Reflective practice serves as a vital area of teacher education and the impetus for professional development among pre-service teachers. Past research has lamented the lack of critical thought of the reflection made by pre-service teachers during their teaching practice. This paper presents a qualitative investigation into the use of video logs (vlogs), which are mediated online. The participants of the study comprised 13 pre-service ESL teachers studying in an Institute of Teacher Education. The data for this study was gathered via the analysis of the vlogs and the focus group interview. Results indicate that the respondents expressed mixed reactions to the approach, where some have enjoyed the experience while some feared of being judged and feeling awkward seeing themselves in vlogs. Most respondents have centered their reflections on issues they encountered during lessons, but one has shown the ability to reflect on issues beyond the classroom setting. The outcome of the study implied the need for pre-service teachers to be given additional coaching on the ‘how’ aspect of reflection. In addition, there is a need to address technical issues faced by respondents in using vlogs, as this can impede the reflecting experience and frequency of vlogs and comments posted by the participants.

Teachers who are reflective are found to be more able to develop themselves professionally. However, pre-service teachers were found to be in need of explicit instructions on reflective practice. This paper presents the results of an investigation on the use of the 5-step Cognition Practice Observation Reflection Action (CoPORA) reflective model among a group of Malaysian ESL pre-service teachers enrolled in an Institute of Teacher Education. A qualitative case study design was utilised, where the model was taught to a group of 13 pre-service ESL teachers who later completed the second phase of their teaching practice. The data for this study comprised the respondents’ entries in their practicum reflection forms, reflective video blogs and focus group interviews. Results showed that respondents have moved from engaging in the lower levels of reflection to a higher pedagogical reflection. They also responded favourably to the use of the 5-step CoPORA reflective model for its structured approach. Nevertheless, the respondents lamented their struggles in rationalising issues faced and in suggesting suitable solutions. It is proposed that the pre-service teachers were shown exemplars of critical reflection to help them see the level at which they ought to reflect. Alternatively, teacher educators can explore a dialogic or collaborative approach to reflection so pre-service teachers can work with one another to further develop their reflective practice.