ABSTRACT
The development of critical reflective skills is a fundamental aim for beginning physical education teachers. This chapter begins by revisiting the definition of reflection and addresses the following reflective methods: lesson evaluations, journal writing, peer review and video. Pavlovich argued that journal writing is a very personal journey and that it is particularly challenging 'because of the unfamiliar use of the personal voice, so divergent from the usual passive voice and densely referenced text familiar in academic writing'. The expectation for a beginning teacher should be that they complete a weekly journal account which provides a critical overview of their week's teaching and pupil learning by reflecting on critical incidents that occurred. Yiend supported the use of peer review by emphasising that 'formative peer observation is considered by many to be a powerful tool for providing feedback to individual teachers, disseminating disciplinary good practice and fostering a local evaluative enhancement culture'.
