Motivation, Empowerment, and Innovation: Teachers' Beliefs About How Participating in the Edmodo Math Subject Community Shapes Teaching and Learning

• Published in: Journal of research on technology in education Vol. 49; no. 1-2; pp. 16 - 30
• Main Author: Trust, Torrey
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Eugene Routledge 03.04.2017; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Beliefs; Case Studies; Edmodo; Elementary Secondary Education; Empowerment; Faculty Development; Innovation; Innovations; Mathematics Activities; Mathematics Education; Mathematics Instruction; Mathematics Teachers; Motivation; Online Surveys; peer-to-peer professional development network; Qualitative Research; Semi Structured Interviews; Social Media; Social Networks; Teacher Attitudes; teacher knowledge; teacher learning; Teacher Participation; Teachers; Teaching; Technology Uses in Education; Web Sites
• ISSN: 1539-1523; 1945-0818
• DOI: 10.1080/15391523.2017.1291317

Educators around the world participate in virtual communities, social media sites, and online networks in order to gain support and ideas for improving their practice. Many researchers have explored how and why teachers participate in these online spaces; however, there is limited research on how participation might impact teaching and learning. This study was designed to examine how K-12 teachers' participation in the Edmodo math subject community, an informal online space for educators, shaped their learning and practice. Data were collected through an online survey of 150 participants and in-depth, follow-up interviews with 10 participants. Three themes emerged from the participants' responses: motivation, empowerment, and innovation. The participants were motivated to spend time learning how to improve their practice, they felt empowered to make changes to their practice, and they believed they were able to adopt innovative, student-centered practices. Implications and ideas for further research are discussed.