Abstract
Reflective practice has become the global prime educational trend expected of education practitioners but some teacher educators tend to stifle its development. It is strongly believed in critical pedagogy, the theoretical framework of action research theorists that reflective practice is inherent in an introspective disposition and is developed through participatory action research. Reflective practice is the contradistinction of routine practice and is focused on the interrogation and subsequent improvement of one’s own practices. A qualitative research was carried out with nine lecturers at a teacher education college about their experiences in supervising students who embark on participatory action research. The interview participants were selected using the snowball sampling technique. The data generated were analyzed by employing the Johnson-Christenson method. The results point to that the teacher educators categorically denounce participatory action research and are not conversant with the techniques to develop reflective practice through action research. They tend to stifle reflective practice by being prescriptive on ‘transactions’ of research practice and work practice based on their own experiences which Dewey refers to as ‘miseducative’ experiences. It is recommended that the teacher educators should be conscientized about how action research has the potential to promote the development of reflective practice. Key words: Reflective practice; participatory action research, critical pedagogy, ‘miseducative’ 
Highlights
The current global thrust in developing the requisite attitudes, knowledge and skills in educational practitioners is through nurturing an introspective disposition in them
It is strongly believed in critical pedagogy, the theoretical framework of action research theorists that reflective practice is inherent in an introspective disposition and is developed through participatory action research
The research findings show that the ways in which the teacher educators stifle students‟ interests in embarking on participatory action research can be considered in three types of miseducative conceptions and practices that are; academic, socio-cultural and political
Summary
The current global thrust in developing the requisite attitudes, knowledge and skills in educational practitioners is through nurturing an introspective disposition in them. Reflective practice is explicitly dealt with when students embark on action research. The noble purpose of embarking on research is slowly dissipating in teacher education students since some students are made to develop an attitude of embarking on researches solely for the fulfillment requirements. They are made to take research as an end in itself. There are research projects that were done some time ago which are circulating viciously for a very deplorable purpose They are being reproduced verbatim for the fulfillment of a course requirement of some teacher education students. It seems these “academics” in the making are conscious of how retrogressive their practices are
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