Abstract:

Various web 2.0 tools have been integrated into instruction to enhance face-to-face contact in many higher education institutions. Blogs are one of the most popular online tools which are efficiently used to support learning and increase interaction among learners. It is revealed that the use of blogs as a supplementary tool in pre-service teacher education programs has the potential to increase exchange of ideas and extend restricted in-class discussions through their blog postings to share knowledge and experiences (Wang & Hsua, 2008). It is also stated that blogs can set a solid ground for the bloggers for sharing experiences and generating knowledge through social communication, which may lead to accumulating and advancing the levels of knowing (Ferding & Trammell, 2004; Kanuka & Anderson, 1998). What is more, interactions and exchange of ideas through the use of blogs, if set and facilitated within the premises of social constructivist approach, may stimulate cognitive conflict among the bloggers (Johansen & Reeves, 1996). These unique features of blogging rest on the premises of social constructivist learning (Ferdig & Trammell, 2004), where it is argued that learning mainly takes place through interaction with the social surroundings and exchanging ideas and experiences as this online tool enables learners to exchange ideas, share experiences and learn from each other. In other words, the constructivist paradigm of learning is facilitated with the availability of blogs as a form of computer mediated communication technology.

Based on the social constructivist framework and review of literature, a blog feature was integrated into the ELTE 406 Teaching Practice course offered at the ELT Department of Eastern Mediterranean University in Northern Cyprus and an action research study in two cycles was conducted. The study aimed at overcoming limited contact hours that restrict the communication between the pre-service teachers and their supervisor as well as among the pre-service teachers.

The study was carried out in two cycles between the years of 2011 and 2013 with a total number of 15 pre-service teachers. In both cycles, participants completed the given tasks on the class blog and their personal blogs. The tasks required the participants to communicate with each other to comment on their peers’ blog posts and video-recorded teaching practices as well as reflect on their own teaching performances.

Blog posts of the participants (i.e., blog artifacts) and the interviews were the data collection tools and they were analyzed by using qualitative data analysis methods (Saldana, 2009) such as holistic, in vivo, emotional and values coding methods to discover the perceptions of participating pre-service teachers regarding the contribution of blogging to their interaction and critical reflection on teaching-related issues.

The preliminary results indicate that the participating pre-service teachers hold positive opinions as regards the use of blogs to discuss their teaching practices, sharing ideas and learning from their peers’ experiences. However, some technology-related issues as well as some emotional and cognitive barriers were mentioned as obstacles to be considered for future implementations.

Keywords:

Blog, pre-service teacher education, constructivism, critical reflection.