The Development of an Experiential Learning Model with Reflective Practice for Enhancing the Teaching Professional Spirit of Pre-Service Teachers in Private Universities

Abstract

This study aimed to: 1) develop an experiential learning model integrated with reflective thinking to enhance the teacher spirit of pre-service teachers in private universities; 2) examine the effects of the experiential learning model integrated with reflective thinking on the teacher spirit of pre-service teachers before and after its implementation; and 3) investigate students’ satisfaction with the developed learning model. The participants were 54 students enrolled in the Graduate Diploma Program in Teaching Profession at the Faculty of Education, Panyapiwat Institute of Management. The learning model was evaluated by five experts, including both internal and external instructors. The research instruments consisted of a self-assessment questionnaire on teacher spirit administered before and after the intervention, an evaluation form assessing the appropriateness of the learning model, and a student satisfaction questionnaire. Data were analyzed using means, standard deviations, and content analysis. The results indicated that: 1) the development of an experiential learning model integrated with reflective practice to enhance teacher professional identity among pre-service teachers, comprising four stages—concrete experience, reflective observation and active response, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation with reflection—was overall at the highest level; 2) the assessment results of teacher spirit before and after the implementation of the experiential learning model integrated with reflective thinking showed a statistically significant difference at the .05 level; and 3) the overall satisfaction of pre-service teachers toward the experiential learning model integrated with reflective thinking for enhancing teacher spirit was at the highest level, particularly in terms of overall satisfaction (mean = 4.58, S.D. = 0.53), while satisfaction with the learning model aspect was at a high level (mean = 4.10, S.D. = 0.66).