The effect of reflective journal writing on EFL students' self-efficacy and foreign language learning anxiety

The aim of this study is to measure the effect of reflective journal writing on students' self-efficacy and foreign language learning anxiety. For this purpose, 39 students studying at English preparatory school were recruited for this experimental study. English as a Foreign Language Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (EFL-SEQ) and Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) were used to collect the quantitative data both for the pre-test and for the post-test. The experimental group of students participated in an 8-week reflective journal writing process. After the post-test, it was checked whether there was a statistical difference with the pre-test. At the same time, the reflective diaries of the students were content analyzed, and the factors affecting students' language learning anxiety and foreign language self-efficacy perceptions were examined. As a result of this experimental study, it was found that reflective journal writing does not have a statistically significant effect on students' self-efficacy and in-class foreign language learning anxiety. In addition, as a result of descriptive statistical analysis, it was revealed that test anxiety, the change of the instructor and the educational environment caused more foreign language anxiety than other factors, and the assessment of the student's own learning processes, past success and failures were the biggest factors affecting their self-efficacy beliefs. Implications based on the obtained findings are presented. Keywords: self-efficacy, foreign language classroom anxiety, reflective journal