Online collaboration: supporting novice teachers as researchers.

This article presents a descriptive study that examined the influence of using electronic mail (e-mail) to support novice teachers as they attempted to sustain action research projects in their classrooms. The participants included nine graduates of the Southwest Texas State University (SWT) Teacher Fellows Program and an assistant professor in the program. As part of the Teacher Fellows (a graduate-level mentoring/induction program), first-year teachers conduct action research in their respective classrooms. This study sought to determine how an online collaboration by way of e-mail could help these novice teachers continue their research efforts in the second and third years of teaching. Data was collected from e-mail messages, postsurveys, and follow-up interviews. An analysis of the data suggests that electronic collaborations are an effective method of supporting novice teachers in their research efforts. Findings include the benefits and challenges of collaborating online.

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The increased use of computer-mediated communication and collaboration is helping teacher educators overcome barriers such as time and place in their efforts to mentor and support novice teachers. This article presents a descriptive study that examined the influence of using e-mail to support novice teachers as they attempted to sustain action research projects in their classrooms. It includes (a) a brief review of literature related to the emerging field of electronic collaboration, (b) a description of the pilot project, (c) an analysis and findings of the data, and (d) conclusions drawn from the study.

OVERVIEW OF ELECTRONIC COLLABORATION

According to Koschmann (1996), a new area of research in instructional technology known as computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) is emerging in the field of education. Also referred to as "electronic collaboration," this new focus of research is grounded in the theoretical frameworks of socialconstructivism (Duffy & Cunningham, 1996; Scardamalia & Bereiter, 1996; Vygotsky, 1978). As Bonk and Cunningham (1998) pointed out "...a few educators have come to recognize the importance of social constructivism for electronic learning because the potential for collaboration and negotiation embedded within it provides the learner with the opportunity to obtain alternative perspectives on issues and offer personal insights; in effect to engage in meaning making and knowledge negotiation" (p. 34).

In Electronic Collaborators: Learner-Centered Technologies for Literacy, Apprenticeship, and Discourse, Bonk and King (1998) highlighted the constructivist uses of technology tools. They pointed out, for example, that electronic collaboration "emphasizes active, generative learning, with curricula wherein teachers continue to perform a critical learning function as learning consultants and guides" (p. 35). In addition, they summarized and defined key sociocultural terms and principles (e.g., mediation, zones of proximal development, internalization, cognitive apprenticeship, assisted learning, teleapprenticeships, and scaffolded learning) that provide theoretical frameworks for CSCL environments.

Supporting cycles of collaboration, enactment, and reflection is time-consuming, labor intensive, and expensive. To promote change, we must find ways to make the process more efficient and unload some of the effort. Harnessing t he potential of the new technologies is one route to supporting change in education if done in a manner that is guided by current ideas about teacher learning. (p. 275)

In recent years numerous educators have demonstrated the effectiveness of incorporating technology into teacher education courses as well as inservice professional development (Bonk & King, 1998; Falba, Studler, Bean, Dixon, Markos, McKinney, & Zehm, 1999; McMullen, Goldbaum, Wolffe, & Sattler, 1998; Murphy, Drabier, & Epps, 1998; Soloway, Krajcik, Blumenfeld, & Marx, 1996; Wetzel, 1993). For example, Soloway et al. (1996) explored how technology can be designed and used to promote teacher learning, support change, and sustain innovation in a variety of educational contexts. They described various communications technologies that support upper elementary, middle school, and high school teachers who are transitioning to constructivist, project-based science practices. They pointed out:

Similarly, Anderson and Kanuka (1997) suggested that online forums present a potentially useful and cost effective innovation for supporting collaboration, reflection, and professional development in educational contexts. They described a study that evaluated the output, level of participation, and perceptions of effectiveness and value among participants in an online forum. Twenty-three experts in the field of adult education and community development were invited to participate in a three-week interactive session using a WWW-based, asynchronous (delayed time) computer conferencing system. Analysis of data gathered through surveys, interviews, transcript analysis, and online discussions revealed that this technology is an effective means for enhancing networking opportunities and contributing to the continuing education of professionals.

Numerous researchers are proclaiming e-mail's effect on equalizing collaboration within organizations, citing examples of how it flattens hierarchies and promotes teamwork. Kirkley, Savery, and Grabner-Hagen (1998) pointed out that within academia e-mail is "spawning opportunities for developing collaborative networks and sharing information" (p. 210). No longer are educators "tied to working with the person down the hall or with data from the same geographic location" (p.21 0). E-mail removes the traditional barriers of time and space. Specifically, Kirkley et al. (1998), describe how e-mail was used to achieve instructional goals in three different graduate-level classes. They focused on how e-mail helps to extend classroom conversation and how various means of assistance can be achieved through the use of e-mail. Findings from these studies suggest that e-mail is an effective resource for helping build cognitive apprenticeships and mentoring graduate students in higher education settings.

