Reflective Thinking: from Opacity to Clarity

Abstract

In the last few decades, there has been a surge of interest in establishing a reflective pedagogy to foster a culture of reflective thinking in higher education due to its importance in scholastic achievement and professional success. Consequently, this interest engenders an extensive discussion in the literature. However, despite this wide interest and the voluminous works written on reflective thinking, there is a huge polemic revolving around the definition of such a concept. This reasonably results in having a vague understanding and an unclear picture of reflective thinking. To this end, there is a need for more clarity. The aim of this paper is to deconstruct this concept to conceptualize it, provide deeper insights into it, elucidate any ambiguities, and clarify its key aspects and specificities. Providing a comprehensive, clear picture of this concept is crucial for teaching effectively English as a foreign language (EFL) university students how to become reflective thinkers, a much valued 21^st century soft skill.