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ERIC Number: EJ1176173
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Apr
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2146-7242
EISSN: N/A
Online Communities of Practice in the Service of Teachers' Technology Professional Development: The Case of Webheads in Action
Bostancioglu, Ali
Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology - TOJET, v17 n2 p97-110 Apr 2018
The aim of this study was to investigate whether an online community of practice (OCoP) approach can be a viable alternative form of technology professional development (TPD) for teachers. In line with this aim, the Webheads in Action (WiA) community, members of which were mainly English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers gathered online to learn more about educational uses of technology, was selected as the case to be studied. A mixed method research approach following convenience sampling strategy was adopted which combined the use of questionnaires (n = 44) and interviews (n = 24). In order to support findings, members' interactions within the public space of the community were also collated for a period of nine months. Both quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative (interview) results suggested that participation in the WiA community led to members' perceived TPD. Moreover, significant differences in questionnaire results, supported with interview data, were observed among members with different levels of participation (e.g. peripheral, active, and core). This finding highlighted the importance of participation and collaboration in online learning environments. It is concluded that teachers should be encouraged to participate in OCoPs for their professional development and the creation of OCoPs appealing to different areas of professional development should be supported.
Sakarya University. Esentepe Campus, Adapazari 54000, Turkey. Tel: +90-505-2431868; Fax: +90-264-6141034; e-mail: tojet@sakarya.edu.tr; Web site: http://www.tojet.net
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A