The relationship between Iranian English high school teachers' reflective practices, their self-regulation and teaching experience

Abstract

The study examined the relationship between English teachers' reflective practices and their self-regulation. It also explored the relationships between self-regulation and teachers' teaching experiences. To achieve the goal of the study, 103 English teachers from different senior and junior high schools were selected through convenience sampling based on availability and based on their consent to participate in the study. They were asked to complete two questionnaires: the English Language Teaching Reflection Inventory (ELTRI) and the Teacher Self-Regulation Scale (TSRS). The relationship between teachers' reflective practices and their self-regulation was examined by running Spearman correlation coefficient formula. Additionally, the power of reflection and the teachers' experiences in predicting English teachers' self-regulation was investigated by running a multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed a positive relationship between the teachers' reflective practices and their self-regulation. Nevertheless, there were no significant relationships between teachers' self-regulation and their experiences. Reflective practice was also found to be a strong predictor of self-regulation. In light of the results gained, a list of reflective practice techniques for improving English teachers' teaching quality and self-regulation in teacher education were suggested. The results of this study have implications for English language teachers, researchers and teacher trainers in Iran and abroad.