Pre-service Teachers’ Reflection: Perception, Preparedness and Challenges

Abstract

The research aimed at tracing the perceptions pre-service student teachers had about reflection, their preparedness to become reflective practitioners and the constraints and limitations that hindered them from reflecting on their teaching. The research tools employed in this qualitative exploratory case study are: semi-structured-focused-group-interviews. The findings revolved around dimensions of various limitations and constraints. This embodied: language barrier, multi-layered tasks, nature and dimension of reflection, lack of reflection skills, absence of post development plan, emotional barrier, external locus of control and socio-cultural context of learning. The means pre-service student teachers used to reflect conveyed a series of limitations and constraints. The findings addressed areas which needed improvement. Recommendations were suggested to enhance critical and practical reflective skills among future teachers in Abu Dhabi.