An Exploration of Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions of Learning to Teach while Using Asynchronous Discussion Board

Pre-service teachers' perceptions of their own learning are important to the ways they integrate technology into their practices. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the pre-service teachers' perspectives of asynchronous discussion board (ADB) as a tool of learning to teach. ADB was integrated into two literacy courses for 33 pre-service teachers over 16 weeks. Data were collected through oral interviews, written reflections, and participants' postings on the discussion board. The data were analyzed using Chi's (1997) framework of verbal analysis method. The findings indicated that the participants perceived ADB as an important tool of learning to teach because it promoted situated learning, facilitated a social construction of knowledge, and afforded customized learning experiences.