ERIC Number: EJ1040815
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Jul
Pages: 35
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1059-7069
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Structured Communities, Science Instruction Development, and the Use of Blogging in a Pre-Service Elementary Teacher Education Program
Wall, Steven C.; Anderson, Janice; Justice, Julie
Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, v22 n3 p361-395 Jul 2014
This study evaluates the use of blogging and what it reveals about the development of science teaching ability in pre-service elementary education majors. The investigation occurs in a structured community and takes into consideration interactions among community members as they reflect on their own experiences and respond to the blogs of other pre-service teachers (PSTs) during a science methods course. The goal of the project was to develop as a virtual place where content or procedural knowledge is valued, learned and shared by members beyond face-to-face interactions. This paper is intended to address, evaluate and encourage the use of blogging amongst pre-service teachers specifically focused on science teacher education. This appraisal was conducted by looking at the activity and the experiences of the pre-service teachers, and the role that blogging played in their interactions and growth as pedagogues. The project reveals that blogging can be a useful as a tool in pre-service education because the practices and thought processes of PSTs are revealed and shared beyond face-to-face interactions. Development was mitigated by how PSTs processed new experiences, the trust and interaction that occurred between the participants, and the gradual acceptance of blogging as a beneficial academic practice.
Descriptors: Preservice Teacher Education, Electronic Journals, Science Teachers, Science Instruction, Communities of Practice, Methods Courses, Mentors, Grounded Theory, Data Analysis, Phenomenology, Teacher Attitudes, Electronic Publishing, Web Sites, Interviews, Focus Groups
Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education. P.O. Box 1545, Chesapeake, VA 23327. Tel: 757-366-5606; Fax: 703-997-8760; e-mail: info@aace.org; Web site: http://www.aace.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A