Social Media as a Platform for Reflecting Practice: Experience of Malaysian Pre-service ESL Teachers

Abstract

Past studies have lamented that pre-service teachers are unable to reflect critically and lack the opportunity to reflect as a community. However, these issues can be potentially addressed with social media. Therefore, this study explored the experience of pre-service teachers engaging in reflective practice via video blogs (vlogs) in Facebook. The study ascertained how pre-service teachers use social media in reflective practice and the barriers to their adoption using such approach. The study was a qualitative investigation using content analysis and focused group discussion. The respondents comprised a group of pre-service teachers who were undergoing teaching practice in East Malaysia. Thematic analysis was used to generate salient findings from data gathered. The respondents demonstrated their ability to capture their reflections in vlogs and share them on social media, with focus on the practice and observation stages. While the study was planned for reflective practice, the respondents have utilised social media to share their teaching ideas and techniques. The barriers to active participation have been identified to be time constraint and the fear of offending one another in providing feedback. This study proved the affordance of social media as a platform for pre-service teachers to share their practice and to engage in reflective practice as a community. However, teacher educators who wish to adopt this approach would need to address issues such as perceived usefulness in engaging in reflective practice online and the reluctance among pre-service teachers to provide honest comments to one another.