Masters thesis of education better for the students and easier for us’ factors shaping vocational educators’ perceptions of e learning

  ‘Better for the students and easier for us’: Factors shaping vocational educators’ perceptions of e-Learning A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (Research) Kate Michelle Mitchell Dip.Ed (La Trobe University) School of Education College of Design and Social Context RMIT University December, 2016     DECLARATION I certify that except where due acknowledgement has been made, the work is that of the author alone; the work has not been submitted previously, in whole or in part, to qualify for any other academic award; the content of the thesis is the result of work which has been carried out since the official commencement date of the approved research program; any editorial work, paid or unpaid, carried out by a third party is acknowledged; and, ethics procedures and guidelines have been followed Kate Michelle Mitchell 10th December, 2016 ii   ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my research supervisors, Dr Nicola Carr and Associate Professor Kathy Jordan, for their continuous support of my study They provided equal amounts advice, encouragement and critical feedback at key junctures I also acknowledge the services of Adam Bertram for final editorial review I would also like to express my gratitude to the VET practitioners who participated in this study, for without them, there would be no study to report They gave willingly of their time and graciously let me into their spaces, both on campus and online Last but not least, I would like to thank my family for instilling in me a love of research, my partner Rodney for having the courage to go on this journey with me, and the professional colleagues across multiple sites for providing me with time and space when needed to finalise my work iii   TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration     ii   Acknowledgements    iii   Table  of  Contents    iv   List  of  Figures    x   List  of  Tables    xi   Acronyms    xii   Abstract    xiii    Introduction    1   1.1  e-­‐Learning  and  policy  in  the  VET  environment    1   1.2  Framing  the  study    -­‐  defining  the  problem    3   1.2  Aims  and  scope  of  the  study    5   1.3  Outline  of  the  study    6    Literature  review  –  The  state  of  play    8   2.1  VET  background  and  context    8   Market  drivers  and  external  pressures    10   2.2  e-­‐Learning  in  the  VET  Sector    12   iv   Defining  e-­‐Learning    13   2.3  Teaching  and  learning  considerations    15   2.4  Factors  and  barriers  to  technology  use    18   Models  and  frameworks    20   External  factors    24   Individual  or  personal  factors    27   Teacher  motivations,  beliefs  and  attitudes    28   2.5  Summary    29    Methodology    31   3.1  Theoretical  Framework    32   Narrative  Inquiry    32   3.2  Site  and  sampling    34   3.3  Data  collection    36   3.4  Data  analysis    38   Ethical  considerations    40   Considerations  and  limitations    42   3.5  Summary    44    Findings    45   4.1  The  participants  and  their  choice  of  e-­‐Learning  technologies    45   Peter    45   Belinda    46   Mary    46   v   Cam    46   Phoebe    47   Robert    47   Sava    47   Summary  of  participants’  choice  of  e-­‐Learning  technologies    48   4.2  VET  learner  backgrounds,  demographics  and  motivations  to  study    49   4.3  Analyses  of  the  data    51   4.4  Individual  factors    51   Past  experience  with  ICT  and  e-­‐Learning    51   e-­‐Learning  confidence/self-­‐efficacy    52   Individual  motivations    53   Summary    57   4.5  Pedagogical  factors    58   Motivations    58   Concerns    61   Summary    67   4.6  Institutional  factors    67   Technological  infrastructure  and  resourcing    68   Institutional  and  administrative  leadership  and  support    73   Professional  development,  training  and  support    76   Collegiate  practice    82   e-­‐Learning  support  for  learners    83   vi   Time  allocation    84   Summary    85   4.7  External  factors    85   VET  auditing  and  reporting  requirements    86   VET  unit  and  training  package  changes    87   Summary    88   4.8  Summary    88    Discussion    90   5.1  Institutional  factors    90   Technology  infrastructure,  technical  and  user  experience  factors    91   Training,  pedagogical  and  technical  support    95   Management  and  administrative  support  and  time  allocation    98   5.2  Individual  factors    100   Opportunistic  motivators  and  inhibitors    100   Pragmatic  motivators  and  inhibitors    102   Personal  motivators  and  inhibitors    104   5.3  Pedagogical  factors    107   Pedagogical  motivators    108   Pedagogical  concerns    109   5.4  External  factors    111   Learners’  off  campus  access  to  technology    111   VET  auditing  and  reporting  requirements    112   vii   Training  package  changes    113   5.5  A  revised  framework    114    Conclusion  and  recommendations    116   Implications  for  VET  teachers    117   Implications  for  institutions    117   Implications  for  policy  makers    118   Implications  for  further  research    119   Final  thoughts    120   References    121   Appendix  –  Interview  Questions    137   Phase  1  Interview  (Introductory  /  scene  setting)  –  structured  and  semi-­‐structured   questioning    137   Personal  and  teaching  background    137   Baseline  /  demographics  and  understandings  of  e-­‐Learning    137   Learners  and  teaching  style    138   Technology  confidence,  understandings,  beliefs  and  use    138   Phase  2  /  3  Interviews  (further  discussion  regarding  practice,  follow  ups)    138   Key  categories:    138   Current  use  /  practice  and  hopes  for  future    138   Learners,  learning  styles,  understanding  learners  and  