{"title":"WhatsApp as an educational tool: perspectives of pre-service teachers","authors":"Nkosinomusa Mabaso, C. Tiba, J. Condy, L. Meda","doi":"10.1080/1475939X.2023.2230230","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This study explores pre-service teachers’ perspectives about the use of WhatsApp as an educational tool. This is a qualitative project set within an interpretive paradigm. Sixteen pre-service teachers at a University of Technology voluntarily agreed to be part of this study. These pre-service teachers were divided into two groups of eight participants each to take part in a focus group discussion. The data collected were analysed deductively, linking it to literature and the Community of Inquiry theoretical framework. The results show that despite challenges, pre-service teachers used WhatsApp because of its benefits, which include cost-effectiveness, quick dissemination of information, supporting learning and relieving stress among preservice teachers. The researchers concluded that lecturers and pre-service teachers should adopt and adapt WhatsApp for teaching and learning as a tool that supplements the learning management system in order to meet the contextual and diverse learning needs of students.","PeriodicalId":46992,"journal":{"name":"Technology Pedagogy and Education","volume":"32 1","pages":"521 - 536"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4000,"publicationDate":"2023-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Technology Pedagogy and Education","FirstCategoryId":"95","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1475939X.2023.2230230","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
ABSTRACT This study explores pre-service teachers’ perspectives about the use of WhatsApp as an educational tool. This is a qualitative project set within an interpretive paradigm. Sixteen pre-service teachers at a University of Technology voluntarily agreed to be part of this study. These pre-service teachers were divided into two groups of eight participants each to take part in a focus group discussion. The data collected were analysed deductively, linking it to literature and the Community of Inquiry theoretical framework. The results show that despite challenges, pre-service teachers used WhatsApp because of its benefits, which include cost-effectiveness, quick dissemination of information, supporting learning and relieving stress among preservice teachers. The researchers concluded that lecturers and pre-service teachers should adopt and adapt WhatsApp for teaching and learning as a tool that supplements the learning management system in order to meet the contextual and diverse learning needs of students.