Reflection levels and teaching practices of in-service English teachers in Indonesia

Abstract

The continuation of reflection practices and the application of learned knowledge are crucial for teachers’ professional development, yet few studies explore how in-service teachers sustain reflection after training. This study addresses this gap by exploring an alternative to traditional journaling: a teacher camp that integrates reflective practices into an interactive and immersive experience. It investigates the levels of reflection of in-service English teachers who participated in the teacher camp and the correlation of these reflection levels to their teaching practices. In the five-day camp, English language teachers from all over Indonesia participated in various activities including teacher workshops, sharing and reflective sessions and other related activities. Every night during the camp, the teachers were asked to reflect on what they had learnt and how they would implement it in their teaching contexts. This study employed a multi-phase mixed methods research design. Four hundred and sixty teachers’ reflective writings were analysed to investigate the teachers’ reflection levels. Data analysis was performed using a thematic content analysis. In addition, a closed questionnaire and both open-ended closed questions were used to collect data on the relationship between the teachers’ reflection levels and their teaching practices. The findings revealed a significant correlation between these two aspects. Since most participants showed an understanding of the importance of in-depth reflection for their overall professional development, the impact of the reflection practice on their teaching practices will also be discussed.  Recommendations for further research in this area were provided.