Using assistive technologies in the development of a dialogic and cooperative approach to feedback: An exploration of trainee teachers’ views

Sowe, Nikki and Ade-Ojo, Gordon (2011) Using assistive technologies in the development of a dialogic and cooperative approach to feedback: An exploration of trainee teachers’ views. In: 2nd International Conference on Education & Educational Psychology - ICEEPSY 2011: Abstracts. C-crcs (Counselling, Research & Conference Services), Cyprus, p. 169. ISSN 1986-3020

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Abstract

This study is driven by two separate but interrelated issues. First, it is driven by the desire to explore the effectiveness of assistive technologies in the structure of professional development of trainee teachers. Second, it seeks to explore the extent to which such technologies, as reflected in the use of digital recordings in the process of self-reflection by trainee teachers, can contribute to the promotion of a dialogic (Alexander, 2008) and cooperative (Edge1992, 2002 and 2006) approaches in the use of feedback for the development of trainee teachers with a focus on problem solving. The anchor for this exploration is the desire to move away from the teacher (educator) –centred role (Copland 2010) that is prevalent in the use of feedback in contemporary teacher training programmes.
The study surveyed the views of trainee teachers in two colleges through the use of a questionnaire and through a focus group discussion in consonance with the integrative approach to action research which acknowledges the importance of the voice of the third person (Coghlan and Brannick, 2010). The findings were subjected to both qualitative and quantitative analysis, the former through the use of the SPSS statistical analysis tool and the latter through an ethno-linguistic approach (Copland 2010). The study found that in the views of trainee teachers (third person), the use of assistive technologies can significantly facilitate the promotion of the dialogic/cooperative approaches to giving and using feedback in the professional development of trainee teachers if certain conditions were met. The study concluded that while these approaches are highly desired by trainee teachers who see them as more helpful than the prevalent teacher-centred approach, there is the need to develop a conceptual framework for its implementation.

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