How can a facilitator’s caring approach trigger and deepen pre-service teachers’ reflection on their pedagogical practice? A year-long action research study

ABSTRACTThroughout a year-long Action Research (AR) conducted in Physical Education Teacher Education, this study explored how a facilitator’s caring approach can help develop strategies and create circumstances to enhance and deepen Pre-Service Teachers’ (PSTs) reflection on their pedagogical practice. Participants included six PSTs and the first author, who assumed the dual role of external facilitator (EF) and researcher. Three action research-cycles were conducted, enabling the EF to analyze the needs and thoughts of PSTs thoroughly. This allowed EF to tailor her interventions to developed strategies and created circumstances that triggered and deepened the PSTs’ reflection. Qualitative data collected through focus group interviews, informal interviews, reflective journals, and field notes guided the EF’s strategic progression in each AR-cycle through thematic analysis to design subsequent interventions. Through the ongoing AR-cycles, the facilitator underwent a strategic evolution propelled by PSTs’ needs and thoughts. Specifically, PSTs’ reflections transitioned from conformity to autonomy, which embraced multifaceted analysis, transcending consensus. It is recommended that Physical Education Teacher Education programs incorporate a customized caring environment that nurtures vulnerability, fosters the development of trusting relationships, and is responsive to the unique learning context.KEYWORDS: Reflective practiceethics of careinitial teacher educationfacilitatoraction research Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.Additional informationFundingThis work was supported by Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.Notes on contributorsEugénia Lopes AzevedoEugénia Azevedo is a PhD Student in Sport Sciences and is interested in reflective practice in Physical Education Teacher Education, action research, collaborative learning, and sports pedagogy.Carla Sofia Valério FernandesCarla Valerio is a Health and Physical Education lecturer and researcher interested in Physical Education Teacher Education, teacher professional learning, social learning theory, and student-centred approaches.Rui Manuel Flores AraújoRui Araújo is a Lecture and the Course leader of the Physical Education Teacher Education programme at University of Maia. Integrated researcher at the Research Centre in Sports Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development and Research on Sport Pedagogy. More than 10 years of teaching experience in higher education.Ana Gracinda Alves RamosAna Ramos is a Lecturer at Faculty of Sport, University of Porto and member of Centre of Research, Education, Innovation, and Intervention in Sport (CIFI2D) interested in the area of Sports Sciences, her research interests are related to the topic of Sports Training, Sports Pedagogy, Didactics, Learning, Action-Research, and Long-term Athlete Development.Isabel Maria Ribeiro MesquitaIsabel Mesquita is a Full Professor at Faculty of Sport, University of Porto and member of Centre of Research, Education, Innovation, and Intervention in Sport (CIFI2D) interested in in the area of Sports Sciences, Sports Training, Sports Pedagogy, Didactics, Learning, Action-Research.