Abstract Book of the 9th International Conference on Research in Education
Year: 2025
DOI:
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Experiences of Primary School Students in Setting Short-term Learning Goals and Reflecting on Their Implementation: Research Presentation
Jovita Ponomariovienė, Daiva Jakavonytė-Staškuvienė
ABSTRACT:
Reflection is a tool for achieving the goal of current international educational reforms – self-regulation and fostering lifelong learners (Yan et al., 2020). Systematic application of learning reflection can help transform formal learning habits and improve students’ learning outcomes (Kulgemeyer et al., 2021). It is essential to encourage reflection among primary school students, as these skills enable children to analyze, evaluate, and actively engage in learning (Colomer et al., 2018, 2020).
The aim of the study is to explore and describe experiences regarding what short-term, one-week personal learning goals primary school students are able to set independently, how they reflect on the methods of goal implementation and achieved results, using an action research approach. The context of the study was a 4th-grade classroom with a convenient sampling method. The research was conducted from May to August 2023. Fifty 4th-grade students’ diary were analyzed for the study. The students already had experience filling out these diary, as they had been doing so weekly for the past two years.
Analysis of the journals revealed that students set goals related to learning strategies, class agreements, time management improvement, and personal qualities. Students familiar with learning strategies are capable of setting learning goals based on their understanding of what they have learned and what they need to learn, monitoring their learning progress and achievements, evaluating their learning processes, and utilizing and adjusting – or transferring – their learning to new contexts (Saqr et al., 2023). Reflecting on their experiences can help students develop critical thinking skills, which are crucial for success in an ever-changing world (Morris, 2019).
keywords: reflection, primary student, diary, learning strategy, monitoring