Collaborative Reflective Practice: Its Influence on Preservice EFL Teachers’ Emerging Professional Identities

This paper presents an action research study conducted to explore how to strengthen pre-service EFL teacher professional identities through reflective practice at a university in the north of Chile. A 10- week workshop was developed to introduce participants to reflective practice as they took their extended teaching practicum. Reflections were fostered through an approach that was structured, conversational and collaborative. Qualitative data about the 12 participants’ perceptions of the workshop were gathered using a focus group discussion. The hybrid thematic analysis of their responses indicated that participants’ emerging teacher professional identities were strengthened in three highly relevant ways: participants developed confidence in their ability to problem-solve, their appreciation of collaboration grew, and they became more aware of the need for teachers to change. The conclusions and implications drawn may be of use to teacher educators in other contexts who are considering how to foster professional identity through reflective practice in pre-service teachers.