Reflection on reflection: EFL university instructors’ perceptions on reflective practices

Abstract

Exploring teachers’ reflective experiences is important to shed light on understanding how different reflective practices work in classroom settings. The aim of the study was to engage EFL university instructors in reflectivity through various tools and to investigate their related perceptions. To that end, eight EFL university instructors in a Turkish context participated in the study. For systematic implementation of reflective practices, different reflective tools; namely, reflective diaries, reflective video analysis, and reflective peer sessions were used following a training procedure. The participants reflected on their reflective practices by writing reflections, answering a perception questionnaire and participating in semi-structured interviews. Qualitative analysis using the Constant Comparison Method put forward that all participants benefited from the study in terms of gaining awareness about their teaching practices and promoting self-evaluation albeit some negative perceptions related to time and effort required. The participants also realized that reflective practice is an effective method for teacher development, and it can be applied through different ways or tools. Findings assert that reflective teaching practices could contribute to professional empowerment when implemented in a systematic fashion. This study yields promising results for designing effective reflective practices for teachers in various contexts.