The larger research project seeks to examine the role of technology and factors that
influence its overall use and efficacy in supporting a community of teachers engaged in
professional development. This thesis examines factors that appear to influence teacher
participation in the online community of practice engaging in an overarching research project
conducted by Dr. Balcaen and a team from UBC O Faculty of Education and funded by the
Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium (SAPDC). The two groups are
acting in partnership for supporting and sustaining communities of practice in social studies
in southern Alberta. SAPDC is allowing teachers release time to engage in the project while
TC² is providing professional development for the participant teachers to become proficient
at embedding TC² critical thinking tools into their classroom practices. Various technologies
are used during this study as part of the design of providing professional development for the
participants including supporting an online community presence. The guiding question for
this thesis is: In a blended approach of face-to-face and online supported professional
development for embedding critical thinking into the new social studies curriculum, what
significant factors appear to influence teacher participation in the online community of
practice during the first year of the project?
Overall results during the first year of this project show that various technologies
used during the project are valuable and effective in nurturing this community of practice by
enabling and promoting collaboration, communication, and the completion and delivery of
products to be used in teaching the new curriculum. I also examine negative factors that
appear to prevent some teachers’ technology use and online participation and collaboration
during this project. Findings show that there are several significant factors that influence
participation in the online community and while some participants are reluctant to engage or
enter the online environment, others have emerged as leaders and play a significant role in
building and sustaining the community of practice. These results provide critical information
about implementing and integrating an online component and using technology to sustain
communities of practice engaged in this form of teacher professional development.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/2802 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Hirtz, Janine Renee Marie |
| Publisher | University of British Columbia |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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