Planned Empowerment of Primary School Students to Reflect on Learning in Lithuanian Language and Literature Classes: Teachers’ Experiences

Abstract

Learning reflection in the classroom is a process through which students think about their learning and articulate – either orally or in writing – what has been successful, and what has not, while noting what they could do differently next time in order to achieve better results. This process is crucial as it enables learners to identify the causes of their learning successes and challenges and, whenever necessary, to adjust their actions accordingly. As a result, it helps reduce impulsivity in learning, since actions are increasingly considered before being taken. Learning reflection not only supports cognitive development but also enhances students’ ability to manage their own learning and promotes greater independence and responsibility.
However, fostering learning reflection is not an automatic process. Students’ initial engagement with reflection typically requires guidance and support from teachers, who play a key role in facilitating and planning time for learning reflection during lessons. Despite this issue, research – conducted both in Lithuania and internationally – indicates that, in various subject lessons, including mother tongue, learning reflection is infrequent, episodic, or entirely absent due to a lack of supportive conditions. Teachers may forget to plan for learning reflection, or else they may assume that it happens implicitly, even when it is inconsistent and ineffective.
This contradiction – which is manifested between the acknowledged theoretical value of learning reflection and its practical lack of implementation – prompted the current study, which aimed to examine how primary school students in Lithuania engage in learning reflection during Lithuanian language and literature classes, as perceived by primary school teachers. The study addressed the following questions: How often do teachers intentionally plan opportunities for learning reflection? At which stage of the lesson is reflection facilitated, and how do teachers justify it? What types of tasks are used to promote learning reflection, and what sources do teachers draw from?
The study employed semi-structured interviews with 14 primary school teachers. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. Three main themes emerged in relation to the research questions: 1) the frequency of planned learning reflection in Lithuanian language and literature lessons; 2) the stages of the lesson in which students engage in learning reflection; 3) the types and sources of tasks used to support learning reflection.
The findings show that learning reflection has not yet become a consistent and systematically planned part of the learning process. It is most commonly applied only 1–2 times per week, or even less frequently, and usually at the end of a lesson. Several factors hinder the planning of learning reflection: lack of lesson time, strong focus on the subject content, undervaluation of the reflection process, insufficient positive practical experience, and limited understanding of its benefits for students. To ensure that learning reflection becomes an integral part of Lithuanian language and literature lessons in primary education, sustained professional development for teachers is essential.