Simulation in Teacher Education: Fostering Critical Thinking and Professional Suitability

Critical thinking is a core competence in teacher education, essential for navigating complex classroom realities and making informed pedagogical decisions. This study explores the potential of simulation as a pedagogical method to enhance critical thinking among pre-service teachers and thereby support the development of professional suitability. Employing a mixed-methods design, the research combines survey data collected before and after a simulation intervention (N = 114) with qualitative insights from focus-group discussions. The findings suggest that simulation fosters deeper cognitive engagement by enabling iterative reflection, perspective-taking, and critical dialogue within realistic educational scenarios. Participants described a dynamic reflective cycle of thinking, speaking, acting, and rethinking that enhanced their ability to assess multiple viewpoints and question assumptions. Survey responses revealed a significant shift in the perceived value of simulation for developing critical thinking. Notably, the study also found that the pre-service teachers initially held a relatively narrow understanding of critical thinking prior to the intervention. This study contributes to the growing body of research on practice-based teacher education by examining how simulation can be purposefully integrated to support the development of critical thinking in a structured and sustainable manner.