On the Role of Reflection in Developing Autonomous Diary Writing among Iranian EFL Higher Education Learners

In this study it was aimed to investigate the outcomes of studentsʹ reflection on their learning in the context of an out-of-class learning project via diary writing skill. To this end, 42 freshmen following a compulsory General English Language course at Imam Khomeini Maritime University of Noshahr participated in the study. As part of this project, participants were encouraged to fill in "record-of-work" forms, including a space for reflection on learning activities, to be ultimately submitted in a portfolio. They were allowed to write diaries in their own time, reviewing previous works before making new ones. Their comments on diaries were also collected. Next, they were asked to take part in a semi-structured interview. The data were then combined together. In analyzing the data, an approach was used based on "grounded theory" in which it was aimed to generate theory through the systematic review and categorization of data and then categorization and their relationships were elaborated in the process of interpretation. The results maintained that reflection activities could keep the totality of language and involve students both cognitively and emotionally. The activities introduced present Iranian EFL teachers a chance to provide learners with immediate feedback and lead them towards reflective practice and autonomous learning in educational settings.