Blended learning pedagogy and the development of digital competences among teacher trainees in a predominantly face-to-face teacher education program

Abstract

This paper examines the influence of blended pedagogy in facilitating the development of digital competences among teacher trainees in a leading University in Uganda. This is an action research that took place between August and November, 2019, in which data were collected from third-year teacher trainees at School of Education in a pre-and post-intervention survey environment. At the beginning of August 2019, a self-administered questionnaire (SAQ) seeking the opinions about the teacher trainees' digital competences was administered. In the course of the semester, the researchers introduced a blended pedagogy approach through offering online tutorials to the teacher trainees using a MOODLE learning management system referred to as Makerere University Electronic Learning Environment (MUELE) in the course unit known as Evaluation of Instruction. Prior to the beginning of semester one examinations in November 2019, the same SAQ was administered to teacher trainees to examine the influence of blending online tutorials in nurturing their digital competences. Findings indicate improved competences in teacher trainees' digital competences in line with navigation in the internet environment, operating mobile internet, operating internet-based search engines, and formal internet skills. Other competences that teacher trainees demonstrated improvement include digital information and communication competences. The study, however, indicated minimal improvement in teacher trainees' digital competences in content creation. Consequently, it is recommended that teacher educators should deliberately adopt the use of blended pedagogy to enable teacher trainees develop the various digital competences expected from the twenty-first-century teacher.

Digital Native Teacher vs Digital Immigrant Teacher: A Systematic Literature Review and Research Agenda

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“…[42]. The government and partners should emphasize providing teachers with competencies and skills to teach students in the 21st century through training in developing digital pedagogical knowledge [19,43]. As the development of digital teaching competencies continues to be a challenge that the education system continues to face, it must be addressed.…”

“…The challenge for teachers in integrating technology is dependent on mastering ICT skills. There are two generations in the digital era: digital natives and digital immigrants [19]. Junior teachers consider themselves representations of digital natives who rely heavily on ICT in their daily lives, especially during learning [20,21].…”

Factors Influencing Digital Competence: A Focus Group Study From the Perspective of the Medical College Students

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Blended Learning in Refugee Education: An Interim Report on the Foundations for All Project in Kampala and Kiryandongo, Uganda

“…Readiness as a potential barrier to the adoption of blended learning more thoroughly in Ugandan education was echoed in Buluma and Walimbwa (2021) who recommended that teacher educators should deliberately adopt the use of blended pedagogy to enable teacher trainees the ability to more readily incorporate blended learning into their teaching, which has been found lacking. Despite the contextual limitations of such an approach, there is a suggestion in the research in Uganda that it does indeed generate better learning outcomes, if seen through the lens of more time on task particularly with problem-solving activities, and as a growing familiarity with the technological systems that blended learning necessitates (Bhagat, 2020).…”