PURPOSE

In the present study we sought to answer the question "How does an online collaboration using e-mail support novice teachers as researchers?" This question came about as a result of incorporating a classroom-based inquiry project into a beginning teacher graduate/induction program. This program, the Teacher Fellows (Resta, 1996), provides mentoring and support during the initial induction period of teaching. During this year of graduate studies, much support and guidance is provided to a cohort group of beginning teachers as they plan and implement inquiry projects in their respective classrooms. These projects provide the novice teachers with an opportunity to identify an aspect of their classroom instruction they would like to improve, an instructional innovation they wish to implement, or an area of their own instructional behavior they want to examine. As part of the process, the novice teachers (a) review research related to the topic; (b) frame the research question or questions; (c) formulate a classro om inquiry design; (d) collect, analyze, and interpret the data; (e) write a report describing their research; and (f) present their work for formal review in an oral comprehensive exam for their master's degree.

As university faculty in the Teacher Fellows Program, Virginia (Director of Teacher Fellows) and I (refers to Barbara) wondered how these research efforts could be sustained in the second and third years of teaching. Results of a questionnaire sent to program graduates indicate that former Teacher Fellows do implement aspects of their inquiry projects in the subsequent years of teaching. After graduating, however, these novice teacher researchers are essentially "on their own." In trying to sustain their research efforts, they face numerous challenges such as (a) lack of understanding of teacher-research principles and practices by colleagues, administrators, and/or parents; (b) feelings of isolation in new school settings; (c) frustrations related to data collection and analysis; and (d) pressures of teaching to high-stakes testing. To stay in contact with these novice teachers and provide continued support and encouragement as they attempted to sustain their research efforts, an online collaboration through e-mail between myself and program graduates was implemented during the Fall, 1999 semester.

Additional Research Questions

Subquestions that were also examined in this pilot project included the following:

* What are the benefits of participating in an online collaboration for novice teacher researchers?

* What are the challenges of maintaining an online collaboration for novice teacher researchers?

METHOD

Participants

Participants in the online collaboration included myself, an assistant professor in the Teacher Fellows Program, and nine novice (e.g., second-and third-year) teachers who were graduates of the program. Each of the novice teachers had expressed an interest in either continuing aspects of their initial classroom-based inquiry or conducting a new research project. Initially, 12 Teacher Fellows agreed to participate in the project. However, three did not respond to the weekly prompts for various reasons (e.g., time commitments related to new teaching positions, computer problems that resulted in loss of access to e-mail service). Prior to the study, the novice teachers submitted a research brief that included an outline of their current research question(s), methods of data collection and analysis, and a timeline. The novice teacher researchers, their respective grade levels, and inquiry topics are listed in Table 1. In all, the teachers represented nine different public school districts in Texas.

Data Collection and Analysis

Throughout the 12-week pilot project, the novice teacher researchers collaborated online through e-mail with me. Each week during the project, I sent the participants an e-mail message with the following questions related to their research projects:

1. What is going well?

2. What concerns/challenges are you experiencing?

3. What questions do you have?

4. How can I assist you with your project?

The novice teacher researchers were encouraged to respond to the question prompts at least once a week but were free to e-mail as frequently (or infrequently) as they chose. In addition to providing the question prompts, I responded back to each of the participants throughout the study. All of the e-mail transactions sent during the project were saved and printed for later analysis.

Frequencies of responses by week are reported in Figure 1. Nine of the novice teacher researchers responded to the prompts on a regular basis throughout the study. As noted previously, three did not respond to the weekly prompts for various reasons.

Using a method adapted from Kirkley et al. (1998), I read, coded, and categorized the content of the e-mail transactions. In an effort to establish trustworthiness (Erlandson, Harris, Skipper, & Allen, 1993), Virginia assisted in the content analysis by coding a sample from the larger study. We reviewed, discussed, and revised the categories. Table 2 outlines the categories that emerged from the content analysis of the teacher researchers' messages.

Analysis of teacher researcher messages. The content of the teacher researchers weekly e-mail messages were coded using the following six categories: concerns/challenges, extraneous comments, positive comments, questions/requests for assistance, reflections, and sharing information. Table 2 provides a brief description of each of these categories. Since the average number of words per message was 116, the unit of analysis chosen was the content of each individual sentence. However, different parts of the same sentences may have been analyzed differently based on the content included. Table 3 represents a sample coding of one teacher researcher's weekly message. All of the messages included in this article are written exactly as they were in the original transaction. No attempts were made to correct spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors.

