Abstract
The Padlet TPACK training was implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic when teachers needed guidance with online synchronous lessons. In Oman, professional development programs do not always result in an effective knowledge transfer into teaching practices. Therefore, in response to impeding factors, a grounded action research was conducted with six primary EFL novice teachers to investigate an alternative approach. The Padlet training provided a rich educational environment and facilitated peer-cooperation. Furthermore, peer feedback and reflective e-portfolios helped teachers identify their strengths and address their weaknesses which improved their technological pedagogical content knowledge. This chapter provides educators, supervisors, and trainers with tips and recommendations to design and conduct alternative PD educational technology training programs.
TopIntroduction
The shift from face-to-face to distance learning during the Covid-19 pandemic in Oman primary schools revealed the frailty of the English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ readiness towards teaching with technology, particularly novice in-service teachers. Synchronous online course delivery training became a national priority for schoolteachers. However, online class observations revealed that primary EFL in-service teachers, particularly teachers with less than two years experience, struggled to transfer the theoretical aspects of the programs into practice. Novice teachers required more support to acquire the content of professional development programs due to their lack of teaching experience.
The needs analysis revealed a demand for hands-on practical training to facilitate content transfer into practices and training on teaching e-portfolio. Novice teachers were not inclined to attend previous training programs due to their inability to relate the training content to their immediate classroom needs. This situation suggests that PD programs should incorporate content relevant to the immediate challenges teachers face to increase their positive influence on teachers’ practices. Not considering these aspects might result in teachers being unable to apply the training content successfully, which might negatively impact the students’ academic achievements (Arends, 2014; OECD, 2005). In the current study, due to the sudden transfer to distance learning, teachers needed assistance to cope with the situation; thus, their immediate needs should be prioritized.
Therefore, in response to impeding factors preventing novice EFL teachers from benefiting from PD programs, the researchers designed a mobile training program appropriate to novice EFL teachers’ needs. The training implemented during the locked-down provided immediate online synchronous teaching support to novice EFL teachers. The training modules were designed, delivered, and assessed with the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model. The researchers targeted the enhancement of novice EFL teachers’ technological knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and technological pedagogical knowledge related to online synchronous lesson delivery and reflective e-portfolio. The mobile PD training was hosted on Padlet, previously Wallwisher, a provider of digital walls. As a website and an application, Padlet allows users to create and share their digital walls with rich multimedia content and hypertexts. Padlet provides easy collaborative and sharing features facilitating feedback on shared topics. Padlet is device-friendly and multiplatform (Sangeetha, 2016). The Padlet training encompassed ubiquitous peer and instructor support with a community of practice, weekly content delivery with on-demand video capsules, hands-on practices, and self-reflective e-portfolios. The following sections provide the theoretical underpinnings related to the adoption of the TPACK model in designing the training content and to the benefits of e-portfolios and self-reflections for effective PD training knowledge acquisition and successful knowledge transfer into practices.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Pedagogical Knowledge: This addresses the teacher’s knowledge of the teaching methods and assessment. For instance, their knowledge about online project-based learning and online instructional strategies such as “total physical response (TPR).”
Padlet Platform: Previously called Wallwisher, this is a virtual wall that enables individuals to communicate on shared subjects. It is compatible with Android, Apple, and other types of devices ( Sangeetha, 2016 ). There are two versions of Padlet: a free version and a paid-for upgraded version. The free version is limited to three walls and 10MB. Therefore, the researchers opted for the upgraded version with unlimited walls for the training with 250 MB. This feature was needed to upload training content with recorded videos. However, the participants used the free version to create their e-portfolios. They did not need the upgraded version because they used the Shelf feature where they were able to add columns to organize the content of their e-portfolios and add sections. They used embedded links to their Google Drive to share their work when they needed to upload files bigger than 10 MB.
Professional Development (PD): A range of training experiences connected to the work of a person who is meant to promote skills and outcomes (Darling-Hammond & McLaughlin, 2011 AU34: The in-text citation "Darling-Hammond & McLaughlin, 2011" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. ). Moreover, in the current study, the term refers to the Padlet PD training program which was based on topics related to the immediate needs of the teachers during the period of distance e-learning.
Technological Knowledge: refers to the person’s knowledge about the means to select, use and incorporate technology into the curriculum.
Self-Reflective e-Portfolios: Online multimedia teaching portfolios that in-service teachers created on the Padlet platform ( Alshawi & Alshumaimeri, 2017 ). Notably, the use of e-portfolios with teachers is not a widespread practice and their use is optional in Oman EFL education. In the current study, these e-portfolios included samples of online teaching plans, recorded online synchronous lessons, online class quizzes, and self-reflections on their recorded synchronous lessons.
Content Knowledge: This refers to the person’s understanding and knowledge of the subject area they teach such as foreign languages ( Archambault & Barnett, 2010 ). This research refers to the participants’ understanding of and expertise in teaching EFL.
Novice Teachers: The term used by the Ministry of Education (MoE) to refer to newly employed teachers with a teaching experience ranging from one to five years. In the current study, it refers to teachers with one to two years of experience in teaching.
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK): A model that aids teachers self-assess their skills to teach their subject with technology. The core of TPACK is the intersection of all three knowledge domains: content, pedagogy, and technology. This central section refers to the participants’ awareness of how technologies can improve their teaching approach and thoroughly and successfully promote student learning ( Anderson et al., 2013 ). The dimensions are defined hereafter.
Community of Practice (CoP): A group of individuals who work together around a shared responsibility. It is distinct from conventional society, largely because it is characterized by both its membership and the activity in which that group participates such as cooperative effort, ways of doing, ways of communicating, opinions, principles, power relations, and practices emerge. ( Eckert & McConnell-Ginet, 1992 ).