Exploring the Practical Knowledge of Teachers in Online Collaborative Discourse: An Epistemic Network Analysis

• In Event: Teachers' Practices and Practical Knowledge

Abstract

The practical knowledge of teachers has always been the core of teacher professional development. In this study, 1120 online dialogues of 95 Chinese teachers in an online professional learning community (OPLC) were collected, and the characteristics of teachers’ practical knowledge in different groups were analyzed. Results of the epistemic network analysis showed that the practical knowledge of expert teachers was closer and more learning-oriented than that of ordinary teachers. In addition, among ordinary teachers, teachers with individual participation had a significant increase in their knowledge of subjects, while teachers with team participation had a more comprehensive development of practical knowledge. Finally, the ways to develop practical knowledge were discussed.

Authors

• Luyao Deng, Capital Normal University

• Chin-Hsi Lin, The University of Hong Kong

• Zichun Yu, Capital Normal University

• Zhong Sun, Capital Normal University