Analysis of Professor Assistance. The analysis for these e-mail transactions was based on identifying the means of assistance provided by me to the teacher researchers. Because my responses averaged 195 words in length, the unit of analysis was the content of each individual sentence. Like the analysis of the teacher researchers' messages, different parts of the same sentences may have provided different forms of coding. As indicated in Table 4, this analysis used the following four categories: extraneous comments, questioning, scaffolding, and sharing information. These categories were adapted from Gallimore and Tharp's (1990) means of assistance categories. Table 5 presents a sample coding of a professor to teacher researcher message.

Post-Survey/Follow-up Interviews

To determine the perceived value of collaborating online through email, the novice teacher researchers completed a written survey at the conclusion of the project. We also conducted follow-up interviews with several teacher researchers to insure credibility of the research findings. Responses on the surveys and notes taken during the interviews were analyzed to determine benefits and challenges of participating in the online collaboration.

FINDINGS

Results of the data analysis suggest that online collaborations can assist novice teachers who are conducting action research in their classrooms. In this section, we will discuss the various finding related to the project. First, we will summarize the results of data collected from the content analysis of e-mail messages and postsurveys. Then, we will discuss the benefits and challenges that emerged from the data.

Novice Teacher Researcher to Professor Messages

As shown in Figure 2, "sharing information" represented the greatest number of occurrences in the teacher researchers' messages. This category captured instances of describing what was actually happening in the classroom. Alexa, for example, describes how literature circles are progressing in her classroom (Table 3). She sums up her description with a positive comment ("Things are going much better and easier than last year.") and a reflective statement ("It is incredible what a year of experience can do!").

Summing up information with positive comments and reflections was often the case in the teacher researchers' messages. In another example, Lonisa wrote:

I just had to share this with you. When I first started class meetings this year we talked about how solutions had to be reasonable, respectful, and related. Well today, ten weeks later, one of my students gave a solution that was not a positive solution. Another child said, "That's not very respectful of that other student."

Lonisa summed up this incident with the following reflection: "It amazed me that something that was taught so long ago was brought up ten weeks later."

The "sharing information" category also included factual statements related to action research in general. Alexa shared the following: "I am starting a new action research project next month...I am doing a follow up of Shannon Potters research on positive discipline...our team is doing it together...

This sharing of information and experiences related to their research-in-progress became a collaborative dialogue between the novice teachers and a mentor in whom they trusted. Wells (1998) calls this "collaborative knowledge-building." He stated:

Each time we engage with a new problem or topic we need to draw on our own relevant experiences, supplement them with information from others and, in order to extend our own understanding, bring both experience and information into the dialogue of knowledge building with others. (p. 29)

Comments not related to action research were coded as "extraneous." This category included information about upcoming plans, questions related to other Teacher Fellows, and statements in general (e.g., "Thanks for responding."). These informal comments were conversational in tone and served to extend the relationship between mentor and mentee that had been established during the Teacher Fellows Program.

Professor to Novice Teacher Researcher Messages

The data summarized in Figure 3 indicate that "scaffolding" and "sharing information" were the means of assistance used most frequently during the online collaboration. Combined, these two categories accounted for 387, or 74%, of the total occurrences in the professor to teacher researcher email messages. "Scaffolding" captured instances of providing encouragement, offering assistance, making suggestions, giving advice, and stating opinions related to the research. In "sharing information," I related similar experiences as those the teacher researchers were referring to in their messages. This category also included instances of sharing news about grant opportunities and upcoming conferences. As with the teacher researchers' messages, the means of assistance "extraneous" category included general information not related to the research projects in particular.

Post-Survey/Follow-up Interviews

Results of the postsurvey suggest that collaborating online can benefit novice teachers who are conducting classroom research in several ways. The benefits included (a) seeking support from a mentor while continuing research efforts, (b) gaining additional perspectives on research project, (c) discussing different approaches to solving problems, and (d) reflecting on research-in-progress.

Challenges to collaborating online were also noted in the postsurveys. They included (a) remembering to respond to e-mail messages, (b) finding the time to respond, and (c) having difficulty expressing feelings through email. Both the benefits and challenges will be discussed more fully in the next sections.

