Exploring arts-based critical reflection on language awareness: A collaborative self-study of teaching international teacher candidates

In the realm of thought and imagination, it is challenging to discern where the role of images concludes and where words commence. Our thinking often generates images, while our mind's images are translated into words (Ciarcià & Dallari, 2020). Developing one's capacity to reflect critically and creatively relies equally on an individual's (meta)cognitive skills and given opportunities to engage in boundary-crossing experiences (Akkerman & Bakker, 2011). This includes experimenting with alternative ways of perceiving, thinking, or acting. Freire (1983) emphasized the significance of art and aesthetics in dialogic education practices in which participants decoded images from everyday life situations. By adopting this approach, they developed their critical consciousness regarding social roles and power dynamics, allowing them to better 'read the world’ (1983, p. 5).
The use of arts-based pedagogies provides a unique opportunity for teachers to examine their beliefs and practices through different lenses, fostering creativity and divergent thinking (Hunter & Frawley, 2022). This approach can lead to the activation of transformative processes that promote deeper levels of reflection on personal biography, pedagogical techniques, and identity development (Link, 2022). More specifically, arts-based reflection is a powerful tool employed in teacher education contexts to explore these themes, as this approach has been shown to be effective in addressing the challenges of ‘inviting the uncomfortable and the unsayable into a lesson’ (Link, 2022, p. 36).
Few studies have recorded the design and execution process of arts-based critical reflection for teacher candidates. In this collaborative self-study, we documented our challenges and changes in comprehending the implementation of arts-based critical reflection for enhancing teacher candidates' language awareness.