Teacher-education students` views about knowledge building theory and practice

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of engaging students to collectively learn and work with knowledge in a computer-supported collaborative learning environment called Knowledge Forum on their views about knowledge building theory and practice. Participants were 24 teacher-education students who took a required course titled `Integrating Theory and Practice in Teaching.` Data mainly came from (1) student discourse recorded in a Knowledge Forum database, (2) a survey that examined students` views about knowledge building, and (3) interviews with regard to students` perceived barriers to implementing knowledge building theory in teaching. Findings suggest that with sustained discourse to construct their collective understanding of the relationships between theory and practice in teaching for a semester, the participants were able to attain more informed and practical views about knowledge building theory. In addition, students` perceived barriers to implementing knowledge building in teaching were identified and strategies to help overcome these barriers discussed.