Promoting Reflective Thinking: Pre-service Teachers' Experience in a Web-based Learning Platform

Abstract

The presence of web-based learning platforms advances instructional strategies that support the development of students’ thinking skills. The study was conducted to stimulate the reflective thinking skills of the students with the aid of web-based learning platform particularly Edmodo. This study aims to cultivate the instructor’s own abilities to develop and implement activities promoting reflective thinking among pre-service teachers and describe the experience of reflection-integrated activities in a web –based learning platform among students. The research employed an action research design. The 24 pre-service teachers (PSTs) who were taking a course handled by the researcher were the respondents of the study. Course materials were given to the students who were required to submit their answers to questions posted in Edmodo. Quantitative data shows that the reflective thinking skills of the PSTs were described as ‘Reflective.’ Qualitative data validated the quantitative results that the activities given to the respondents fostered the reflective thinking of the PSTs. Constant follow-up, considerable time and immediate feedback are essential in tasks using web-based learning platform. The use of a web-based learning platform can be an avenue to promote reflective thinking among students through proper planning, implementation and evaluation of course.