tailoring  to  their  needs    139   Teaching  style,  teaching  philosophy    139   Curriculum  /  course  design    139   viii   Challenges,  factors  Space/place, 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Baseline / demographics and understandings of e-Learning • Which age bracket you fit into: o • • Under 21; 21 – 30; 31 – 40; 41 – 50; Over 50 What is your definition of: o e-Learning? o Blended Learning? o Online learning? From to 5, Can you rate your confidence in using ICT? o (0 = never used, not interested; = highly confident with online technologies, try new things, play independently) 137 VOCATIONAL EDUCATORS’ PERCEPTIONS OF E-LEARNING   Learners and teaching style • Describe your learners – what kinds of students and ranges of characteristics you find in your students? • How you think your learners learn best? Follow up - experience/example? • Describe the way you go about designing your unit? • Can you describe your teaching approach/es and activities you use? Technology confidence, understandings, beliefs and use • What kinds of online tools have you been using within your teaching practice? • How long have you been using online tools? • What made you first start/become interested in using online tools? • What made you decide to incorporate online technology into your program? • Can you tell me about a recent or past time you used an e-Learning/online tool or tools within a teaching program? o • How was this (positive/negative) Within the unit/course you have nominated, how are you intending to use online technology? What approach/es are you planning to take? • What are you hoping to gain by utilizing technology within your unit/course? • How you think students will respond? • Do you have any concerns/ forsee any challenges or issues? Phase  2  /  3  Interviews  (further  discussion  regarding  practice,  follow   ups)   Key categories: • Teaching and technology experience, teaching philosophy Perceptions of technology, confidence, beliefs • Learners, student cohorts, learning styles, understanding learners and tailoring to their needs • Teaching style, teaching philosophy Current use / practice and hopes for future • Challenges, factors Space/place, timing, and other factors Current use / practice and hopes for future • So where are you currently up to since we met last? Where are you at with the course? • What things have you tried? What things are you hoping to try? 138 VOCATIONAL EDUCATORS’ PERCEPTIONS OF E-LEARNING   • You mentioned trying new things such as x, did you end up using these and if so, how did it go? / You mentioned x last time, how did this go, how did the students find it? • Wrap up the course – what did you find? Learners, learning styles, understanding learners and tailoring to their needs • What have you noticed with your learners? • Student expectations around online learning and flexible delivery – expectations and challenges around this for you? • You mentioned x types of learners/cohorts (e.g ‘passive’ / low literacy) can you expand on this? What you specifically to address this? How does online tech and independent learning feed into this approach? • How have you found students have engaged online this semester? Is there anything different or that you weren’t expecting? Teaching style, teaching philosophy • Can you describe your ideas and beliefs around teaching for you? • What you think makes good teaching? What’s important for working with your learners? • You mentioned “x” last time (e.g empowerment, confidence) – What does this mean to you? How important is this for you and your students? What does this look like? • How has your work/teaching with these different groups shaped your current practice and current ideas of teaching? Curriculum / course design • How you go about designing your course design? Can you step me through how this works? • Course design and mapping – what does this look like in LMS / online? • Curriculum design and taking a topic, can we break one down online and look at the activities, what works, what doesn’t? • You are using x tools Why? Why this tool and not other tools? Have you considered using other tools, why/why not? • Is there anything about the technology that specifically supports or hinders this for you and your cohorts/ways of working? Challenges, factors Space/place, timing, and other factors • What challenges have you found? 139 VOCATIONAL EDUCATORS’ PERCEPTIONS OF E-LEARNING   • What challenges you expect / forsee? • How does place/space impact on types of learners, teaching style, activities • Technical challenges mentioned, what were these? • Are there any other challenges you found (could be technical but could be around students, support, delivery, etc) • Mentorship – you are a mentor to others, what does this mean to you? How you feel this could be enacted effectively? Hopes for future • What would you like to see them (your learners) or achieve or come away with? • What would you like to in future as far as online learning with your cohorts? • What would you need in order to achieve this? • What are you hoping to focus on next year and how would you go about it? • What would you be thinking about changing for next year? • Is there anything about the technology that specifically supports or hinders this for you and your cohorts/ways of working? 140 ... and how they felt the use of e- Learning had impacted them and their learners, specifically in relation to learner engagement The main research question of the study therefore is: How does the. .. findings and discussion of the study Chapter introduces the need for the study and the development of the research question Chapter reviews the relevant research literature around e- Learning and the. .. teachers see no need to question or change their professional practice then they are unlikely to adopt the use of ICT However, if they perceive ICT to be useful to them, their teaching and their