THE ROLE OF REFLECTIVE PRACTICE IN ENHANCING ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING EFFECTIVENESS
Keywords:
reflective practice, ELT effectiveness, professional development, pedagogical self-awareness, EFL, teacher cognition, classroom management, student engagement.Abstract
Reflective practice has become a defining element of modern English Language Teaching (ELT). This study examines how three structured reflective strategies – self-observation through video recording, peer feedback cycles, and narrative journaling – affect the pedagogical effectiveness of EFL instructors in higher education. Drawing on a mixed-methods design, it follows 50 English language teachers across a twenty-four-week semester, measuring shifts in classroom performance, professional attitudes, and instructional decision-making. Results show a statistically significant relationship between consistent reflective engagement and improved student outcomes, with certain dimensions of teaching effectiveness improving by more than 50 percent. The findings demonstrate that sustained reflection reshapes teacher cognition and emotional regulation, bridging the gap between formal training and classroom reality. This study concludes that reflective practice is not peripheral to professional growth but central to developing the adaptive, learner-centered instruction that effective ELT requires.
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