Dıgıtal Storytellıng Experıences of Pre-Servıce Teachers: An Actıon Research

Abstract

Bu araştırmanın amacı okul öncesi öğretmen adaylarının dijital öyküleme deneyimlerini incelemektir. Araştırmada nitel araştırma desenlerinden eylem araştırması kullanılmıştır. Araştırmada eylem araştırması türlerinden işbirlikli eylem araştırması kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu 2014-2015 eğitim-öğretim yılında Ege Bölgesi'nde bir devlet üniversitesinde Okul Öncesi Öğretmenliği Ana Bilim Dalı son sınıfta öğrenim görmekte olan sekiz öğretmen adayı oluşturmuştur. araştırmacılar tarafından dijital öyküleme hakkında bilgi verilmiş, program ve uygulama örnekleri tanıtılmıştır. Daha sonra öğretmen adayları kendi dijital öykülerini oluşturarak staj okullarında uygulama yapmışlardır. Araştırmada verilerin elde edilmesi amacıyla araştırmacılar tarafından hazırlanan yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formu ve yapılandırılmamış gözlem formları kullanılmıştır. Elde edilen verilerin analizinde nitel araştırmalarda kullanılan içerik analizi yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Öğretmen adaylarının görüşme sorularına verdikleri cevaplar doğrultusunda "dijital öykülemenin tanımı", "hazırlık aşaması", "uygulama sırasındaki duyuşsal durum", "etkili olabilecek uygulama aşaması", "öğrenci tepkileri", "öğretmen adaylarına katkıları", "yaşanılan sorunlar" temaları oluşturulmuştur. Gözlem kayıtlarının analiz edilmesi ile ise "uygulama sırasında gözlenen duyuşsal durum", "gözlenen uygulama aşaması" ve "gözlenen öğrenci tepkileri" temaları elde edilmiştir. Elde edilen sonuçlara göre bu araştırmada geliştirilen eylem planının başarıyla uygulandığı ve öğretmen adaylarına mezun olmadan önce yeni ve aktif bir yöntemi uygulama becerisinin kazandırıldığı belirlenmiştir. Bununla birlikte bazı öğretmen adaylarının dijital öykü hazırlarken görselleri bulmada ve ders esnasında öğrencileri kontrol etmede sorunlar yaşadıkları belirlenmiştir