Benefits of Online Collaboration. In response to the question," What do you feel were the greatest benefits of participating in the online collaboration?," several teacher researchers commented that the project provided them with the assistance and encouragement they needed to sustain their research efforts in the classroom. For example, Angela wrote, "It encouraged me to continue doing my research. Had I been left to only my own motivation I don't know that I would have done it. Also when I got stuck on something I had someone whose advice I trusted and respected to go to for help." Elizabeth noted, "Participating in the research really helped me to stick with my plan and be accurate in recording the data." Laura echoed their responses by writing "discussing the research with someone else helps keep you going."

Gaining additional perspectives on the research topic was another benefit noted in the surveys. As Lara put it, "It was helpful to get feedback from someone who was unbiased-our campuses and teams help, but they have expectations and ideas that most of the time help, but can also hinder the research process by oversteering in the direction of the school's vision." Similarly, Alexa pointed out "There were several times when I needed advice from an 'outsider' about my research."

When problems or challenges arose during their projects, the teacher researchers shared that they had an additional resource to turn to in the online collaboration. Discussing their problems with someone they trusted helped them generate new ideas. As Rosie put it, "One of the benefits of collaborating online was receiving additional information about how to approach problems I was having in the classroom."

The weekly collaboration also provided the teacher researchers with an opportunity to reflect on the progress of their projects. Alexa wrote, "My weekly collaboration became a weekly reflection. Sometimes, when I thought my research was going horribly, sitting down and writing about it helped to make things seem not so bad." On the other hand, Rebecca reflected that, "Often when I'd report by way of e-mail I wouldn't feel like I accomplished much--only small hurdles seen from kids."

The online reflections also helped them discover what they were learning from the research projects as noted in the following excerpts: "I have learned different ways to manage literature circles..." and "I finally really understood the Habits of Mind myself."

Several reported that, without the pressure of doing it for a grade, they found the process of conducting action research in their classrooms an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Furthermore, all of the teacher researchers responded "Yes" to the question "Would you be interested in continuing the online collaboration in the future?"

Challenges of online collaboration. The most frequently noted challenge of participating in the online collaboration was "finding time to get on the computer." Most of the teacher researchers used their school district's access to e-mail. Thus, finding time during the school day to respond was difficult. Those who had access to e-mail on their home computers found it easier to respond to the weekly messages. In addition to time constraints, remembering to respond was also noted as a challenge. As one of the teacher researchers noted, "Occasionally, I would forget to check my e-mail for a few days and be a little late responding to the weekly updates."

For some of the teacher researchers, difficulty in expressing feelings via e-mail presented a further challenge in collaborating online. Several recommended having regular meetings in addition to the electronic collaboration.

CONCLUSION

The purpose of the online collaboration was to support novice teachers in sustaining research efforts in their classrooms. Results of the pilot project suggest that electronic collaboration is an effective means of providing additional mentoring and support to beginning teachers in their first few years of teaching. Through sharing information and problem solving online, the participants created an extended learning community-one which was not constrained by time or space. Moreover, relationships that had been established during the Teacher Fellows Program were strengthened during the online collaboration. As one of the teacher researchers put it, "It's lonely out here in the real-world." Perhaps the growth of electronic collaborations will help alleviate some of the loneliness and isolation that beginning teachers often experience (O'Neill, 1997; Boreen, Johnson, Niday, & Potts, 2000).

A follow-up study is planned which will examine the effects of using web-based conferencing to collaborate with the teacher researchers online. One of the limitations of using e-mail during the pilot project was that conversations were one-to-one (i.e., teacher researcher to professor). The web-based conferencing will allow all participants (including additional university faculty) to communicate with each other thus, expanding the online learning community. It is hoped that this will encourage teachers with common research interests to develop partnerships online. Furthermore, based on the recommendations of participants in the pilot project, more face-to-face meetings will be scheduled during the follow-up study.

In summary, as this pilot project indicates, CSCL tools can provide us with powerful new educational environments, what Harasim (1993) calls "educational networlds." King (1998) asserted "Such educational networlds promote the creation of lifelong learners who collaborate with peers and experts within the classroom and across the globe to build and share knowledge" (p. 366). Thus, these new, and ever-evolving, technological tools can help us create online teacher-research communities that support one another in the process of improving educational practices.

