An inquiry into the perspectives and experiences of teacher educators as they worked to integrate an electronic course management system into their courses

• Main Author: Birbal, Roland
• Other Authors: Sparks, Jason
• Published: University of Sheffield 2014
• Subjects: 371.102
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.589369

This interpretative qualitative study was designed to examine the experiences and perspectives of teacher educators as they worked to integrate the Blackboard Course Management System (BbCMS) into their courses. More specifically, it focused on how teacher educators’ perspectives of the value of the affordances of course managements systems for course delivery and their pedagogical beliefs influenced their integration of the BbCMS into their courses. The study consisted of two stages. In the first stage data were collected from 53 out of 112 teacher educators using an open-ended questionnaire. In the second stage I collected data from eight teacher educators who were purposively selected and individually interviewed. My framework for analyses focuses on Pajares’ (1992) assumptions of teacher beliefs, Becker’s (2000) principles of teacher-centred pedagogy and Savery and Duffy’s (1995) principles of constructivist instruction. The results suggest that teacher educators hold the perspective that the affordances of the BbCMS can enhance teaching and learning when used with face-to-face classroom sessions. The affordances most used were accessibility, followed by communication and collaboration and diversity. The study also found that many teacher educators with espoused constructivist beliefs did not integrate the BbCMS in ways that were consistent with their beliefs. Additionally, teacher educators experienced several challenges which may have prevented them from integrating the BbCMS in ways consistent with their espoused constructivist beliefs. These challenges included: administrative, teacher and technical issues. My recommendations include a comprehensive professional development programme which provides training in both the technical aspects of the BbCMS and also how to use the affordances of the BbCMS to create a constructivist learning environment. I also recommend that a dedicated support desk be establish to provide assistance to teacher educators in resolving pedagogical issues that they may encounter while attempting to integrate the affordances of the BbCMS into their courses.