Reflection Definition of Terms

8 their self-awareness. Thus, she describes that reflection has an important role in students learning since it relates the new learning material and prior knowledge and enhances self-awareness. Furthermore, Jensen 2009 conducted similar research in using reflective journal to improve students’ self-awareness. The research was conducted in Aalborg University Denmark. The participants of this research were foreign students. In connecting students’ experiences toward the subject, the students were demanded to make a personal portfolio in a form of reflective journal where they could reflect their experiences on the subject. In the research, Jensen examined students’ reflective journal and found that most of the students are aware of what they have learned and 60 of the students showed improvement in their learning capability. Next, previous research done by Walker as cited in Boud et al. 1985 approves that reflection in written form helped people who would be exercising leadership to raise their level of awareness. Therefore, they became more aware in recognizing situation which might lead them to deeper insights. In addition, Gibson 2012 in his journal entitled Reflect-select-defend: A model for student teacher reflection, he finds that the highest learning gain is in awareness include strengths, weaknesses, and priorities for future development. The awareness of understanding feeling in a learning situation can be the basis of reflection. It might lead to a deeper appreciation of the learning process and of the learners way of experiencing. 9 Those studies show that reflection helps students in their learning especially in improving students’ self-awareness. Thus, a study on reflection is beneficial to be conducted in order to use it in Indonesia context, more specifically at ELESP of Sanata Dharma University.

2. Reflection

In this section, the researcher presents the description of reflection. There are two points to be discussed, they are the nature of reflection, and reflection process.

a. The Nature of Reflection

According to Ghaye 1998, future action is affected by doing reflection continuously through looking back and making sense of learning. Taylor presents reflection as a stage in the learning process which occurs after an activity has been done towards the latter part of a one-semester course, for instance Taylor, 1981 as cited in Boud et al., 1985.The capacity to reflect is developed to different stages in different people and it may be this ability which characterizes those who learn effectively from experience. Continuous, connected, challenging, and contextualized are the principles of good and meaningful reflection practices Eyler, Giles, and Schmiede, 1996.Continuous means reflection must be ongoing. Then connected means reflection links academic goals and intellectual development. Next, it is challenging because reflection provides an opportunity to explore uncomfortable and unfamiliar feelings and ideas. Moreover, contextualized means reflection can occur in various forms such a meaningful way.