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Table 1

Novice Teacher Researchers

Novice Teacher Researcher  Grade Level   Research Topic

Rosie Abeita               Fourth Grade  Behavior Management
Lonisa Browning            First Grade   Positive Discipline
Alexa Camacho              Fifth Grade   Literature Circles
Laura Davis                Fourth Grade  Literature Circles
Elizabeth Havens           First Grade   Classroom Management
Lara Heine                 Second Grade  Cooperative Learning
Shannon Helmke             Fifth Grade   Habits of Mind
Amanda Knox                Second Grade  Literacy Bags
Karen Miller               Kindergarten  Shared Reading/Writing
Angela Moyer               First Grade   Cross-age Buddy Reading
Rebecca Shea               Fifth Grade   Habits of Mind
Sarah Stanfield            First Grade   Cooperative Learning
Table 2

Coding Scheme for Teacher Researcher to Professor Message

                           Category


Conerns/ Challenges (C/C)  statements related to problem
                           situations; difficulties with
                           project; things that are not going
                           well

Extraneous (E)             statement or questions Unrelated
                           project or classroom research
                           (e.g. apology, thank you, sharing
                           personal information)

Positive Comments (PC)     statements about what is going well


Questions/ Requests (Q/R)  questions/requests regarding
                           classroom research


Reflections (R)            metacognitive statements; insights
                           gained from research (e.g., I
                           think, I've learned); statements
                           of feelings

Sharing Information (SI)   factual statements that share
                           information related to classroom
                           research)

                           Description
                           Examples

Conerns/ Challenges (C/C)  "The disruptions in class are still
                           challenging."



Extraneous (E)             "Gotta go...recess is over "Are
                           Amanda, Karen, and Bruce still at
                           same schools?" "Sorry it has taken
                           so long to respond."

Positive Comments (PC)     "The children are really enjoying
                           the program."

Questions/ Requests (Q/R)  "Any suggestions for getting them
                           to manage themselves?" "More
                           materials and resources please."

Reflections (R)            "...just typing all of this out is
                           helping me to think about it and
                           generate ideas."


Sharing Information (SI)   "We are finishing our novels.
Table 3

Analysis of a Teacher Researcher to Professor Message

Category                Transcript of Message

Sharing Information of  Next week I am starting my
 literature circles.    first round

Sharing Information     I have my folders and paperwork
                        ready to go, the students have
                        practiced their roles with a whole
                        class novel we just completed.

Concern/Challenge       I am concerned about the book
                        choices.

Concern/Challenge       Last year a lot of my students
                        read many of the books I have
                        chosen for lit. circles.

Sharing Information     I am more interested in ordering
                        5 or 6 packs of new titles for
                        my students.

Sharing Information     I need to apply and get the grant
                        from TSRA for new books.

Sharing Information     This year my students have more
                        equal reading abilities for the
                        most part.

Sharing Information     These are a few "low" students and
                        a few "really high" students, but
                        most are on level.

Sharing Information     This will allow me to do a true
                        lit. circle (like Laura did)
                        where the students can choose
                        the books they are interested
                        in rather than me ability
                        grouping them.

Question/Request        My question is what do I do to
                        mesh the low and high students
                        with the rest of the class so
                        I don't single them out, yet
                        still accelerate the high and
                        assist the low.

Sharing Information     I don't need any assistance
                        right now.

Sharing Information     I am looking into helping
                        Ms. Kotrla and the 5th grade
                        fellow at Bagdad start lit.
                        circles.

Positive Comment        Things are going so much better
                        and easier than last year.

Reflection              It is incredible what a year of
                        experience can do!
Table 4

Coding Scheme for Professor to Teacher Researchers Message

Categories        Description

Extraneous (E)    questions or statements
                  unrelated to research

Questioning (Q)   questions related to research
                  project; prompts to stimulate
                  thinking

Scaffolding (S)   statements that provide
                  assistance, suggestions,
                  advice, opinions,

                  Encouragement, affirmations


Sharing           factual statements that share
Information (SI)  information related to
                  classroom research



Categories        Examples

Extraneous (E)    "Got your letter." "Thanks
                  for sharing."

Questioning (Q)   "What do you think?"
                  "What if you had big
                  buddies draw a picture..?"

Scaffolding (S)   "...I'll send you info on
                  that." "Let me look
                  through
                  resources and
                  I'll back to you on
                  wiggles problem."

Sharing           "Yes, I emailed your
Information (SI)  paper to Jane
                  Nelsen." "I got the info
                  from Laura on I Can
                  Manage Myself."
Table 5

Analysis of a Professor to Teacher Researcher Message

Category             Transcript of Message

Scaffolding          Glad to hear your lit circles are
                     going well.
Scaffolding          Sounds like you're working out
                     your management problems well.
Scaffolding          Not having enough materials
                     (books, etc.) is always a
                     problem.
Questioning          Were you able to get the grant
                     sent in time?
Scaffolding          I know it's tough with teaching
                     and all.
Scaffolding          Hopefully, your school will help
                     you buy more books for next year.
Scaffolding          Hang in there.
Scaffolding          I am so proud of you ladies.
Sharing information  If I hear of other grant
                     opportunities, I'll let you know.

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