Blog-based support for preservice teachers in an afterschool tutoring program
Abstract
This article reports on findings from a study that explored blogging
(a web-based log) as a tool for literacy graduate students to deliver support
to preservice teachers who were working in an afterschool intervention
program. Its effectiveness is compared to the use of an online literacy
instructional module. Analyses of the discussions in nine blogs and lesson
plan sets written by preservice teachers indicated that the blogging between
the coaches and the preservice teachers aided their learning during the
tutoring process. A content analysis of the blogs indicated disparity in both
the activities and the types of support in the coach-created blogs that
resulted in differences in how the blogs promoted or limited preservice
teacher learning. This article concludes with possibilities for using blogs
as a mediating tool for learning in field-based courses and teacher training
programs.
Reference
Ro, J. M., Magiera, K., Gradel, K., & Simmons, R. (2013). Blog-Based Support for Preservice Teachers in an Afterschool Tutoring Program. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 42(1), 69-84.
Journal
Journal of Educational Technology Systems
Analysis
Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?
no
Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?
no
Research Approach
- Content Analysis
- Quasi-experimental
Geographic Setting
Institutional Context
Certification Level
Programatic Focus
Research Location Context
Preservice Participants
- certification program
- undergraduate preservice teachers
Preservice Sample Size
67
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
- Blog
- lesson plans
- reflections
Data Analysis Tools
- coding (rubric)
- Statistical analysis
Researcher Positionality
- Inside (studying their own practices)
Research Questions
How does the use of blogs as a coaching tool compare with the use of an online instructional module in undergraduate preservice teachers’ use of reading strategies in their afterschool tutoring sessions?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes