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Blogging in an Autonomous, Constructivist and Blended Learning Environment: A Case Study of Turkish EFL Pre-service Teachers

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Technology and the Psychology of Second Language Learners and Users

Part of the book series: New Language Learning and Teaching Environments ((NLLTE))

Abstract

This longitudinal case study highlights 40 Turkish English as a foreign language (EFL) pre-service teachers’ perceptions regarding the impact of a collaborative blogging experience on their professional development from a constructivist and autonomy-inducing perspective in a Turkish blended learning environment. The data were collected via individual and group video reflections as well as via focus group interviews and analyzed through content analysis. Findings indicate numerous benefits of blogging in an interactive community of practice such as active learner engagement and co-construction of knowledge. The study also suggests that EFL teacher-educators need to monitor, scaffold and guide pre-service teachers throughout the blogging experience to raise constructivist, autonomous and reflective learning agents. Blogging was found to increase prospective teachers’ motivation for professional learning, while enhancing their cognitive and metacognitive skills development.

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  1. Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey

    Işıl Günseli Kaçar

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  1. Gunma Prefectural Women’s University, Tamamura-machi, Gunma, Japan

    Mark R. Freiermuth

  2. Department of English, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

    Nourollah Zarrinabadi

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Kaçar, I.G. (2020). Blogging in an Autonomous, Constructivist and Blended Learning Environment: A Case Study of Turkish EFL Pre-service Teachers. In: Freiermuth, M.R., Zarrinabadi, N. (eds) Technology and the Psychology of Second Language Learners and Users. New Language Learning and Teaching Environments. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34212-8_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34212-8_6

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