Reflective practice among MATESOL graduates in the UAE: theoretical construct or ongoing benefit?

Abstract

Many teacher training programs, including the MATESOL program at the American University of Sharjah (AUS) in United Arab Emirates, encourage their trainees to reflect on their practice. However, whether or not reflection becomes a part of the trainees’ practice once they leave these programs is a thought-provoking question, which formed the core of the current study. The study was qualitative in nature, using interviewing as its method of data collection. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with four AUS MATESOL program graduates, and investigated their perceptions of and engagement with reflective practice. The findings of the study indicate that the participants have generally developed an understanding of and appreciation for reflection and reflective practice, are aware of its values, and use different forms of reflection in order to reflect on their practice. However, some of them hold some uncertainties and misconceptions about reflective practice and its different aspects.

Keywords:

• reflection
• reflective practice
• teacher training
• pre-service teachers

Acknowledgement

I would like to thank Dr Cindy Gunn for her insightful comments on the earlier drafts of this paper and her encouragement and support in the course of writing it.

Notes

1. In order to preserve the participants confidentiality pseudonyms are used for them.

2. The participants’ words have not been edited.