The Effect of Reflective Teaching on the Speaking Performance of Iranian EFL Junior High School Learners

Reflective teaching is widely recognized as a means of enhancing teachers' instructional effectiveness through systematic evaluation and continuous improvement of classroom practices. While previous studies have emphasized its role in teachers' professional development, relatively little research has examined whether instruction informed by teachers' reflective practice can improve EFL learners' speaking performance in Iranian public schools. This study examined the effect of reflective teaching practices on the speaking performance of Iranian female junior high school EFL learners.A quasi-experimental design was used with ۶۰ female ninth-grade students, assigned to an experimental group (n = ۳۰) and a control group (n = ۳۰). Both groups completed a speaking pre-test before the intervention. During the ten-session intervention, the teacher systematically reflected on each lesson by evaluating strengths and weaknesses and subsequent while implementing communicative speaking activities, including brainstorming, role-play, information-gap tasks, games, interviews, and group discussions. The control group received conventional teacher-centered instruction without reflective practice.Post-test results, analyzed via paired- and independent-samples t-tests, showed significantly greater improvement in speaking performance for the experimental group. Findings suggest that systematic reflective practice enhances speaking instruction by enabling teachers to refine decisions in response to learner needs, increasing engagement and performance. The study supports integrating reflective practice into EFL teacher education and professional development.

کلیدواژه ها:

Reflective Teaching ، Reflective Practice ، Speaking Skill ، Speaking Performance ، English as a Foreign Language (EFL) ، Iranian Female Junior High School Students.