Investigating Teachers’ Exploration of a Professional Development Website - An Innovative Approach to Understanding the Factors that Motivate Teachers to Use Internet-Based Resources

Oct 15, 2026

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This qualitative study examines an innovative methodology combining screen capture technology with a retrospective think-aloud to explore how elementary teachers use Internet-based resources. Pre-service and in-service teachers navigate the free, interactive, evidence-informed site The Balanced Literacy Diet, with each visual step recorded via Camtasia Studio. After a 10-minute exploration, participants review their online choices and verbalize thoughts while watching the recording. Qualitative analysis confirms the methodology’s usefulness and identifies motivating factors, supporting the design of high-quality online learning environments.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Résumé

Introduction

Online Learning Environments

Teacher participation in online professional learning opportunities

Teachers’ Exploration of a Professional Website

| Volume 40(3) | Summer/été 2014 | | --- | --- | Investigating teachers’ exploration of a professional development website: An innovative approach to understanding the factors that motivate teachers to use Internet-‐based resources Investigation de l’exploration par les enseignants d’un site Web dedéveloppement professionnel : une approche innovatrice pour comprendre les facteurs qui motivent les enseignants à utiliser des ressources dans Internet Pamela Beach, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto Dale Willows, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto Abstract This qualitative study examined an innovative methodology, combining screen capture technology and a retrospective think aloud, for exploring the use of Internet-based resources by elementary teachers. Pre-service and in-service teachers explored The Balanced Literacy Diet, a free, interactive, and evidenced-informed professional development website. As participants navigated through this complex site, each visual step was captured using Camtasia Studio, a screen recording computer software program developed by TechSmith. Immediately following their 10-minute exploration, participants revisited their online choices virtually and verbalized their thoughts while viewing their screen recording. Qualitative analysis confirmed the usefulness of the methodology and provided insights about the factors that motivate teachers to use professional development websites. Results of the analysis can contribute to the ongoing development of high quality online learning environments. Résumé Cette étude qualitative s ’est penchée sur une méthodologie innovatrice combinant les technologies de saisie d’écran et la pensée rétrospective à voix haute pour l ’exploration del ’utilisation des ressources dans Internet par les enseignants de l ’élémentaire. Des enseignants en formation initiale et des enseignants sur place ont exploré The Balanced Literacy Diet, un site Web de perfectionnement professionnel gratuit, interactif et s’appuyant sur des donnéesprobantes. Tandis que les participants naviguaient dans ce site complexe, chaque étape visuelle était captée à l’aide de Camtasia Studio, un logiciel d’enregistrement de l’écran développé par CJLT/RCAT Vol. 40(3) TechSmith. Immédiatement après leur exploration de 10 minutes, les participants ont revisité virtuellement leurs choix en ligne et ont verbalisé leurs réflexions en regardant l’enregistrement de l’écran. L’analyse qualitative a confirmé l’utilité de la méthodologie et a fourni des perspectives sur les facteurs qui motivent les enseignants à utiliser les sites Web de perfectionnement professionnel. Les résultats de l’analyse peuvent contribuer au développement continu d’environnements d’apprentissage en ligne de grande qualité . Introduction Access to professional learning opportunities and resources is crucial for the improvement of elementary teachers’educational practice (Kao, Wu & Tsai, 2011) . Given that teachers are increasingly turning to the Internet for their professional learning (Charalambousa & Ioannou, 2011), it is essential to examine how teachers use professional websites and web-based technologies. In particular, gathering data about how teachers evaluate and interpret web-based features while navigating professional websites is important input into tool improvements and the development of online learning environments (UNESCO, 2009) . The purpose of this paper is to introduce a methodology, combining screen capture technology and a retrospective think aloud procedure, for exploring the use of Internet-based resources by elementary teachers. Information generated from the methodology presented in this paper can benefit educational website designers and policy makers by helping them to anticipate and meet the needs of teachers in their search for high-quality professional resources. Online Learning Environments A report from The United Nations E

FAQs

What methodology does the study use to examine teachers’ use of Internet-based resources?

The study combines screen capture with a retrospective think-aloud procedure, recording participants’ visual navigation and then having them revisit choices and verbalize thoughts.

Which professional development website do participants explore in the study?

Participants explore The Balanced Literacy Diet, described as free, interactive, and evidence-informed.

What are the key outcomes of the qualitative analysis?

The analysis confirms the methodology’s usefulness and provides insights into factors that motivate teachers to use professional development websites, informing the development of high-quality online learning environments.

Oct 15, 2026

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