The role of reflection during the first teaching experience of foreign languag pre-service teachers: an exploratory-case study

Abstract

This qualitative study engaged four foreign language student teachers in a reflective practice while completing their practicum. The classroomsof four educational institutions comprised the study sites: two public high schools, one private primary school and one public university, alllocated in a northwestern Colombian town. The researchers gathered data through student teachers’ reflective journals, one-on-one interviewsand classroom observations. Findings revealed that reflection on action and reflections in action (Schön, 1987) enabled participants to redirectteaching processes. In regards to Van Manen’s (1977) three levels of reflection, this study found that although all the student teachers reachedthe first and second level of reflection, only two participants reached the third level, critical reflection.

Keywords

• Reflection, teaching practice, foreign languages.