A Qualitative Study on Teachers' Reflective Practices in Private Schools of Karachi, Pakistan

Academy of Education and Social Sciences Review Vol. 5 No. 4 | November, 2025 | 488 - 499 ISSN (p): 2790-8348 | ISSN (e): 2789-6781 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17767197 A Qualitative Study on Teachers’ Reflective Practices in Private Schools of Karachi, Pakistan Fatima Saleem1 Department of Education Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science & Technology (SZABIST), Karachi, Pakistan Rukshanda Jabeen (PhD)2 Department of Education Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science & Technology (SZABIST), Karachi, Pakistan How to Cite: Saleem, F., & Jabeen, R. (2025). A Qualitative Study on Teachers’ Reflective Practices in Private Schools of Karachi, Pakistan. Academy of Education and Social Sciences Review, 5(4), 488–499. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17767197 Publisher’s Note: International Research and Publishing Academy (iRAPA) stands neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in the published maps and institutional affiliations. Copyright: ©2025 | Academy of Education and Social Sciences Review published by International Research and Publishing Academy (iRAPA) This is an Open Access article published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY): lets others distribute and copy the article, to create extracts, abstracts, and other revised versions, adaptations or derivative works of or from an article (such as a translation), to include in a collective work (such as an anthology), to text or data mine the article, even for commercial purposes, as long as they credit the author(s), do not represent the author as endorsing their adaptation of the article, and do not modify the article in such a way as to damage the author's honour or reputation. 02-42-AESSR-6295-1148 Published online: 30 November 2025 View related articles Submit your article to this journal Saleem & Jabeen Vol. 5 No. 4 (November, 2025) 489 INTRODUCTION Reflection has turned into a framework in educational institutions and has a comprehensive range of consequences across various fields and disciplines (Gardner et al., 2025). Reflection is signalled as a process, with the urgency of active thinking when facing roadblocks and challenges (Lucas & HainsWessen, 2025). Moreover, reflection encompasses existing and previous experiences, learning from perceived outcomes, and strategizing comparable prospective situations (Machost & Stains, 2023). Therefore, Dewey believes that educators embark on a journey of continuous enhancement upon a commitment to reflective practices. The sole occasion for several educators while engaging in reflection is when they have to document for evaluation regarding their promotion, increment, or extension in their tenure or contract (Levander, 2022). Furthermore, reflective practice means the ability to critically evaluate one’s abilities to make an informed decision about one’s actions. Additionally, it includes self-assessment, and learning about learning, through learning (Zuhdi et al., 2024). Olschewski et al. (2024) endorsed that knowledge obtained through practical research is crucial for encountering real-world situations. Nowadays, there are so many advancements in education, and educators are adapting to the latest trends and innovations with technology-integrated teaching methods. However, the incorporation reflective practices is an area that needs more emphasis and implementation in instructional practices (Anis & Hasan, 2025) Nevertheless, several schools have incorporated reflection on instructional design and teaching. However, there is a dearth of consistency in practice (Mouta et al., 2025). Even though the gains of reflective practices are thoroughly evidenced, several teachers show reluctance to incorporate them into their instructional strategies (Howell, 2021). Setbacks such as time constraints, insufficient guidance, inflexibility (resistance to adapt), overwhelming feelings, and limited institutional support can interfere with adopting reflective practices. Including educators’ perspectives on setting up reflective practices in their specific situations is detrimental to creating an environment of continuous enhancement (Rusticus et al., 2023). Reflective dialogue is an area that needs to be highlighted and explored further in teaching in Pakistan (Nawab, 2023). Teachers’ perceptions about the process, possible reasons, and the individuals who facilitate teachers in becoming reflective practitioners should be examined. Zhang et al. (2024) stated models of reflection in action, on action, and for action provides insight into reflective practices (Sherwood et al., 2023). However, reflection should also happen before the lesson, as it is an element of an entire process (Farrow et al., 2024). This indicates a research gap regarding the importance of pre-lesson reflection from teachers’ perspectives. Abstract This qualitative study explores teachers’ perspectives of reflective practices in education and how these practices inform their teaching strategies. The sample size is 8 teachers from two private schools of Karachi, Pakistan (4 from each school.) Through