“We made each other better, but it waned over and stopped”

Social education students’ experiences with reflective log writing and group guidance

Abstract

The article illuminates the research question: Which experiences do students on a bachelor-program of social education have with use of reflective journals/logs in combination with group guidance during their practical studies. Searches in relevant databases indicate that the topic have scarcely been investigated before. Data was collected by means of two focus-group interviews with students in the last semester of their bachelor program. The findings show that the students remember well the use of logs and group guidance during the first year’s practicum, and how the program stimulated professional growth. The log writing strengthened awareness of practice experiences. The group guidance stimulated the reflection related to their own and fellow students' log content and promoted collegial recognition. The combination of log writing, group guidance with a fixed meeting structure and clear framework created predictability and confidence. The students experienced hardly any reuse of the program in the two subsequent practicums. Therefore, the students request an extended use of the program introduced in practicum one. The request should be seriously considered by the staff dealing with social education. Nevertheless, the article discusses whether full continuity of methodology is didactic wise.