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Teaching and Teacher Education 26 (2010) 1070e1076

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Teaching and Teacher Education

journal homepage: www.elsevier .com/locate/ tate

Reflection in a social space: Can blogging support reflective practicefor beginning teachers?

Maureen Killeavy*, Anne MoloneySchool of Education, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland

a r t i c l e i n f o

Article history:Received 16 May 2008Received in revised form25 June 2009Accepted 3 November 2009

Keywords:BlogCommunity of practiceNewly qualified teacherProfessional developmentReflectionSupport group

* Corresponding author. Tel.: þ353 1 7167943;fax: þ353 1 7161143.

E-mail addresses: maureen.killeavy@ucd.ie (M. Ki(A. Moloney).

0742-051X/$ e see front matter � 2010 Elsevier Ltd.doi:10.1016/j.tate.2009.11.002

a b s t r a c t

This study reports on an investigation on the use of electronic journals to support beginning teachers indeveloping reflection on teaching within peer support networks. The study takes place within the contextof the ongoing Pilot Project on Teacher Induction in post-primary schools in Ireland. A pilot study usingweb logs (blogs) was initiated with newly qualified teachers (NQTs). Mixed methods were used toinvestigate participants' use of an electronic personal reflective diary. Results show little evidence of thedevelopment of a more reflective approach attributable to the maintenance of a blog. However review ofearlier postings led to some reflective personal and group dialogue. The findings of this study are of interestin that they provide indicators that concern the broader area of collaboration within professionaldevelopment.

� 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction

“An accomplished teacher is a member of a professionalcommunitywho is ready, willing, and able to teach and to learn fromhis or her teaching experiences” (Shulman& Shulman, 2004: p. 259).

Two elements of teachers' professional development implicitin Shulman's description are explored within this study, the abilityto reflect, and so to learn from experience, and the communalaspect, the ability to act as a member of a professional community.Developing a reflective approach to practice is now viewed asone of the key activities in the development of the professional.This applies as much to teaching as to the other caring professions.

This paper reports on an investigation on the use of electronicjournals, in this case blogs, to support beginning teachers indeveloping their reflective approach to practice within peersupport networks. The study takes place within the context of theongoing National Pilot Project on Teacher Induction in post-primary schools in Ireland. This project is supported by the StateDepartment of Education and Science (DES), and is located at theSchool of Education at University College Dublin.

þ353 86 8213831 (mobile);

lleavy), anne.moloney@ucd.ie

All rights reserved.

1.1. The context of the study

The National Pilot Project on Teacher Induction is based ona partnershipmodel inwhich the State Department of Education andScience (DES), the Teacher Education Departments in the relevantuniversities, the three teacher unions, the Association of SecondaryTeachers in Ireland (ASTI), the Irish National Teachers' Organisation(INTO), the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI), the Education Centresand the participating partner schools are involved. The projectteamat the School of Education in University College Dublin (UCD) isresponsible for designing, developing, implementing and research-ing induction models for second level schools in the NationalPilot Project on Teacher Induction Post-primary Pillar (NPPTIPP).The Primary Pillar of the project is located in St. Patrick's College,Dublin City University. Induction support involves the provisionof a series of seminar workshops for both newly qualified teachers,hereafter referred to as NQTs, and their mentors at EducationCentres throughout the country. Ongoing support is also providedboth for new mentors in the development of skills appropriateto their new roles and for the schools participating in the project.Models of practice in the programme are based on a nationally basedneeds analysis, on formative evaluations which are carried out on anongoing basis, and are informed by the findings of internationalresearch and policy developments.

The Department of Education and Science goal in the NPPTI is toprovide a programme of induction whereby newly qualified teachers

M. Killeavy, A. Moloney / Teaching and Teacher Education 26 (2010) 1070e1076 1071

are inducted into the profession of teaching, their developing peda-gogical skills are consolidated and their interpersonal communicationskills are further developed. This study looks closely at one areain particular, the development of the interpersonal and communica-tion skills appropriate for teaching. Some evidence reported inthe evaluation of the first two years of the NPPTI indicates that newteachers find support from peer networks and interaction (Killeavy &Murphy, 2006). NQTs valued the benefits of meetings and discussionswith their peers in other schools. These beginning teachers foundreassurance in realising that others were in the same situation. Thereport also noted benefits accruing to NQTs through the seminarswhich afforded opportunities for sharing advice and encouragement(Killeavy & Murphy, 2006).

