Cyclical reflection on physical education instruction influences on pre-service teachers’ critical transformation

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that pre-service teachers’ (PSTs’) critical reflection on professional physical education develops through structured experiential learning approaches. This quasi-experimental study involved two groups of PSTs: a teacher-directed group (n = 39) engaged in traditional reciprocal instruction activities, and an experimental group (n = 104) participating in contextualised cooperative physical education challenges with additional sustainability education seminars. Both groups’ reflective development was assessed through analysis of six cyclical reflective narratives utilising the four assessment categories of description, argumentation, reflection, and critical reflection. The teacher-directed group achieved lower levels of reflection and critical reflection compared to the experimental group, though both groups showed similar levels of argumentation. The experimental group, which engaged in contextualised physical education challenges with structured formative feedback, attained critical reflection levels in cycles five and six. When PSTs experienced contextualised educational activities incorporating continuous reflection and additional pedagogical support, their critical thinking on physical education activities increased significantly. These findings suggest that structured reflective practices combined with sustainability-focused content can enhance PSTs’ reflective capabilities.