The Effects of Reflective Learning on the Quality of English Writing in Chinese University Students: An Analysis Based on Coh-Metrix and Reflective Journals

Abstract

This study aims to examine the effects of reflective learning on the quality of English writing in Chinese university students using the Coh-Metrix tool and the students’ reflective journals. According to its research findings, reflective learning had significantly positive effects on the students’ quality of English writing in terms of content/ideas, organization/development, and language. Furthermore, reflective learning significantly improved the lexical diversity of their English writing; it also enhanced the cohesion and coherence of their writing through the improvement in referential coherence and semantic overlapping. Thematic analysis of the subjects’ reflective journals corresponds to these findings while also indicating that reflective learning helps elevate their self-efficacy in English writing.