1.2. Reflection on practice

A key area in the development of the professional is the ability toreflect on practice as the basis for learning. Initial teacher educationprogrammes in Ireland (as elsewhere) now require trainee teachersto keep a reflection journal documenting their progress as devel-oping teachers. This is generally an assessed component of their pre-service training. A significant emphasis is also placed within theNPPTIPP on teachers adopting a reflective perspective in relation totheir own practice. Teachers are encouraged to keep a diary orjournal documenting their progress in teaching, and their reflectionson what is happening throughout the period of participation in theinitiative. What has emerged to date is that teachers have engagedreluctantly in maintaining this journal, and the practice hasremained patchy.

Given the many conflicting demands on beginning teachers,paramount among these being time, this reluctance to maintaina journal is not surprising. Additionally, the nature of a personaljournal means that accessing documented evidence of teacherreflection for research purposes is problematic.

2. Theoretical framework

Research on effective teaching over the past two decades indicatesthat effective practice is linked to inquiry, reflection, and continuousprofessional growth (Harris & Johnson, 1998). Further, it is nowacceptedthat teacherscan improve theireffectiveness in theclassroomby gaining a better understanding of their own individual teachingstyles through reflection on practice (Calderhead, 1989). However, itis also understood that teachers find it difficult to reflect on theirownpractice, for reasonswhich include the close linkbetween teacherpersonal identity and their classroom practice, the absence of certainprofessional dispositions or the culture of isolation within teaching(Ball & Cohen,1999; Little,1990). Reflection is also considered difficultdue to a lack of understanding of reflection (Boud & Walker, 1998).Consequently determining whether reflection has taken place isa complex process. A range of methods for identifying the nature andquality of reflection have been developed to mitigate these concerns.For example,Mezirow (1991) describes how individuals learn throughthree levels of reflection; content reflection, process reflection andpremise reflection.

Reflection can be understood as a process of internal dialoguefacilitated by thinking or writing and through an external dialogueand reflection together with others (Clarke, 2003). Schön (1983)suggests that reflective practice is a critical process in refining one'sartistry or craft in a specific discipline. Reflection on practice is sug-gested as a tool for beginning teachers in developing and recognizingconsonance between their own individual practices and those ofsuccessful practitioners (Calderhead, 1989; Schön, 1983). Schönfurther develops this view someyears later suggesting that reflectivepractice involves the thoughtful consideration of one's own

experiences in applying knowledge to practice while being coachedby professionals in the discipline (Schön, 1987).

One of the espoused benefits of reflective practice for teachers isthe development of a deeper understanding of their own teachingand greater effectiveness as a teacher. Other benefits include thevalidation of a teacher's ideals, beneficial challenges to tradition,the recognition of teaching as an art, and a respect for diversity inapplying theory to classroom practice (Schön, 1983).

However, given these potential affordances, reflection on prac-tice has not been widely embraced. Down and Hogan (2000)consider that promotingmore critical and reflective thinkingwithinteacher education programs is fraughtwith contradictions, tensionsand dilemmas. Saylor suggests that reflection is difficult becauseit requires the individual to analyse what's transpired and to makea value judgement about it. He goes on to assert that “It seems to bemuch safer and secure not to reflect, because I don't have to changethat which I don't see as wrong” (Saylor cited in Palmer, Burns &Bulman, 1994, p. 5e6).

Apart from these considerations the culture of the school hasa powerful and at times an overriding influence on the develop-ment of beginning teachers (Killeavy, 2006; Totterdell et al., 2004).Forde, Mc Mahon, Mc Phee, and Patrick (2006) suggest thatreflection at the individual level of the teacher is of little real valuein bringing about complex change in school environments, becausethe powerful culture of the school is a more significant influence onthe teacher's practice than personally held beliefs or values. Theyclaim that learning is enhanced through engagement with otherprofessionals within the community (Forde et al., 2006).

The value proposition for the development of reflection ata broader group level through communities of practice be theywithinthe school setting or through other common or shared interest groupsis also touted. Distributed cognition as described by Putnam andBorko (2000) inwhich the knowledge of the community is expressedthrough the actions and collaborations of individuals, groups and toolscan enhance teacher professional development. Distributed cognitionis powerful in describing the ways in which teachers draw uponnetworks within and beyond school to collaborate and share exper-tise, rather than act as isolated individuals (Putnam & Borko, 2000;Wenger, 1998).

