ERIC Number: EJ1167049
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Jul
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1756-1108
EISSN: N/A
Using Wiki to Create a Learning Community for Chemistry Teacher Leaders
Shwartz, Y.; Katchevitch, D.
Chemistry Education Research and Practice, v14 n3 p312-323 Jul 2013
This study focuses on using wikis as a learning environment, as part of a professional development program for chemistry teacher leaders. The study was performed in Israel and involved 20 chemistry teachers. One goal was to investigate how using wiki may promote effective science teacher professional development. Various aspects of the teachers' wiki experience were investigated. Based on their contribution rate to the wiki activity, different participation profiles were revealed: 44% of the teachers were defined as peripheral members of the community, 28% as central members, and 28% as leaders of this community. Differences were observed between younger (below the median age of 45) and older teachers regarding their attitudes, feelings of ownership and preferences of working environment. The current study sheds light on the reasons why some teachers were more reluctant and less active in the wiki environment--the findings suggest that it is neither correlated with technical difficulties, nor with the relevance of the content. We believe that it has to do with the perception of the relevance of the wiki environment itself (as a model of other virtual environments) to their teaching in classroom. Small-scale results suggest a correlation between the teachers' personal participation rate in the wiki environment and their perception of their classroom as "student-centered" or "teacher controlled."
Descriptors: Chemistry, Science Teachers, Teacher Leadership, Communities of Practice, Web 2.0 Technologies, Faculty Development, Transcripts (Written Records), Questionnaires, Interviews, Group Dynamics, Learning Experience, Educational Environment, Training Methods, Program Effectiveness, Elementary Secondary Education, Foreign Countries
Royal Society of Chemistry. Thomas Graham House, Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WF, UK. Tel: +44-1223 420066; Fax: +44-1223 423623; e-mail: cerp@rsc.org; Web site: http://www.rsc.org/cerp
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Israel
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A