Microblogging about teaching: Nurturing participatory cultures through collaborative online reflection with pre-service teachers

Abstract

Reflection is a cornerstone of most teacher education programs, but common practices have long been individualistic and this has become increasingly evident in an era when young people are participating in online cultures more than ever. Informal participation in digital affinity spaces could provide insights for more formal learning environments. We encouraged collaborative reflection among 77 middle/secondary pre-service teachers using the closed social networking site Edmodo. While there were obstacles and ambiguities, findings indicated that our pre-service teachers found the site highly usable, appreciated the choice and influence afforded them through the medium, and grew as teacher-candidates from peer-to-peer interactions.

Reference

Krutka, D. G., Bergman, D. J., Flores, R., Mason, K., & Jack, A. R. (2014). Microblogging about teaching: Nurturing participatory cultures through collaborative online reflection with pre-service teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education, 40, 83–93.

Journal

Teaching and Teacher Education

Analysis

Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?

Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?

Research Approach

Grounded theory
interpretive
mixed methods

Geographic Setting

midwest
United States
urban

Institutional Context

University based

Certification Level

Middle
Secondary

Programatic Focus

English
Mathematics
Music
Science
Social Studies
Spanish
Special Education

Research Location Context

University

Preservice Participants

Undergraduates (university based program)

Preservice Sample Size

Duration of Data Collection

3 months or less

Data Sources

Classroom Discussion
online discussions
Questionnaire
Reading Responses
student reflections
Survey

Data Analysis Tools

Analytic memos
member checking
open coding and examined for emergent themes
Statistical analysis
t-test

Researcher Positionality

inside (staying their own students)
Inside (studying their own practices)
Outside (not directly invested in the program or operations)

Research Questions

First, what are the possibilities and challenges of using a closed social network for collaborative online reflection with pre-service teachers?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes

Second, what were the nature and types of comments and interactions, and how do they contribute to collaborative reflection?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes

Finally, how did instructors and pre-service teachers perceive Edmodo as a medium for collaborative reflection?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes

Larger, overarching questions of the study include "...shifting educational environment" (p. 83) and questions about "what types of interactions would a medium as Edmodo afford... would these interactions differ from .... previous courses" (p. 84) but these are not stated explicitly as research questions.
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? No