The Pedagogical Reflection Essay for Reading Instruction: A Generic and Methodological Proposal

Abstract

In the realm of initial teacher training, students must develop the ability to reflect pedagogically as a necessary competency for achieving meaningful learning in the classroom. This involves critical and reflective reasoning based on both theoretical and practical mastery of disciplinary knowledge. However, studies focusing on teaching this academic challenge through writing are still in their early stages. The research aimed to determine the effect of applying a methodological intervention based on the case method and the text production process approach in writing a pedagogical reflection essay on reading instruction among students of Spanish Language Pedagogy at a regional state university in Chile. The methodology employed is quantitative, descriptive in scope, with a quasi-experimental design on a single group. Among the results obtained, future teachers are able to produce an essay appropriately to reflect on a case describing a didactic problem related to reading instruction in the classroom, through analysis and proposals for improvement. However, progress is still needed in the foundation of information, precision in conceptual mastery, and in parts of the discourse. In conclusion, it is necessary to continue with interventions to strategically strengthen the production of academic genres of pedagogical reflection that address not only reading instruction but also writing and oral communication in the school system.