{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,16]],"date-time":"2026-02-16T09:26:30Z","timestamp":1771233990045,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":68,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,21]],"date-time":"2023-12-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1703116800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"PORTUGUESE FOUNDATION FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (FCT)","award":["SFRH\/BD\/134292\/2017"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["SFRH\/BD\/134292\/2017"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Education Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Reflection is crucial for aspiring teachers, yet many pre-service teachers (PSTs) struggle to grasp its true meaning. This study explores how PSTs deconstruct their initial reflections and re-signify their understanding based on challenges encountered in real-world practicum settings. Additionally, it examines how the facilitator supported the PSTs\u2019 reflections over time. Over the course of a year in the physical education teacher education context, six PSTs, along with the first author, who fulfilled dual roles as external facilitator and researcher, engaged in three iterative Action Research (AR) cycles. Within each AR cycle, the external facilitator explored the authentic teaching challenges faced by PSTs, offering individualized support while unpacking reflection concepts. Data were collected through focus group interviews, reflective journals from the PSTs, and the observation of participants by the external facilitator, which provided contextual field notes on the PSTs\u2019 teaching\u2013learning experiences. Our findings emphasize the need to initially understand PSTs\u2019 views on reflection. This serves as a starting point for deconstructing the three concepts outlined in our theoretical framework, through the scrutiny of PSTs\u2019 real teaching\u2013learning experiences. This process facilitated a resignification, leading to an advanced comprehension of reflection among the PSTs. The study emphasizes the value of integrating this approach into systemic teacher education reforms and suggests extending training and mentorship to cooperating teachers.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/educsci14010011","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,21]],"date-time":"2023-12-21T08:16:02Z","timestamp":1703146562000},"page":"11","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Diving into Real-World Practicum in Physical Education: Deconstructing and Re-Signifying Pre-Service Teachers\u2019 Reflections"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6739-9894","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Eug\u00e9nia","family":"Azevedo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre of Research, Education, Innovation and Intervention in Sport (CIFI2D), Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9876-3994","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana","family":"Ramos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre of Research, Education, Innovation and Intervention in Sport (CIFI2D), Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2199-4695","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carla","family":"Val\u00e9rio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Education, Southern Cross University, Bilinga, QLD 4225, Australia"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5748-821X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rui","family":"Ara\u00fajo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Centre in Sports Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development, University of Maia, Avenida Carlos de Oliveira Campos\u2014Cast\u00ealo da Maia, 4475-690 Maia, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Isabel","family":"Mesquita","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre of Research, Education, Innovation and Intervention in Sport (CIFI2D), Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Liesa, E., Mayoral, P., Giralt-Romeu, M., and Angulo, S. 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