ERIC Number: ED576260
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 162
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 978-1-3697-6098-9
ISSN: EISSN-
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Elementary Teachers' Participation in Edmodo as a Community of Practice: A Phenomenology
Reasoner, Cynthia Rush
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Liberty University
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the shared, lived experience of elementary teachers' participation in Edmodo as a community of practice. The theoretical framework guiding this research included Lave and Wenger's (1991) community of practice theory and Bandura's social learning theory (1977, 1984) which explained how learning through participation and observation occurs among teachers involved in learning communities. Social constructivism (Bruner, 1996; Piaget, 1971; Vygotsky, 1978) and adult learning theories (Mezirow, 1991, 1995; Knowles, 1984) also provided understanding as to how adults learn and create knowledge. This study described the lived experience of 10 elementary teachers and one elementary math coach in central Virginia who participated in Edmodo as a community of practice, how the presence of external factors influenced teachers' beliefs about participating in a community of practice, how the experience of teaching more rigorous mathematics instruction changed for elementary teachers before and after participating in Edmodo as a community of practice, and how elementary teachers viewed the future of their profession based on their shared experience of participating in Edmodo as a community of practice. Qualitative data collection methods to include semi-structured interviews, online document analysis, and focus group interviews were employed. Data analysis provided a rich textural and structural description of the phenomenon that elementary teachers experience when participating in Edmodo as a community of practice. This analysis included a generation of significant themes and statements followed by coding to capture the essence of the phenomenon. Further, this research study offered suggestions for future studies concerning elementary teachers' participation in online professional learning networks as communities of practice. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Elementary School Teachers, Teacher Participation, Communities of Practice, Phenomenology, Technology Uses in Education, Qualitative Research, Electronic Learning, Semi Structured Interviews, Content Analysis, Focus Groups, Mathematics Instruction
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Virginia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A