a semi-structured interview guide with 8 elementary school teachers, the research explores their experiences with reflection, both formal and informal, and the challenges they face during reflective processes. A semi-structured interview guide comprising open-ended questions was employed to get teachers’ perspectives, along with an observation guide. The analysis identified several themes including teachers’ perception about reflection as a significant tool for enhancing their teaching practices, fostering collaboration amongst peers, differentiated instruction, and enhanced students learning outcomes, promoting personal and professional ongoing professional development. Teachers when involved in reflection become competent reflective practitioners. However, challenges such as time constraints, lack of structured reflection opportunities, and insufficient leadership support were noted as challenges that hinder regular reflective practices. The findings indicate that while teachers value reflection, more supportive environments are required to encourage reflective practices. This study emphasizes the importance of reflection in teacher development and provides insights into how schools can create environments that support reflective practices to foster professional growth and improve teaching quality. Keywords Private schools Reflective practices Reflective practitioners Self-analysis Teachers’ perspectives 490 A Qualitative Study on Teachers’ Reflective Practices in Private Schools of Karachi, Pakistan Vol. 5 No. 4 (November, 2025) Research Objectives • To explore teachers’ perceptions concerning reflective practices in private schools in Karachi • To investigate the approaches employed by teachers to promote reflective practices. • To identify the issues faced by teachers while implementing reflective practices. • To analyse the significance of reflective practices on teaching effectiveness and student engagement Research Questions • What are teachers’ perspectives on reflective practices in private schools of Karachi Pakistan? • How do teachers adopt reflective practices into their teaching in private schools of Karachi Pakistan? • What are the challenges met by teachers in incorporating reflective practices into their teaching Pakistan? • How do reflective practices make teaching effective and enhance student engagement in private schools of Karachi Pakistan? This research involves different Private Elementary schools in Karachi, analysing the perspectives of educators across different subjects and grade levels. The study seeks to present an understanding of how reflective practices are perceived and implemented within the educational framework, providing a wider insight into professional development in education. LITERATURE REVIEW Reflection Reflection is believed to be crucial for meaningful learning and effectiveness. In a multifaceted, dynamic setting, reflection is essential for continuous learning, problem-solving, and innovation (Nobutoshi, 2023). Dewey gave pedagogical insights on reflection emphasizing the continual process of examining and re-examining experience (Holdo, 2023). Reflective Teaching Practice Reflective teaching involves revisiting a teacher’s methodology (McLeod, 2019). It includes thinking and rethinking one’s performance before, during, and after instructional tasks. Teachers must frequently reflect upon their instructional strategies as they intend to conduct the expected lesson (Leinhardt, 2019). Consequently, humans have reflected on their actions. Building on this, reflective practice, as described in a recent analysis by Farrell (2020), reflection has been put into practice in various forms, learning through and gaining insights from practice, proven observations, and evaluation of important events. Despite the various strategies, it can be stated as revisiting classroom activities, experiences, or chain of events, in forms that take into account thorough examination and self-analysis (Lundgren et al., 2024). Additionally, from a sustainable viewpoint, reflective practice encompasses three levels: surface reflection, pedagogical reflection, and critical reflection (Machost & Stains, 2023). Amid surface reflection, teachers focus on scientific methods to attain goals (e.g., We will drive this differently for improvement. Pedagogical reflection incorporates revisiting instructional theories and approaches and the association between theory and practice; teachers seek to incorporate consistency between advocated theory (i.e., what teachers say, believe, and value) and applied theory (i.e., what teachers do in the classroom). Subsequently, critical reflection deals with the noble and principled outcomes of their teaching on lifelong learning (Ribers et al., 2024). It involves a thorough evaluation of both personal and professional ethics as well as instructional practices. It is, therefore, imperative to view critical reflection as a self-dialogue that not only permits professionals to inquire, evaluate, and problematize their teaching philosophies, insights, and practices but also lead towards transformation. In addition, training teachers to be reflective practitioners is an extremely important goal in teacher