ePortfolios beyond pre-service teacher education: a new dawn?

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the efficacy of using ePortfolios to enhance career skills for newly qualified teachers (NQTs). The context is the final phase of a longitudinal action research project investigating whether an ePortfolio, created as a pre-service teacher to evidence a digital story of developing professional identity, could transition into employability, i.e. the first year as an NQT. Thus, this paper focuses on a new area of ePortfolio-related research in teacher education; the transition from university into employment. The research findings indicate a changing purpose of the ePortfolio from training to the workplace, an increasing strength of ownership as part of the transition, and empowerment in becoming a teacher. Secondary findings demonstrate an increasing acceptance amongst head teachers regarding the usefulness of the ePortfolio in pre-service teacher education and in the continuing professional development of qualified teachers. Key outcomes are discussed and arguments are presented for an ePortfolio to support professional development from university to employment.

Keywords:

• ePortfolio
• technology
• secondary
• pre-service teachers
• newly qualified teachers
• continuing professional development
• employability

Acknowledgement

We wish to acknowledge the Training Development Agency (now Training Agency) who part-funded the final phase of this project.

Notes

1. The PGCE is a one-year pre-service teacher education course at Masters level (second level) leading to Qualified Teacher Status (England and Wales) with 24 weeks spent in two different secondary schools; the remainder of the course is in university.

2. GTP is a one-year pre-service teacher education course leading to Qualified Teacher Status (England and Wales) based in a school with days spent in university.