ERIC Number: EJ1076431
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Sep
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0313-5373
EISSN: N/A
Facebook and the Final Practicum: The Impact of Online Peer Support in the Assistant Teacher Program
Paris, Lisa F.; Boston, Julie; Morris, Julia
Australian Journal of Teacher Education, v40 n9 Article 9 Sep 2015
Australian pre-service teachers (PST) frequently report feeling isolated and vulnerable during the high stakes Assistant Teacher Program (ATP) final practicum. Mentoring and online learning communities have been shown to offer effective support during periods in which pre-service and beginning teachers feel challenged. As social media progressively infiltrates all aspects of contemporary life, individuals and organisations are opting to use technology in highly adaptive ways; as a result, they have to navigate both the positive aspects and pitfalls of the medium. In this paper we examine whether university Facebook© support groups, coupled with professional standards training and moderator involvement by university staff, enhanced ATP outcomes for preservice teachers in art and science.
Descriptors: Social Networks, Social Support Groups, Preservice Teachers, Standards, Art Education, Science Education, Student Attitudes, Practicums, Beginning Teachers, College Faculty, Outcomes of Education, Teacher Education Programs, Foreign Countries, Professional Isolation, Social Isolation, Questionnaires, Intervention, Communities of Practice, Mixed Methods Research
Edith Cowan University. Bradford Street, Mount Lawley, West Australia 6050, Australia. Web site: http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A