Electronic Portfolios in Teacher Education: A Case Study of Early Childhood Teacher Candidates

Source: Journal Early Childhood Education Journal, Volume 37, Number 2 / October 2009.

The use of electronic portfolios is increasingly becoming popular in teacher education programs. The electronic portfolio allows learners to express their work. It also enables them to take ownership over their own ability to plan and assess and reflect upon their learning during a specific period of time. Whereas many teacher education programs have adopted electronic portfolios in order to meet accreditation requirements, others use electronic portfolios to develop and improve on students’ technology skills—train students on how to better use technology in instruction and student assessment. Irrespective of the reasons for adoption, there is the need to assess students’ perceptions of electronic portfolios, and especially to explore the benefits and challenges students face in using electronic portfolios in their course work.
Using a qualitative research design, the current study examined teacher candidates’ attitudes toward electronic portfolios and the differences that electronic portfolios bring to their profession. Such a study is necessary to help administrators identify students’ needs to ensure that they are gaining the maximum benefits from the use of electronic portfolios in their programs of study.