Tensions of Embedding Reflective Teaching Practices in Teacher Education in Eritrea: A Self-Study on Facilitation Experiences

This article is a self-study of intentional practices embedded in reflective teaching in a teacher education program in Eritrea. The educator-researcher (author) was concerned with engaging learner-teachers in interactive teaching practices in general and reflective learning practices in particular. By employing self-study methods and tools, the study examines proactive practices and processes in a postgraduate teacher education course. The author implemented facilitation approaches of collaborative reflections, supporting reflective inquiry on learning practices, explicit modelling, and consistent feedback. Framed within the conceptual notion of the tension of practices, the study explores the author's facilitation experiences during a 16-week or semester-long course. The findings revealed tensions in attending to and improving learner-teachers' educational needs, synchronizing verbal and written reflective competencies, and language issues in learning to be more thoughtful. The self-study provides practical perspectives on how teacher educators may learn to approach their work while supporting reflective practices in challenging teacher education contexts and beyond.