Investigating Reflective Contents and Tools Utilized for the Preparation of Critically Reflective English Language Teachers in the Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching (PGDT): The Case of Three Universities of Ethiopia

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to investigate the types of reflective contents and tools utilized to prepare critical English language teachers in the PGDT program of Dilla, Haramaya and Hawassa Universities of Ethiopia. The study was a mixed method research in its approach and employed questionnaire, semi-structured face-to-face interview and classroom and field observation for data collection. One hundred twenty six randomly selected student-teachers took part in the questionnaire and purposively selected twelve student-teachers, five teacher educators and three coordinators took part in the face-to-face interview. Field and classroom observations were done in two universities-Dilla and Haramaya universities. Both quantitative and qualitative analytical procedures (descriptive statistics-frequency and percentage, and narrations) have been used for data analysis. The findings of the study showed that student-teachers had not found opportunity to practice reflection through different learning contents. It was also identified that though reflective tools such as action research, microteaching, case study and portfolio were used in the program, they were not applied for the purpose of reflection as such. These findings show that there is a defect in the implementation of reflective contents (analyzing teaching and learning experiences, reading critical texts, analyzing assumptions, examining teaching methods), and tools proposed in the different literature. Thus, lack of emphasis on contents that delve student-teachers into critical thinking, and absence of regular use of specific reflective tools seem to have generated student-teachers’ inability to be reflective teachers.