Cyclical reflection on physical education instruction influences on pre-service teachers’ critical transformation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21494733 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Tong Zhou (0000-0003-3901-3477, Universitat de Girona), Jordi Colomer (0000-0002-9330-0269, Universitat de Girona, corresponding author), M Eugenia Gras (Universitat de Girona), Remigijus Bubnys (0000-0002-7614-7688, Universitat de Girona), Dolors Cañabate (Universitat de Girona) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-17 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-08 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Education for Teaching International Research and Pedagogy (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0260-7476 • E-ISSN: 1360-0540 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/02607476.2026.2686152 |
| OpenAlex | W7163880626 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 34 |
The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that pre-service teachers’ (PSTs’) critical reflection on professional physical education develops through structured experiential learning approaches. This quasi-experimental study involved two groups of PSTs: a teacher-directed group (n = 39) engaged in traditional reciprocal instruction activities, and an experimental group (n = 104) participating in contextualised cooperative physical education challenges with additional sustainability education seminars. Both groups’ reflective development was assessed through analysis of six cyclical reflective narratives utilising the four assessment categories of description, argumentation, reflection, and critical reflection. The teacher-directed group achieved lower levels of reflection and critical reflection compared to the experimental group, though both groups showed similar levels of argumentation. The experimental group, which engaged in contextualised physical education challenges with structured formative feedback, attained critical reflection levels in cycles five and six. When PSTs experienced contextualised educational activities incorporating continuous reflection and additional pedagogical support, their critical thinking on physical education activities increased significantly. These findings suggest that structured reflective practices combined with sustainability-focused content can enhance PSTs’ reflective capabilities
Critical reflection · Critical thinking · Experiential learning · Formative assessment · Higher education · Physical education · Reflective Practice · Environmental Education and Sustainability · Physical Education and Pedagogy · Sustainability in Higher Education
How we think.
Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory and Its Application in Geography in Higher Education
Learning Styles and Learning Spaces
Connecting Competences and Pedagogical Approaches for Sustainable Development in Higher Education
Assessing and Predicting College Students’ Use of Strategies for the Self-Regulation of Motivation
What about physical education and Sustainable Development Goals? A scoping review
A Phenomenological Study of Intensive Experiential Learning for University Faculty Professional Development
Development of a Questionnaire to Measure the Level of Reflective Thinking
A four‐category scheme for coding and assessing the level of reflection in written work
Exploring physical education teachers’ perceptions of sustainable development goals and education for sustainable development
The action competence approach and the ‘new’ discourses of education for sustainable development, competence and quality criteria
Improving and evaluating reflective narratives
Analysis of the reflections of student-teachers of mathematics when working with learning portfolios in Spanish university classrooms
Making cooperative learning work
Reflective learning in higher education
Reflective Teaching and Preservice Teacher Education in the Netherlands
| Highly cited | No |
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