua, Jo Anne |
| Publisher | NSUWorks |
| Source Sets | Nova Southeastern University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | campusdissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones |
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