Preservice Teachers’ Reflecting on Reflections of Critical Incidents: Effects on Professional Development and Identity Construction

Abstract

This interpretive phenomenological study reports the effects of reflecting on reflections concerning Critical Incidents (CIs) on the pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) professional development and conceptualization of their identity as TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) teachers. The study involved nine PSTs who were specializing in TESOL and doing their teaching practicum. The main instrument of the study was reflective writing, which required the PSTs to report CIs, write reflections, and share these for receiving peers’ reflections to further reflect on self-reflection and reflection of peers. The process enabled the participants to pursue professional development and conceive identity as TESOL teachers. This seemingly engaging, thought-provoking and meaningful reflective practice can be additive to the existing reflective practices, which have been questioned and debated in the literature. In pursuit of professional development and teacher identity, PSTs can be assigned to reflect on reflections with diverse elements of focus alongside CIs.