Different methods can be used to facilitate reflective dialogue tosupport group learning. Participants are each responsiblefor personal reflection and committed to actively seeking new orcreative perspectives within the group. Reflective dialogue can beafforded orally in face-to-face seminars, through video-conference,discussions boards, diaries (Bergström & Granberg, 2007), or inreflective journals (Clarke, 2003). The development of collaborativecommunities of teachers, including communities facilitated bytechnology tools has received increasing interest in the researchliterature (Lieberman, 1995). The use of blogs on the Internet hasincreased over the last decade, frequently as tools to share opinionsand views with like minded individuals. Blogs are frequently usedas private diaries (Herring et al., 2004) they may have the potentialto support written dialogue by combining internal and externalreflection.

Communities of practice as described by Wenger (1998) are thoseprofessionals engaged in the social production of meaning. Suchcommunities of practice are characterised by sustained mutual rela-tionships, shared ways of engaging in doing things together, rapidflowof information andpropagation of innovation, and knowingwhatothers can do. Further, Wenger suggests that the use of technologydeepens relationships within a community of practice and ratherthan replacing personal contact, technology can facilitate writtenand verbal dialogue and connections to other communities. Suchdialogue takes different forms at the various stages of communitydevelopment. These are ‘potential’ in the early stages where people

M. Killeavy, A. Moloney / Teaching and Teacher Education 26 (2010) 1070e10761072

are searching for common ground, followed by ‘coalescing’ whereconnections between group members are built. A shared domainknowledge is developed at the third stage, ‘maturing’. Communicationabout maintenance and continuity of the community characterisethe later stages of ‘stewardship’ and ‘transformation’ (Wenger, McDermott, & Snyder, 2002).

Up to now electronic communities or networks have been basedon or developed from existing communities. Such communities aremore likely to succeed or be sustained because their members havean existing relationship on which to draw. The main issues in thistransition from real to a virtual community relate to sociability, howmembers interact with each other and usability, how they interactwith the technology (Preece, 2000). Sociability, she suggests, has threecomponents: purpose, people, and policies. Thus in order to engage ina community, members need to have a shared purpose, they need tobe with compatible people, and to agree on group policies. Usabilityrefers to concerns such as support for dialogue, information design,navigation, and access. Issues with usability include the ease of useand availability.

2.1. The study

The innovationwhich is the subject of this paper was developedas one of a range of induction activities with the objectives of (i)encouraging NQTs to use reflectionmore purposefully as ameans ofdeveloping their classroom teaching; (ii) developing a peer groupcommunity of practice within each of the groups; and, (iii) facili-tating NQTs' interaction and discussions with their mentors. Thefact that one of the groups had used blogs during their pre-servicePost Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) programme of which itformed part of assessed course work was a factor in this particularstudy. This allowed for comparisons of the effect of prior experienceon the extent of use and the perceived usefulness of prior experi-ence in the process. The second group was selected from groups inthe other six Education Centre areas because their demographicand education profile was most similar to the group with priorblogging for reflection experience.

2.2. The participants

The participants were two groups of 15 and 13 newly qualifiedpost-primary teachers involved in the NPPTIPP seminar workshopsupport programme in two separate Education Centres in Irelandduring the school year 2007e2008. All had recently completed thePost Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) or the BEd Degree.The consecutive model PGDE is a one year post graduate pro-gramme while the BEd is a three or four year concurrentprogramme qualifying teachers to work in Irish schools atsecond level. The gender balance of the group with 5 females: 1male approximately represents a gender profile similar to thatthroughout the profession at this level in Ireland. In Ireland, themajority of entrants to the teaching profession at second levelemerge from a one year post graduate programme followingan under graduate degree. Consequently most beginning teachersare aged in their early twenties. The age profile of the teachers inthese groups ranging from 21 to 25 reflected the profile of the rangeof beginning teachers in Ireland. Teaching experience of partici-pants in the study ranged from one to four years, fourteen were intheir first year teaching, four in their second year, four in their thirdyear, and one in the fourthyear. All of the participantswere teachingin secondary schools, these are schools offering an academic ratherthan a vocational curriculum. These were in the main small schoolslocated in small rural towns, towns with populations from one toten thousand people. Six participants taught in four large schoolslocated in the city (Pop. 73, 000).

The NQTgroupwith experience of blogging for reflection as partof their pre-service course were matched in so far as this waspossible with a similar group attached to another Education Centrearea. A similar range of subjects was taught by NQTs in both groupsranging through science subjects, languages, arts and humanities.Most NQTS taught students throughout the age range eleven toeighteen years. The various school types at post-primary level wererepresented in both groups. However, it was not anticipated toexamine these differences in any quantitative detail because of thelarge number of factors represented in the relatively small group ofparticipants involved in the study.

