Trainee Teachers’ e-Skills, Participation and Views of e-blended Lessons: The Case of a Master of Arts Teacher Education Course

Abstract

This case study aimed to explore English Language Trainee teachers’ e-skills, participation and views to locally developed e-blended lessons of a postgraduate Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course in an Ethiopian University. To do this, the teacher-researcher made a pre-course observation of the thirteen participants’ e-skills, conducted two sessions of post-course focus group discussions with nine randomly selected participants and analyzed the digital log data of all the participants of the course. The data from participant observation and focus group discussions were analyzed qualitatively while the digital log data was analyzed using frequency count and mean.  Hence, the study revealed that despite the variations in the sub-skills observed ten of the participants had the required e-skills at the start and most of them favored the approach of learning. However, some of them were also discontented by their limed access to computers and internet connection when they were off-campus.  The result also showed that the students viewed and posted on all the 19 online activities of the course an average of 59.58. This shows their level of participation in the e-blended activities. Therefore, teacher trainers should consider using e-blended learning in their teacher education courses.

Key terms: e-blended, participation, trainee-teachers, views

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-07-04

Publication date:March 31^st 2021