The declining engagement in journaling:
Exploring barriers to reflective learning in an Economic Management module

Peens Shaun ORCID iD, Kimanzi Mathew ORCID iD & Vuthela Zamagebe Siphokazi ORCID iD

Issue: Vol. 7 No. 6 2026 Article 1 pp.574 – 586
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.2026761 Published online 16th July 2026.

© 2026 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Integrating journaling as a pedagogical strategy is a valuable and viable approach to enhance critical reflection and self-assessment. Reflective practice, a cornerstone of professional growth, involves a deliberate process of self-assessment, allowing individuals to retrospectively examine their learning to foster continuous improvement. This study investigates the use of journalizing to foster deeper reflection on the understanding of academic content within an economic management sciences module, while exploring the factors contributing to students’ reluctance to engage in self-reflection through this method, and investigating the factors which influence students’ choices to engage. The study followed a mixed-methods design, which incorporated an analysis of responses of the journal activity submissions (n=81) after completion of study units, with sequencing enabled, allowing students had to go through certain content requirements before they could journal their learning experiences. The results indicated that only 30% of the students followed through to journalizing as part of their learning engagement, with a noticeable decline as the course progressed. Furthermore, most of the students simply made journalizing statements which were vague and showed a lack of understanding of the units covered. It is recommended that the importance of writing journals in an academic context be emphasized, and lecturers should look for ways of motivating students to do self-reflection through meaningful journalizing.

Keywords: Journalizing, Assessment, Willingness, Education, Barriers, Reflection.

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Peens, S. is a Profesional Accountant by qualification, alternated towards lecturering Accounting for  Educators at the Central University of Technology for almost two decades. With a focus on personal development for both him and his students, he prefers the role of mentoring in an apprenticeship approach, leading by example in his teaching.

Kimanzi, MK is a  Senior lecturer in Economics and Management Sciences Education. Research interests include EMS pedagogy, ESD and entrepreneurship education.

Vuthela, ZS is a lecturer with a passion for shaping future educators. With a strong background in business strategy, entrepreneurship, and organizational leadership, Ms Vuthela specializes in equipping education students with management skills essential for navigating the evolving educational landscape.

Shaun, Peens, Kimanzi Mathew, and Vuthela Zamagebe Siphokazi. “The declining engagement in journaling: Exploring barriers to Reflective learning in an Economic Management module.” Journal of Education and Learning Technology 7, no.6 (2026): 574 – 586. https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.2026761

© 2026 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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