A learning model for improving in-service teachers’ course completion in MOOCs

ABSTRACT

The use of massive open online courses (MOOCs) for teacher professional development (TDP) has increased in the past decades. This study explored the key factors that influenced teachers’ online course completion as a significant indicator of their success in a TPD MOOC. Six key influencing factors (self-efficacy, interaction with curriculum content and peers, satisfaction, overall course score, and TPACK self-assessment) were identified from the perspectives of general influencing factors and teacher specific influencing factors. Employing a learning model that was constructed as a hypothesis path model based on literature review, we analysed these influencing factors’ effects on participants’ online learning completion. Results showed that participants’ TPACK self-assessment and overall course score had a strong direct effect on their course completion, while their interaction with course content and peers had a significant indirect effect on their course completion. This study also discussed the features of teachers’ learning in TPD MOOCs based on the results. Suggestions to promote the success of TPD MOOCs from the aspects of curriculum, learners, and community were put forward. Implications and prospects for research and practice are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Teacher professional development
• MOOCs
• TPACK
• online learning completion
• interaction

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the “Research on Time-Emotion–Cognition Analysis Model and Automatic Feedback Mechanism of Online Asynchronous Interaction” project [grant number 62077007], supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the “Building Teacher Community Knowledge of Blended Learning: An Online Collaborative Approach, with a Focus on Developing Project-Based Learning” project, supported by Advanced Innovation Center for Future Education (AICFE), Beijing Normal University, China.

Notes on contributors

Ning Ma

Dr. Ning Ma is an Associate professor at the Advanced Innovation Center for Future Education and Faculty of Education at Beijing Normal University. Her research interests include technology enhanced learning and technology enhanced teacher professional development.

Ya-Meng Li

Ms. Ya-Meng Li is a Physics teacher at the Zhengzhou No.11 Middle School. Her research interests include teacher professional development and technology enhanced learning.

Jia-Hui Guo

Miss. Jia-Hui Guo is a Master student at the Faculty of Educational, Beijing Normal University. Her research interests include teacher professional development and technology enhanced learning.

Diana Laurillard

Prof. Diana Laurillard is a Professor of Learning with Digital Technology at UCL Knowledge Lab, University College London. Her research interests include “The Transformational Potential of MOOCs”, “Future Education” and learning design tools.

Min Yang

Dr. Min Yang is an Assistant professor of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at The Education University of Hong Kong. Her research interests are in pedagogies, and assessment and feedback strategies that support productive student learning.