Korthagen's onion model and its effectiveness in developing reflective thinking skills and attitudes toward the profession among EFL student-educators

Abstract EN

Korthagen's Onion model is one of the influential novelties of the Core Reflection approach, including exterior layers of reflection expanding from the surface to the interior ones.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a proposed training program based on the Onion model in developing reflective thinking skills and attitudes towards the profession among EFL student-educators.

This experimental study was conducted with 59 EFL student-educators involved in the program of teaching practice at Port Said Faculty of education.

The data were collected using two scales designed to measure participants reflective thinking skills and attitudes towards the profession.

The proposed training program based on the Onion model included (20) sessions and lasted for (10) weeks.

Data of the pre-, post- and follow-up applications of the scales were collected and statistically analyzed.

The results of the analyses revealed that the proposed training program based on the Onion Model helped to develop reflective thinking skills and positive attitudes towards the EFL profession among EFL Student-Educators.

Implications, suggestions for further research, and recommendations for curricula and policy makers of teacher education programs are included.