How to promote student teachers’ research knowledge and skills online

Abstract

Promoting research knowledge and skills (RKS) is an important task of teacher training programmes. One way of fostering RKS is through research-based learning (RBL). However, student teachers often struggle with the acquisition of RKS and do not benefit from RBL like students of other study programmes. This paper suggests e-learning as one part of the solution to support the design of courses that prepare students for conducting research projects. We present an interactive e-learning module designed to develop student teachers’ RKS and analyse the effectiveness of (1) the e-learning module, (2) its combination with online instruction and (3) online instruction only. Unlike previous research, we assessed the development of student teachers’ RKS (n = 402) using a standardised test. Findings revealed that both e-learning formats were effective in developing students’ RKS. Moreover, the study provided evidence of the sustainability of learning gains obtained through the e-learning module. Both e-learning formats proved superior to online instruction only, which in turn did not promote students’ RKS significantly, regardless of whether the course taught research methods explicitly or dealt with the contents of research. Thus, the development of further e-learning opportunities in the context of RBL should receive more attention in the future.