Pre-Service Teachers' Perspectives: Discussion Boards to Foster Critical Thinking and Knowledge Growth

Abstract

In today’s society it is expected that individuals completing teacher education programs harness the skill of critical thinking before entering into the classroom practice. This qualitative case study focuses on three (3) pre-service teachers’ experience in a teacher education course that was redesigned to foster and develop critical thinking skills and knowledge growth by the introduction of online discussion forums. This study was guided by the following question “How has the implementation of online discussion boards in the redesign of the two sections of a mandatory course of the Bachelor of Education program at a Canadian university supported the development of pre-service teachers critical thinking and contributed to their knowledge growth related to course content”? Data was collected from three (3) participants enrolled in the course, using semi-structured interviews and the data from the online discussion threads. Results show participants do not have a unified understanding of critical thinking and that online discussion boards can impact participant’s critical thinking development and knowledge growth provided they are given a strong foundation in the content area and have adequate time to reflect on the information presented. As well, findings revealed that participants used online discussion boards as a type of social media interface. By examining the participant’s perceptions and postings of online discussion boards, this study provides insights into how critical thinking can be developed in pre-service teachers through an online medium. Additionally, this study considers and how these skills might be translated into classroom practice.