We analyzed the perceptions of the research participants in each knowledge category and compared the average scores of the pre-service teachers with those of the in-service teachers. the results are presented in table 25.5.
as shown in table 25.5, the in-service teachers’ perceptions for all four categories were higher than those of the pre-service teachers. however, a t-test for independent samples found no significant difference between the pre- and in-service teachers (p > 0.05). Both groups ranked their tK (t(43)
= −0.482) competence with lower scores than their competence in student engagement (t(43) = −1.240), pCK (t(43) = −1.083), and aK (t(43) = −1.194).
Figure 25.3 perspectives and categories that emerged from the participants’
reflections.
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327 Online Assignments
Table 25.4 examples of participants’ answers in the written reflection.
aspect Category example
Goals academic “the teacher can incorporate videos and ani- mation that can help the student under- stand the important topics covered in class.”
[prps12218]
social “Working in pairs or in groups of three enables high-level acquisition of the new information.”
[iris3118]
advantages student “the students were generally very excited about it, and it interested them very much. it motivated them to learn, which is the most important thing.” [is1221119]
teacher “the assignment can be given as classwork, and i can track each student’s progress; they can work at their own, individual pace”. [prps10218]
technical “the assignment is available to the students from their mobile phones, whenever and wherever they want to access it.” [is3112119]
Challenges student “the students use the technology, but they can also
‘exploit’ it.” [prps921]
teacher “it really depends on the teacher. teachers who are more computer-oriented will spend less time on it. if they’re less computer-oriented it will take them longer to understand.” [iis2112119]
technical “there will probably be technical and communi- cations problems, like power outages, lack of access to computers or mobile phones, or insta- ble internet connections.” [iris1118]
lessons learned for peers
pedagogical “i recommend that the teachers fully understand all the possibilities and try them as students.
that will help them find the potential prob- lems.” [iris12118]
personal “it is very worthwhile for the teacher to diver- sify the levels and types of questions, using open-ended and multiple-choice questions.”
[pips5112219]
Table 25.5 average scores for pre- and in-service teachers’ perceptions for each knowledge category.a
participant
type N
student
engagement pCK tK aK
M (s.d.) M (s.d.) M (s.d.) M (s.d.)
pre-service 20 3.67 (0.73) 3.74 (0.66) 3.49 (0.80) 3.71 (0.66) in-service 25 3.94 (0.70) 3.95 (0.61) 3.60 (0.77) 3.94 (0.61)
aN = number of participants; M = average score; s.d. = standard deviation.
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Chapter 25 328
to test whether there is a correlation between the scores given by teachers for their own knowledge and experience with computer applications on one hand and the tK category on the other hand, we carried out a spearman test between those two variables. We found a significant correlation (r = 0.461, p < 0.00) indicating that teachers who declared having rich experience with computer applications also declared high capabilities in the tK category.
although the average scores for pre-service teachers and in-service teachers were nearly identical in all four categories, as shown in table 25.5, we com- pared how many pre-service teachers gave themselves high scores (“agree”
and “strongly agree”) versus in-service teachers. the results are presented in Figure 25.4.
the results presented in Figure 25.4 show that percentage of in-service teachers who declared positive perceptions toward implementing online assignments in all categories was higher than that of the pre-service teach- ers. the smallest difference between the two groups was in the tK category.
a comparison of teachers’ scores for the items related to the aK category in each assessment level presented in table 25.6 shows that the pre-service
Figure 25.4 the percentage of participants who gave high scores in all four categories.
Table 25.6 pre-service and in-service teachers’ perceptions of their aK levels.a participant
type N
level a—use level B—develop level C—implement
M (s.d.) M (s.d.) M (s.d.)
pre-service 20 3.78 (0.68) 3.70 (0.86) 3.60 (0.84) in-service 25 3.85 (0.64) 4.05 (0.75) 3.91 (0.67)
aN = number of participants; M = average score; s.d. = standard deviation.
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329 Online Assignments
teachers ranked their ability to implement online assessment as lower than their ability to develop and use these assignments, while the in-service teach- ers ranked their ability to use and implement online assignments as lower than their ability to develop them. the in-service teachers’ perceptions of all three levels—use, development, and implementation—were more positive than those of the pre-service teachers.
the open-ended question in the questionnaire focused on the advantages and challenges of integrating online assignments into the teaching process.
the participants discussed three themes: the teacher, the student, and tech- nology. the advantages mentioned for the student theme included improv- ing students’ interest in learning, learning in a technological environment, improving thinking skills, and adaptation for student diversity. learning in a technological environment is the norm for the current generation of learners.
Moreover, it has been found to be critical during the COvid-19 pandemic, as it has enabled continued learning while students were confined to their homes. the advantages in the teacher theme were diverse teaching methods and ease of assessment. the advantages in the technology theme were the advantages of integrating simulations and animations, and the convenience and effectiveness of these assignments. regarding challenges, the student theme included frustration and interference when using online learning assignments, and the dependency on technological knowledge. the teacher theme included challenges related to technological skills, assessment knowl- edge, and class management. the technology theme included difficulties with the technological infrastructure in schools and with scientific writing (such as chemical formulas), which is not supported by Google Forms.
Our analysis of the statements made by the pre-service and in-service teachers to describe the advantages and disadvantages for each theme shows that about 50% of the positive statements were made in reference to the stu- dent theme, while about 50% of the challenges were related to the technol- ogy theme. no significant differences were found between the two groups.
the findings also show that the pre-service teaches were more concerned about the challenges this platform would present to their students (28%) than the in-service teachers (19%).