education and continuous professional development (Svendsen, 2020). Therefore, it should be elucidated Saleem & Jabeen Vol. 5 No. 4 (November, 2025) 491 that teacher as reflective practitioners no longer act as curriculum deliverers, knowledge transmitters who follow a banking model of education. Whereas, they are independent decision-makers who are continually involved in learning through their experiences and rebuilding the experiences through reflection (Tran & Gupta, 2021). Hence, reflective practitioners are involved in a four-phase learning cycle; acting, observing, reflecting, and adapting (Kayes & Kayes, 2021). However, persistent reflective practice is daunting, as it requires the teachers to continuously perform distinct roles, often moving away from being curriculum deliverers (Loh, 2025). To perform the different roles appropriately as Yaacob et al. (2021) point out, reflective practitioners should: Appreciate the theory and value of lifelong learning; • Show enhanced motivation to learn, along with a spirit of responsibility • Show self-awareness, with self-reflection and self-assessment • Demonstrate self-direction, self-adjustment, and management of their learning process • Effectively use diverse learning methodologies, instructional practices, approaches, • and resources to aid their learning • Take responsibility for their learning and employ their learning in problem-solving, encouraging future learning According to Zhaffar et al. (2025), these characteristics must be incorporated into teacher education and CPD programs so that teachers know what is expected of them. In essence, the concept of reflective practices and the idea of teachers as lifelong learners have recently been incorporated into educational dialogue in Pakistan and is included in CPD programs. Theoretical Framework Fig. 1. Theoretical Framework When and Why to Engage in Critical Teacher Reflection Reflective practitioners are consistently involved in critical reflection. A systematic strategy is crucial as it aids teachers in being informed of who they are as educators, what they do during their teaching practice, and why they emphasize these diverse directions (Grapin et al., 2021). A review of the literature reveals that the most common types of reflection are reflection-in-action, reflection-on-action, and 492 A Qualitative Study on Teachers’ Reflective Practices in Private Schools of Karachi, Pakistan Vol. 5 No. 4 (November, 2025) reflection-for-action (Pham et al. 2024). According to Schön (1983) and Picauly (2024), the first two types deal with the problems as they occur in the classroom and revisiting the teaching-learning process. Reflection for action means the teacher foreseeing a plan of action that aims at improving or revisiting the present practice or strategy (Vieluf & Klieme, 2023). Considering Schön’s model of reflection, viewing them as three separate notions is preferred instead of placing them along the spectrum, which will more coherently reflect their standing and role in teachers’ instructional practice. Therefore, it is believed that reflection is an ongoing process of revisiting teaching and learning to allow practitioners to make associations with experiences (Plack & Driscoll, 2024). Consequently, four-faceted approach of reflection; before, during, after, and beyond is proposed. This sorting captures teachers’ attention to the significance of reflection in the planning and execution of lessons (Zaragoza et al., 2024). In contrast, Experiential Learning Theory of Kolb (1984) focuses the importance of experience and practicality in the learning process. According to Kolb, learning is a cyclical process that involves four stages: Concrete Experience, Reflective Observation, Abstract Conceptualization, and Active Experimentation. In this cycle, reflection occurs during the reflective observation phase, where learners look back and reflect on their experiences (Tang, 2023). Moreover, Kolb’s model signifies that reflection is not just about analysing about the past events but is also a critical step for developing new ideas and strategies based on experience. By reflecting on their teaching experiences, teachers can move from concrete actions (teaching a lesson) to abstract understanding (theories and principles) and apply new knowledge in subsequent lessons (Zaragoza et al., 2023). This continuous process allows deeper learning, fostering educators to adapt their methods and focus on the outcomes to enhance students’ skills and learning. METHODOLOGY For analysing teachers’ perspectives on reflective practices in Karachi, private schools, this study employs a qualitative approach. As, it allows a deep understanding of individual experiences, perceptions, and the environment in which reflective practices are created and implemented. This study utilizes a qualitative exploratory design, focusing on a theoretical framework of Dewey’s theory of Reflective Thinking and Reflective Practice Theory as further developed by Schön (1983) that focuses on understanding the personal perspectives of teachers, Kolb’s theory that indicates that learning is a cycle of experiencing, reflecting, thinking, and acting, assisting learners develop understanding