Abstract

Adolescents with learning disabilities struggle with various academic tasks in school, especially due to deficits in executive functioning, but also because of difficulties linked directly to their specific disability, such as with reading, math and other domain specific issues (Brown, 2008; Jong, 1998). Gender can have an impact on how adolescents cope with their difficulties. Feelings of low self-esteem, psychological distress, and academic difficulties are often more pronounced in teenage girls (Quinn, 2005). In general, there is limited research on how adolescents students with learning disabilities reflect on themselves as learners when they are engaged in academics, and in particular how they may view their sense of autonomy, relatedness, as well as their own competence in learning, in general. The aim of this study was to better understand how adolescent students with learning disabilities perceive their learning through the use of a meaningful, personal, and relevant form of reflective journaling. Four adolescent girls with learning disabilities engaged in reflective journaling using various artistic tools over five and a half weeks. Journals were coded for themes and analyzed. Results showed that students chose to use the journals to express and reflect on feelings and emotions, rather than reflecting on the tutoring sessions or academic progress. All four girls responded positively to being given the freedom of choice on how to use their reflective journals, and showed increased positive affect and relatedness to peers and tutors. Implications for the use of reflective journals in academic settings and limitations are discussed.