The purpose of this research is to examine the digital storytelling experiences of preschool pre-service teachers. In the study, an action research from qualitative research designs was used. Furthermore, collaborative action research from the types of action research in the research was used. The research group of the study was formed in the academic year 2014-2015 in the Aegean Region with eight teacher candidates who are studying in the last grade of the Preschool Teacher Education Department at a state university. In the process, firstly, preservice teachers were informed about digital storytelling by researchers, and examples of programs and applications were introduced. Afterwards, pre-service teachers created their own digital story and practiced in internship schools. Semi-structured interview forms and unstructured observation forms prepared by researchers were used to obtain data in the study. In the analysis of the obtained data, the content analysis method used in qualitative researches was used. In line with the answers given by the pre-service teachers to the interview questions, the following topics were defined: "definition of digital story", "preparatory stage", "emotional state during application", "application stage that can be effective", "student reaction", "contributions to pre-service teachers ". By analyzing the records of the observations, "the affective state observed during the application", "observed application phase" and "observed student reaction" were obtained. According to the results obtained, it was determined that the action plan developed in this study was successfully applied and that it was possible to apply a new and active method before graduating to pre-service teachers. However, it has been determined that some pre-service teachers are experiencing problems while preparing digital stories and not finding the visuals and checking the students during the lesson.Purpose Digital storytelling which is commonly used abroad has not used so often in Turkey, and this situation generates the problem status and studying this new method with pre-service teachers was regarded necessary. Thus, allowing pre-service teachers to gain experiences about digital storytelling both theoretically and practically was aimed in this study. Method In this study, action research, which is one of the qualitative research designs, was used. In the study, ‘’collaborative action research’’, which is one of the action research types was used. In this study, a deep interaction was formed between the researcher and the executive preservice teachers, and a new method was implemented by pre-service teachers. The study group of the study was formed by eight pre-service teachers who are final year undergraduate students in the department of Preschool Teaching of a state university in Aegean Region in 2014-2015 academic year. Criterion sampling, which is one of the purposive sampling, was used in this study. During the selection process of the preservice teachers, some criterion was taken into consideration, such as taking the course ‘’Teaching Practice II’’, participating to the research voluntarily, and not having any information related to the digital storytelling method before the research. In order to collect data in the research, semi-structured interviews and unstructured observations were carried out by the researchers. In the process of preparing the interview form, the related literature was searched primarily, and then interview questions were developed in the light of the obtained information. Two academic members’ opinions were taken as an expert opinion, and a number of questions were edited and some of them were deleted. At the end of the pre –implementation with two people, some of the questions were edited and final version of the form was obtained. Accordingly, whether the interview form is suitable for the working group, and serves a purpose of the research was evaluated. Collecting the research data was performed in two steps. In the first step, the researchers observed digital storytelling activities of the preservice teachers and kept a record of observations. In the second step, interviews with pre-service teachers were done. Interviews were done with the pre-service teachers individually and these interviews took almost 20 minutes. Permission was asked for from the pre-service teachers to record their voices, and the interviews were recorded. Because the pre-service teachers did not have any prior knowledge with regard to this method, detailed information was given to them by the researchers. Later, Microsoft Photo Story 3 software enabling the preservice teachers to prepare their digital stories was introduced. How they will prepare digital stories with this software was demonstrated with examples. During the implementation process, two teacher candidates every week, and totally eight teacher candidates performed digital storytelling activities in practice schools for four weeks. The researchers kept records of observations by watching the activities of pre-service teachers for four weeks. During the observations and keeping observation records, student-teacher behaviors, students’ focusing on the digital story, evaluation activity of the pre-service teacher were observed, focused, and the actualization of these elements were evaluated. Content analysis method used in qualitative research was utilized for data analysis. The main objective in content analysis is to reach concepts and relationships which can clarify collected data. Within this scope, data is tried to be defined through content analysis, and the possible hidden realities in data are tried to be displayed. Discussion and Conclusions This study is a try of an action research. During the research process, whether the pre-service teachers have information related to digital storytelling was identified, model practices were introduced, an action plan was developed, and the implementation of ‘’digital storytelling’’ method was conducted. It was identified that while the preservice teachers were defining the digital storytelling, they pointed out that digital stories include audio- visual elements, and they are digitalization of the traditional stories. The pre-service teachers mentioned that they completed the stages of selecting the topic of story, finding pictures, adding background music, and vocalization during the preparation of the digital stories. Pre-service teachers mentioned that they were satisfied, excited and hesitated with the student interest during the implementation step of digital storytelling. It can be concluded that digital storytelling affected pre-service teachers in a positive way. All of the pre-service teachers utilized their digital stories in development stage of the lesson, however half of the pre-service teachers mentioned that digital storytelling can be effective in every stages of the lessons while the others mentioned that it can be effective only in the beginning and evaluation stages of the lesson. It was observed that the pre-service teachers showed their digital stories to the students after they and the students had a chat related to the topic. Pre-service teachers performed digital storytelling method in the development stage of the lesson, but they also mentioned that this method can be effective in every stage of the lesson. Pre-service teachers mentioned that their students showed interest and attention to the digital stories. Besides, the results obtained from the observation records have also shown that the students were interested in digital stories. Pre-service teachers stated that digital storytelling method improved their technological competencies, and let them gain to be able to perform different activities and developed their creativity. Pre-service teachers have stated that they had difficulties mostly in finding the relevant pictures in the digital storytelling process. Searching the pictures generally on the internet is the reason for this situation. Only one of the pre-service teachers drew his/her own pictures; others used the pictures they obtained from internet. In conclusion, it can be stated that the action plan generated in this study was implemented successfully, and a skill for practicing a new and active method was gained to pre-service teachers before they graduate.Suggestions In accordance with the results obtained in this research, it is seeen as a necessity that the practices about active teaching methods such as digital storytelling, which pre-service teachers are able to use with their technological, pedagocical professional knowledge, must be increased. Pre-service teachers can be provided to have enough educational competency within this context. Besides, pre-service teachers should be guided to use active teaching methods as part of life in teacher practice period in traineeship schools. Pre-service teachers are thought to gain the essential skills and competencies before their professional life begins by the cooperative studies to be conducted by faculty members, teachers and pre-service teachers about the implementation and practices of active teaching methods.