through each stage. To explore teachers’ perception and involvement with reflective practices, a phenomenological approach is employed, which enabled them for profound, thought-provoking insights into their real-life experiences. The population for this qualitative research includes teachers of elementary grades (1-8) who have been teaching for 3 or more years. Participants have been purposively selected based on their experience having insights about reflection in education. The study includes 8 teachers from two Private schools in Karachi, intending to assemble different perspectives on reflective practices. The study included 8 teachers from Elementary grades 1-8, affirming a varied variety of perspectives across Private Schools. Purposive sampling was used to select participants who have 3 or more than 3 years of teaching experience and some familiarity with reflective practices in education. Purposive sampling for qualitative research enables focused insights from teachers, representing diversified perspectives of reflection, competencies, and relevant experiences to strengthen interpretation of concern. Participants were selected according to their years of teaching experience, the engagement in professional development, and willingness to share their perspectives and insights. Data Collection Technique A semi-structured interview guide, including 10 open-ended questions formulated to evoke in-depth feedback regarding teachers’ perceptions, challenges, and facilitation procedures related to reflective practices. In this Qualitative research the data was collected through face-to-face interview protocol. An interview guide with open ended questions. Interviews were conducted, recorded and transcribed. Saleem & Jabeen Vol. 5 No. 4 (November, 2025) 493 Before the interviews, participant teachers were notified about the research’s objectives and ethical considerations, involving the voluntary essence of their perspectives and the confidentiality of their responses. Participants were requested to offer comprehensive responses to each question, reflecting their personal experiences and perceptions. The responses were collected over a one-week period, along with all submissions naturally recorded and securely stored for more analysis. Individual observation in the classroom was carried out for the participants along with the checklist. Analysis of Data The data originated from the interview questionnaire were analysed through a cycle of coding and categorizing the responses. A table was included to put in order the interview questions, responses, coding, and emerging categories. Five key themes emerged through this process. Expert opinions were taken during the coding and theme recognition process to ensure rigor, validity, and reliability in the qualitative study. This aided to verify the accuracy of interpretations and provided a wider perspective on the findings, adding to the credibility of the results. Ethical Consideration All teachers were well informed related to the aim of the research, their voluntary participation, and the confidentiality and anonymity of their responses. In preceding to data collection, informed consent was taken ensuring that teachers’ rights, privacy, and confidentiality were protected. Expert opinions were also pursued to ensure the ethical integrity and validity of the research process. RESULTS & FINDINGS This section includes the analysis of the data collected from the interview questionnaire conducted with 8 Elementary school teachers of two Private schools in Karachi, who have been teaching for three or more years. The group consisted of female teachers from diverse backgrounds. All teachers were chosen based on their experience with incorporating reflection into their classroom teaching, ensuring an insight in aligned to the study’s focal point. The aim of the data analysis is to recognize patterns, themes, and specified information in connection to our research objectives and questions. A qualitative methodology was employed, with the data being coded and categorized systematically to identify emerging themes. The analysis intends to offer in depth understanding of perceptions about reflective practices in education to address the research questions defined. Thematic Analysis Qualitative data from interviews was analysed employing thematic analysis. The process included understanding the data through reading transcripts, coding the data to determine the reappearing themes and patterns, and arranging codes into broader themes that reflect participants’ perspectives on reflective practices. This methodology seeks to provide a profound understanding of teachers’ perspectives on reflective practices in Karachi, using qualitative methods to explore the nuances of their experiences. By employing a rigorous strategy for data collection and analysis, the focus of the research is to contribute valuable insights to the education domain. • Reflective Practices • Fostering Collaboration amongst students and peers • Challenges in Differentiated Instruction • Reflective Practices enhance Student Learning Outcomes • Teachers’ Personal and Professional Growth Each theme is discussed below with subsequent quotes from participants. 