Exploring pre-service EFL teachers' reflections on viewing guided and unguided videos of expert teachers online

Abstract

This study seeks to explore perspectives of EFL teachers with regard to the experience of viewing experts’ videos with and without guidance in an online platform and how this experience is mirrored in their reflective practice. Twelve pre-service EFL teachers watched the videos of eight expert teachers teaching in real ESL/EFL classes in different contexts over the world. The participants wrote reflective journals, responded to questions embedded in the videos and a post-treatment questionnaire. Qualitative data in the study were analyzed using content analysis. The results indicated facilitative effects of viewing videos of experts on pre-service teachers’ reflections. Guided videos in particular yielded more and deeper levels of reflection, and were perceived more positively by the participants.