An investigation into how Web 2.0 technologies can be used to enhance the educational supervision of teachers

Abstract

The concept of educational supervision has witnessed significant development in recent years and many studies in this field have demonstrated how computers and the internet have been employed in the process. However, the researcher has found no studies that examined the use of Web 2.0 online platforms and tools that promote interaction among users in educational supervision.The main purpose of this study is to examine the possibility of using Web 2.0 technologies in educational supervision in Saudi Arabia and investigate how these technologies can be used to enhance the educational supervision of teachers. In practical terms I planned to introduce Web 2.0 tools into the educational supervision process to support and enhance activities undertaken by supervisors and teachers.A small-scale four-stage development programme was run with groups of teachers and supervisors with the evaluation of that process making use of a mixed method approach to data collection. In the first stage interviews were held with seven supervisors and seven teachers, in order to explore the possibility of application, to build a picture and to enable me to become acquainted with data collection and analysis procedures and techniques. In the second stage, data was collected from 23 supervisors by focus group and questionnaire regarding the current usage of Web 2.0 technology in educational supervision and to examine how such technologies could facilitate supervisors’ work. In stages three and four, data was collected from thirty teachers through a pre-survey, followed by a Web 2.0 training programme and post-survey. The objectives in these stages were to study teachers’ usage of Web 2.0 technology and to evaluate the effect of the training programme in order to recognise and use the affordances of Web 2.0 tools for supervision.Teachers’ knowledge, awareness and confidence in relation to all of the tools were shown to have increased after the training programme, with the majority showing enthusiasm about employing this technology in educational supervision. The participants generally agreed that using Web 2.0 technologies in educational supervision is crucial and facilitated supervisors’ work

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