494 A Qualitative Study on Teachers’ Reflective Practices in Private Schools of Karachi, Pakistan Vol. 5 No. 4 (November, 2025) Theme 1: Reflective Practices Teacher 1 exclaimed, “Reflection in teaching is assessing my practices to identify strengths and areas for improvement, ensuring effective learning and adapting to students’ needs.” This quote emphasizes that reflective practice follows an organized & thoughtful action through persistent self-examination of teaching practice, where teachers involve in a thorough analysis of their classroom experience through a whole recurrent process steering to high quality standards in learning and teaching process. Theme 2: Fostering Collaboration Amongst Students and Peers Teacher 5 responded, “While teaching direct and indirect speech to my Grade 5 students, I initially relied on textbook explanations, many students found it difficult to grasp the concept. I decided to incorporate role-playing activities where students could act out dialogues and then convert them into reported speech.” This is consistent with the theme of promoting collaboration among students. Through incorporating interactive activities like role play into teaching while delivering a lesson on direct and indirect speech, students infer the concept effectively. Real-life situations allow students to understand grammatical concepts deeply. Theme 3: Challenges in Differentiated Instruction Teacher 3 indicated, “Reflective practice isn’t practiced in an organized way by school or teachers. There needs to be more professional development opportunities for staff.” This reflects the central theme of implementing differentiation into teaching. Reflection is not practiced orderly by teachers or strengthened by the principals, resulting in missed chances for professional growth and improvement in teaching practices along with students ‘academic achievement. Reflective Practices foster self-awareness, promote effective instructional practices, and ensures student engagement. Theme 4: Reflective Practices Enhance Student Learning Outcomes Teacher 5 pinpointed, “Better student learning as it makes students take ownership of their own learning.” Teacher 1 stated, “Educators can have a lasting positive impact on their students’ educational journeys, equipping them with the skills and confidence they need to succeed academically and personally.” This quote elucidates the crucial role of reflective practices in achieving student learning outcomes. Engaging in reflective practices help achieve student learning outcomes effectively resulting in selfawareness. Academic and personal development of students is enhanced through reflection. Students critical thinking and problem-solving skills are developed. Through reflection student agency is promoted, allowing autonomy ownership in learning, goal-setting, and self-reliant growth. Theme 5: Teachers’ Personal and Professional growth Teacher 7 answered, “Personally, reflective practices have made me more empathetic and patient. Professionally, they’ve improved my teaching strategies and boosted my confidence in the classroom.” Saleem & Jabeen Vol. 5 No. 4 (November, 2025) 495 This response highlights the connection between reflection and teachers’ personal and professional development. Teachers who adopt reflection in their teaching become more confident and develop empathy resulting in enhanced instructional practices. Student involvement, motivation and inference is deeply influenced by non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions and gestures. Discussion Alam (2023) states that reflective practice allows teachers to evaluate their interactions and instructional strategies, promoting adaptability that better meets students’ learning needs. It is a thoughtful analysis of experiences in the class, behaviours, and learning outcomes that directs towards improvement (Li & Xue, 2023). Moreover, it is believed that reflection also promotes professional growth. It encourages teachers to evaluate their own behaviours, strategies, biases, and beliefs (Lau & Shea, 2024). Keeping notes, such as journaling or taking feedback from co-teachers, helps in becoming self-reliant and aids in identifying aspects of professional development (Visone, 2022). The reflective process helps in making independent learners leading to problem solving (Marantika, 2021). Furthermore, peer observation is encouraged, providing constructive feedback. Peer observation and co-teacher feedback promote collaboration, offering distinct perspectives and constructive feedback. Through application of real-life scenarios, students comprehend grammatical concepts more effectively. Informal conversations are beneficial just like formal professional development sessions and meetings (Kharlay et al., 2022). They allow open dialogue and a comfortable positive environment where teachers talk about day-to-day practices and shared learning. Formal meetings like Professional Learning Communities are also critical for strengthening reflective practices (Macphail et al., 2024). Additionally, reflection is not systematically practiced by teachers or reinforced by the principals, leading to missed opportunities for professional growth and refinement