Building bridges: Creating an online conversation community for preservice teachers
Abstract
This preliminary report is part of a larger study that addresses the online discourse of preservice teachers.The online forum at University of Missouri-St. Louis began in an attempt to improve the “seminar” component of student teaching. Jane Zeni, a professor of English and education, launched the project in 1999. Nancy Robb Singer, an experienced secondary English teacher and Jane’s doctoral assistant, joined the project as a participant observer in 2001. The online forum at University of Missouri-St. Louis began in an attempt to improve the “seminar” component of student teaching. The online conversations have become our primary data source during five student teaching semesters from Fall 2001 to Fall 2003. During that time, we printed, read, and analyzed 2,152 messages from 61 student teachers and an additional 641 messages from university supervisors. The listserv provides a conduit for student teachers to view their past knowledge and values in terms of their current professional experience. Student teachers may begin to see themselves less as passive technicians and more as reflective practitioners who can make real and lasting improvements in their teaching.
Reference
Singer, N., & Zeni, J. (2004). Building bridges: Creating an online conversation community for preservice teachers. English Education, 37(1), 30-49.
Journal
English Education
Analysis
Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?
yes
Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?
no
Research Approach
Geographic Setting
Institutional Context
Certification Level
Programatic Focus
Research Location Context
Preservice Participants
- undergraduate preservice teachers
Preservice Sample Size
61
Other Participant Data
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
- fieldnotes
- Interviews
- online discussions
Data Analysis Tools
Researcher Positionality
- inside (staying their own students)
- Inside (studying their own programs)
Research Questions
How might an online forum impact the experiences and learning of preservice teachers?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? No