The Role of the Higher Diploma Program for Pre-Service Teacher Preparation in Improving the Skill of Writing Reflective Academic Essays for the Educational Practices of Student Teachers at Yarmouk University for the Year 2022/2023

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to explore the role of the Higher Diploma Program for Teacher Preparation at the Faculty of Education at Yarmouk University in improving the skill of writing reflective academic essays for the educational practices of student teachers during the first semester of the academic year 2022/2023.

Methodology The study employed two complementary methodologies: the descriptive method and the quasi-experimental method. The descriptive approach was used to analyze the statistical characteristics of the reflective essays written by pre-service teachers before and after participating in the program. While, the quasi-experimental method focused on measuring the impact of the program's three modules (Pedagogy of Learning and Teaching, Subject-Specific Teaching Methods, and Field Training) on enhancing reflective writing skills. This was achieved by comparing students ‘performance in the pre-test and post-test and analyzing the differences based on their specialization.

Results: The study's findings showed that the Higher Diploma Program for Pre-Service Teacher Preparation significantly contributed to developing student teachers' skills in writing reflective essays. The results also indicated that the positive impact of the program was more evident among science majors compared to their peers in mathematics and Arabic language majors. Additionally, the findings highlighted the superiority of female students over male students in terms of improving reflective writing skills.

Conclusion: This study concludes that enhancing student evaluation through reflective essays improves their writing skills, particularly for those in the Higher Diploma Program. Reflective writing skills are not limited to literary or theoretical fields but rather reflect critical thinking abilities. Moreover, improving these skills requires motivation, diligence, and a genuine desire to learn, as evidenced by the significant improvement among female students.