Self-Regulated e-Learning in Pre-Service Teacher Training for Realities of 21st Century Classrooms

Abstract

Educators and students were unprepared for the suspension of face-to-face (f2f) educational activities due to Covid-19, specifically those less experienced in online teaching and learning. Students and educators were traumatised by the sudden switch to online teaching and learning. As such the transition from f2f to exclusive online learning prompted adjusted pedagogical methods and assumed measures of self-regulated e-learning (SRL). During this period researchers embarked on a longitudinal project in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) called the 21st Century Project (21CP). The purpose of the study was to explore the SRL behaviours of pre-service teachers in online learning and to understand the extent to which a curriculum for technology integration alongside contextual factors influences SRL. As such our conceptualisation of the SRL framework adds two moderating constructs, these are, context and intervention to the core constructs of SRL. The sample of sixty six (66) students were drawn from a volunteer cohort of 166, 4th year pre-service students. Data were collected through interviews, surveys and online journal entries. The data was analysed qualitatively using narrative methods in which themes were identified and reported. The findings revealed that: the ICT integration curriculum represented a cornerstone for SRL development and shaped students’ SRL behaviours; there were differences in the SRL practices that could be attributed to students’ learning habits and attitudes to the ICT-based interventions. The findings of this study provide an understanding of interrelationships among SRL, context, and the design of an online curriculum. The study made three contributions to policy and practice. Firstly, SRL can be improved by providing activities that include clear guidelines for engagement through guided instructional methodologies. Secondly, the faculty curriculum developers should formulate guidelines to ensure that curricular iterations are developed as blended f2f/online modes to enable a quick and seamless transition for exclusive online use. Finally, course creators can improve student engagement by aligning learning outcomes and related activities with learning events.