Watch your teaching: A reflection strategy for EFL pre-service teachers through video recordings

Abstract

The central issue addressed in this study is the use of video recordings to help foster the reflective practice of pre-service teachers. For the study, we used a qualitative research methodology to investigate and discuss the use of video recordings in the classroom as a means of promoting reflection among pre-service teachers of EFL. This study also reports on the participants' experiences, reactions and perceptions towards the use of video recordings of their teaching in the practicum. In this study, the data were provided whereby the video-recordings of both the actual teaching and the post-conferences held over three weeks. The three participants also kept reflective journals and answered an open-ended questionnaire. The results revealed that the video inclusion helped them to raise awareness particularly about the problems of their L2 use, the unfamiliarity between themselves and the students, and the effect of their moods on the day of teaching. Furthermore, the participants expressed a strong belief in the value and effectiveness of watching their teaching episodes weekly as to reach several questions, realizations and changes about their teaching practices in the practicum.