Reflective writing and teaching electrical circuits: a study on the development of reflective practice in pre-service teacher education

This study analyzes the reflections written by a pre-service physics teacher on his teaching intervention in teaching electrical circuits in a secondary school. Four levels of reflective depth were identified: descriptive (43%), comparative (31%), critical (17%), and emotional self-assessment (9%). In addition, associated epistemic emotions, such as frustration, pride, and insecurity, and their influence on pedagogical decisions were explored. The results highlight how reflective writing facilitates the connection between theory and practice, allowing teachers to integrate macroscopic and submicroscopic levels in their teaching. However, challenges were also evident, such as cognitive complexity for students and technical problems with teaching resources. This work contributes to pre-service teacher education by addressing gaps related to the impact of epistemic emotions on reflective development and the transition from descriptive to critical levels. Methodologically, a qualitative approach based on thematic content analysis was used, providing an interpretive framework transferable to similar contexts. The findings suggest practical implications for designing training strategies promoting more profound and transformative reflection.