in teaching practices along with students ‘success. Through reflective practice, they indulge in continuous assessment of their teaching style, instructional practices, behaviour, adaptability, and the ability to involve everyone, appreciate inclusivity. Differentiation is crucial in teaching but is complemented by challenges. Teachers are sometimes overworked and involved in addressing students’ needs that they require extra time for reflection. Reflection promotes student agency, allowing autonomy in learning, goalsetting, and self-directed growth, resulting in ownership of learners’ educational venture. Moreover, students ‘engagement is enhanced when the teacher addresses all learning styles and incorporates varying teaching approaches like the experiential learning method. Through project-based learning, students can get involved and can connect their previous learning to prior leading to an effective grasp of concepts (Farrow et al., 2024). Reflective practice helps teachers to face challenges both in personal and professional life (Tovey & Archibald, 2023). Reflection also helps lessen teacher burnout and anxiety, as it keeps the teacher fully engaged in analysing both their teaching style and the learning needs of the students. CONCLUSION Reflection in education has diverse benefits, it results in improved learning outcomes as teachers become flexible and adaptive in their approach. Reflection allows lifelong learning; teachers continually get involved in critical reflection as reflection is a cyclic process. They continue to look for innovative ideas and keep themselves abreast with latest educational trends. All in all, it leads to enhance student learning outcomes and help them grow holistically. Teachers feel empowered as they grow professionally and have a more confident and forward-looking approach towards life. Recommendations • School leadership is suggested to allocate dedicated planning time, professional development sessions and timely collaborative meetings • They should include structured format for reflection so that reflection is carried out religiously in 496 A Qualitative Study on Teachers’ Reflective Practices in Private Schools of Karachi, Pakistan Vol. 5 No. 4 (November, 2025) teaching and learning • Teachers should have an open mind and accept constructive feedback from peers and school heads • School leadership should provide professional development opportunities and mentor their teachers to involve in reflective practices • They should give them the resources that promote reflection and active learning • School leadership should ensure reflection in their academic policy so that it is practiced by all the faculty members • There should be a designated column for looking back and looking forward in the planners • Reflection should be made an aspect of teacher evaluation • Teachers should involve students in different reflective exercises to gauge better understanding about their feelings, their challenging moments and what excites them • Teachers should record students’ responses and sample work for future of action • Teachers should be self-motivated and encouraged by school leadership to observe each other’s classes • Further research should be conducted using a mixed-methods or quantitative approach to better understand the importance of reflective practices in education Limitations • The research’s sample may not include all teachers, limiting the generalizability of the findings. • Teachers’ self-analysis may include bias or inaccuracies in reflecting on their own teaching practices. • The study may not include an in-depth analysis of teachers’ reflective practices over time as it is a continuous process • The research did not include students’ perspectives or leadership viewpoint, limiting the ability to directly associate reflection to student learning outcomes the study did not include student perspectives, limiting the ability to directly link reflection to student learning outcomes. • Reflection is not objective, individual experiences may affect the results’ application to wider contexts. • Teachers may have shared socially desirable responses, exaggerating the effectiveness of their reflection. Competing Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest. Authors’ Biography 1 Fatima Saleem is a Research Scholar at the Department of Education, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science & Technology (SZABIST), Karachi, Pakistan. She completed her B.Ed. from Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science & Technology (SZABIST), Karachi, Pakistan. 2 Rukshanda Jabeen (PhD) is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Education, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science & Technology (SZABIST), Karachi, Pakistan. She obtained her Doctorate in Education from the Institute of Business Management (IoBM), Karachi, Pakistan. REFERENCES Alam, A. (2023, May). Improving learning outcomes through predictive analytics: Enhancing teaching and learning with educational data mining. In 2023 7th International Conference on Intelligent Computing and Control Systems (ICICCS) (pp. 249-257). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICICCS56967.2023.10142392