A Companion to Research in Teacher Education

(Tina Sui) #1

Preparedness (Beginning of course) and achievement (End of Course) of key
aspects oftechnology-enabled learning.


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Knowing how to use the online learning
environment to support my learning

Learning through face-to-face contact with
teachers and other students

Learning through online interaction with
teachers and other students

Having adequate computer skills to succeed in
my study

Using an electronic portfolio to support my
learning

Preparedness (Beginning of course) and achievement (End of
Course) of key aspects of Technology enabled Learning

Very Well Achieved or Achieved (End of Course)
Very Prepared or Prepared (Beginning of Course)

At the beginning of the course, the aspect of blended learning teachers felt most
prepared to engage in was learning through face-to face contact with teachers and
other teachers (76.4% felt either prepared or very prepared to do this). There were a
very similar percentage of respondents who felt they had either achieved or well
achieved this at the end of the program (76.8). Out of all the aspects of pedagogy
reported in this study, using an electronic portfolio to support learning was the least
likely to be identified by teachers as something they were prepared or very prepared
to do (24.9). However, it was also the aspect where there was the greatest change in
teachers perceptions as at the end of the program 84.8% of respondents felt that
they had either achieved or well achieved with the use of this tool. Another aspect
of blended learning where teachers indicated a positive change in perceptions was
knowing how to use the online learning environment to support their learning. At
the beginning of the program, only 24.9% of teachers felt either prepared or very
prepared to do this however by the end of the program 90.6% of respondents
indicated that they had either achieved or very well achieved this.
Teachers in the program were also asked to indicate the importance they placed
on these aspects of technology-enabled learning. At the beginning of the program,
having adequate computer skills to succeed in study was rated either as important or
very important by 97% of respondents, and the same number rated this as important
or very important at the end. Knowing how to use the online learning environment
to support learning was also rated as important or very important both at the
beginning and end of the program (96 and 95% of respondents, respectively). In
contrast, using an electronic portfolio to support learning was rated as very


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