Facilitating the development of pre-service teachers as reflective learners: a Malaysian experience

Studies of reflective practices among pre-service teachers focus mostly on teaching practice and very rarely on the acquisition of academic knowledge. The aim of this study was to examine the reflections of 25 pre-service teachers in online forums and weblogs focused on their learning in two literary pedagogical courses. A total of 97 online forum entries and 189 weblog entries were analysed. Semi-structured interviews and document analysis were also undertaken. A five-level framework for reflection in response to a literary text was derived from the reflective entries. Although this study indicated a positive outcome in reflective quality, the number of reflections at the highest level of reflection (Transformation) was low. It is suggested that the mixed outcomes of the project were related in part to the mismatch of syllabi and learning outcomes, and the medium of reflection (online forums and weblogs).