Bridging reflection theory and practices in physical education: a scoping review of teacher education

Mounting evidence from teacher education (TE) research, reflection, and reflective practices suggest that they play a pertinent role in building preservice physical education teachers’ (PPETs) teaching knowledge and competence. Although reflection has become a crucial issue in the PE discourse over the last few decades, many different concepts and approaches/resources make its comprehension more difficult. Moreover, little knowledge exists about how to support educators and researchers in their studies and efforts to understand and improve the reflective ability of learners. It is critical to examine the existing knowledge base and implement its strategic solutions for future TE programs. Therefore, the objective of this review was to understand the current scope of published conceptual literature and research on reflection and reflective practices in PETE. The review included using the electronic databases of ERIC, SPORTDiscus, and Scopus. Based on the study’s boundaries, 36 articles were deemed eligible out of 1,067 total articles. The resulting thematic synthesis draws attention to the construction of four essential themes: (a) conceptual background, (b) reflection history, (c) reflection in PETE, and (d) modes of reflective practices. Implications of this review included developing and cultivating reflective practices and future recommendations. Specifically, by providing practical examples, they addressed pedagogical approaches for including reflection in volleyball units in PETE programs. Future studies should be engineered to fill the gap between theoretical perspectives and reflective practices and reinforce the evidence to establish best practices in PETE. Finally, evidence-informed practices should highlight meaningful opportunities for PPETs in PETE to develop into sustainable reflective practitioners.