Female Teachers’ Perception of Reflective Teaching as a Teacher Development Tool in the Saudi Context

Abstract

Teacher development in the EFL context has been well-established in Western educational institutions. However, although there are some limited studies in the Middle East, it is still under-researched in Saudi Arabia. This study investigates the EFL teachers’ perceptions of reflective teaching as a tool for teacher development and its challenges in higher education in Saudi Arabia. It also aims to raise teachers’ awareness of the importance of teacher development and its empowering impact in meeting their students’ needs. Based on a review of previous studies, the present study hypothesized a significant relevance between reflective teaching practice and the promotion of professional development. A structured questionnaire is used as a quantitative methodology followed by qualitative analysis of the findings. The findings support the hypothesis in which the participants’ views revealed a strong relationship between reflective teaching and professionalism in teaching. Finally, further recommendations that suggest methods of reflective teaching are proposed.