A Study On The Content Of Four EFL Student Teachers' Reflections About Classroom Teaching

This study aims to investigate the content of four EFL student teachers'teacher reflections in their teaching practicum by answering the following research questions: 1) what aspects do the four EFL student teachers emphasize in their teacher reflections? 2) What do they reflect on their students'English teaching? 3) How do they develop their teaching reflections over the time of teaching practicum?This qualitative research employs multiple case studies of in-depth study. The four EFL student teachers were purposeful selected. The data collected during their teaching from September to November 2009, included guided written teacher reflections, semi-structure interviews, the author's field notes of classroom observations, and additional data included lesson plans, videotaped lessons.Results showed that among the four categories namely"theories of English teaching","teaching methods and procedures","evaluating teaching"and"self-awareness", these four EFL student teachers emphasized on"evaluating teaching","teaching methods and procedures"in their reflections. Secondly, they reflected on their students mainly on the following four aspects"descriptions students","students'prior knowledge"students'learning outcomes and"students'learning difficulties". Thirdly, over the time of teaching practicum, these four participants had an overall tendency of developing their reflections from a technical level to a more critical level, and all of them were more able to evaluate both positively and negatively towards their teaching but none of them discussed more on theories of teaching that the experts developed. Besides, in terms of developments of individual student teacher, two of them showed a higher degree of developments while the other two a lower degree.This study has both theoretical and practical significance. It contributes to our understandings of the essence of EFL student teachers'reflection on their classroom teaching. It points out the aspects that the EFL student teachers may place great importance on. In addition, a framework is proposed for further studies to analyze EFL student teachers'reflections on their students'English learning. The developmental process of EFL student teachers'reflection enriches the findings of previous studies and further points out their tendency of developing their reflections form a technical level to a more critical level.As for its practical significance, EFL student teachers, they may get benefits them by paying more attentions to their reflections on classroom teaching, which eventually may benefit their teaching and professionalism in the future. For teacher educators and mentors, it may help them know more and understand better about the EFL student teachers'concerns about classroom teaching, and improve their ways of instructions. The study also provides courses designers with data on planning courses and teaching practicum for EFL student teachers.