A Reflective Practice for EFL Teacher Development in View of Teacher Educators: Components and Process

In an attempt to explore the way reflective practice could be implemented in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher education, the present study aimed to illuminate the features of a reflective approach to EFL educational institutions based on the theoretical knowledge and practical experiences of expert teacher educators. The data were collected through conducting semi-structured interview sessions with seven EFL teacher educators who were selected through purposeful sampling. The qualitative grounded theory research design was utilized to analyze the data. The inductive analysis of the data resulted in developing the following categories: (a) exposure to the theoretical knowledge, (b) explanation of the perceived knowledge, (c) exemplification of the abstract knowledge, (d) exercising the knowledge, (e) expatiating on the experience, (f) exchanging what is explored, (g) excogitating upon what is learned, (h) executing the task, (i) examining the action, and finally (j) expanding the practical knowledge. The study culminated in the development of a model of reflective practice for EFL teacher education which may have implications for curriculum designers and teacher educators who intend to develop reflective teachers and student teachers who wish to pursue teaching autonomously.