Iranian EFL teachers' reflection levels: The role of gender, experience, and qualifications

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the status of reflective teaching practice among Iranian EFL teachers scrutinizing the variables of qualification, years of experience, and gender. One hundred English teachers completed an online questionnaire measuring the four levels of reflective teaching, i.e., pre-reflection, surface reflection, pedagogical, and critical reflection. The results of the multivariate ANOVA showed that Iranian English teachers mainly reflected at the pedagogical level in their classrooms. Critical, surface, and pre-reflection constituted the next levels they reflected on their practice. A significant relationship was found between teachers' qualifications and years of experience and the pedagogical and critical reflection levels. In addition, females outperformed males in terms of critical reflection. The results call for more attention to fostering critical thinking skills among Iranian EFL teachers.