Developing Pre-service Teachers’ Understanding of Good Teaching: A Global Collaborative Project Using Online Discussion

Abstract

This study aims to explore the pre-service teachers’ learning experiences in a global collaborative project which engaged students in online discussion about “good teaching”. The project involved two teacher education courses in Korea and the U.S. The research question includes: (1) the pre-service teachers’ perceptions with regard to “good teaching” and (2) cognitive presence for developing their understanding in online discussion. The pre-service teachers from both classes posted their group artifacts on the discussion forum and participated in asynchronous discussions. The results showed that the global project enhanced pre-service teachers’ critical thinking of their own country’s education and understanding of different perspectives on effective teaching. Online discussions facilitated their cognitive presence in the discourse on contributing factors in good teaching. The study discusses the implications of the global collaborative project through online discussion to promote pre-service teachers’ critical thinking process.