An Action Research On The Influence Of Reflective Teaching On College English Teaching Of Pre-service Teachers-from The Perspective Of Activity Theory

Reflective teaching, as a means to promote teachers’ professional development, has received an extensive attention in foreign language teaching. Nonetheless, there lack sufficient domestic study on pre-service teacher and explanation about how reflective teaching influence foreign language teaching. To enrich the study on reflective teaching at home, this study, based on activity theory, probes into the influence that reflective teaching exerts on College English teaching of pre-service teachers, and brings up suggestions on Teaching Methodology, as well as Classroom Organization and Management for future teachers.This study adopted an approach of action research on a pre-service teacher. Both questionnaires and interviews were utilized as data collection instruments, and the framework of activity system developed by Yrj? Engestr?m was also applied in this study. By comparing the College English teaching of the pre-service teacher before and after reflective teaching within two months, this study aimed to gauge the difference in Teaching Methodology(Speaking, Writing, Listening, and Reading) as well as Class Organization and Management(Setting Aims, Class Organization, Instruction and Homework). Based on qualitative and quantitative analysis, two research questions were explored: 1) In what aspects can reflective teaching influence the College English teaching of pre-service teachers? 2) According to activity theory, what are the influencing factors for reflective teaching?By analyzing the results of two questionnaires and interviews, major findings are as follows: 1) Reflective teaching can help pre-service teachers improve College English teaching. Speaking, Writing, Reading and Instruction significantly improved in the second month of teaching, while Listening, Setting Aims, Class Organization and Homework did not show significant difference, compared with the first month of teaching. 2) According to activity theory, within the three levels of activity systems, the achievement of objects of higher level activity systems not only depends on the attainment of object in each subsystem or main subsystem, but also on the settlement of contradictions related to activity systems. The difference of effect of reflective teaching between improved aspects and the unimproved aspects of College English teaching is owing to the different degree to which the objects of subsystems or main systems are achieved and the contradictions are resolved. The improved aspects of Speaking, Writing, Reading and Instruction imply that the objects of respective subsystems or the main systems in the activity systems are basically fulfilled or contradictions are generally solved. For the unimproved aspects of Listening, Setting Aims, Class Organization and Homework, however, it is the other way around.The study confirms that reflective teaching can help pre-service teachers improve College English teaching. Moreover, reflective teaching can be effectively fulfilled and facilitated through analyzing the activity systems, developing the positive effect of subsystems and main systems, as well as balancing or solving the contradictions of the elements.