This study aimed to explore the potential of blogging as one ofa range of induction supports for beginning teachers taking part inthe NPPTIPP. It sought to increase our understanding of the followingresearch questions.

� What are the effects (if any) of the use of web logs (blogs) insupporting newly qualified teachers develop a reflectivejournal?

� Towhat extent does the use and the sharing of the blog supportthe development of a support community of peers?

� Is pre-service experience of using blogs as a reflective toola factor in NQTs readiness to use blogs for reflection?

3. Methodology

During the school year 2007e2008 the support activities of theseminar workshop programme for NQTs incorporated an additionalsupport initiative involving the use of web logs (blogs) with twocohorts of NQTs involved in the NPPTIPP. The total number of partici-pants in these groups was twenty eight. Of this number twenty threecreated blogs. The remaining five were absent on the day that blogswere first created.While some of these attended subsequent sessions,and created blogs at a later stage, they were not included in theresponse analysis. Fourteen participants (12 female and two male) inCentre A and nine in Centre B (seven female and two male) createda personal blog using Blogger software. Confidentiality was main-tained for users through the creation of an alias email address specif-ically to maintain the blog. Training was provided for the two groupsundertaking the induction programme in the setting up and mainte-nance of blogs at the two Education Centres. Group One participantshad previously used blogs as a mandatory part of their pre-serviceteacher education course, the Post Graduate Diploma in Education(PGDE). All participantswere also introduced to examples of blogs anddiscussion took place on the use of blogs as communication tools andasdiaries.Allwereasked to create apersonal blogand to share theblogaddress with the researchers.

The researchers also created a project blog and communicationwith users took place via email and via the project blog. Key ques-tions in regular postings on the project blog encouraged users toreflect on areas of practice and on their ongoing experiences of beinga teacher. Regular emails were sent to the participants to encouragethem towrite their blog. Participantswere also given additional timeto access their blog at a follow-up training day. They were requestedto share their blog address with at least one other peer in the pro-gramme andwere encouraged to respond using posts on their peer'sblog. While encouragement was used, participants understood thatthe blog was not mandatory or assessed as it had been on the pre-service course for Group One. These were graduated teachers andassessment was not a goal or part of the programme.

A questionnaire which had been piloted earlier with othergroups of participants was administered to participants in bothgroups (separately) to ascertain the extent and nature of theirprevious use of ICT. Their previous experience and use of a range ofelectronic tools including the internet, social networking sites,

Table 2Teachers access to ICT (reported %).

Available Not Available

Personal Equipment Laptop Computer 80% 0%Desktop Computer 10% 80%Digital Camera 60% 30%

School Equipment Laptop Computer 10% 80%Desktop Computer 50% 30%Digital Camera 40% 50%

20

25

30

35

40

45

rcen

tag

e

M. Killeavy, A. Moloney / Teaching and Teacher Education 26 (2010) 1070e1076 1073

blogs or other online communication tools was examined. Partici-pants were also asked about their current use of ICT in teaching andin the school, in order to gain some insight into frequency of use ofICT prior to this initiative. In addition participants' attitudes tousing ICT and access to various ICT resources was investigated.

3.1. The four month period of operation

Blogs were monitored during the course of the initiative overa four month period. Researchers kept in touch with the partici-pants using their blogs and offered advice when requested. Duringthis time participants in both groups attended two further seminarworkshops during which the process was discussed and reviewed.At the final workshop of the year focus group interviews wereconducted with a sub-section of each group.

3.2. Data analysis

The analysis of the data identified in the study which set out touse a mixed methods design was mainly concentrated in the quali-tative research area. The numbers involved were comparativelysmall and the variety of factors which emerged was wide-ranging.Consequently, sophisticated statistical analysis was not consideredappropriate in most cases. Quantitative analysis of the contextualdata in the questionnaire to ascertain the impact of teachers' priorexperience of the Internet and ICT took place.

The blog entries of participants were monitored during the fourmonth period and posts were used as reported records. The dataon the frequency of NQTs' reflective blogs and the results of thequestionnaire on NQTs familiarity, previous use and access to ICTwere tabulated.

The focus group discussions provided data as to participants’assessments of the extent to which the blogs were helpful in theirreflections, in their classroom teaching and in the establishment ofa peer community of beginning teachers in their areas. Contentanalysis was carried out on the focus group interviews which hadbeen recorded and transcribed and the comments of participantsfrom the questionnaires and their actual blogs postings were alsoanalysed similarly. Patterns of association and relationships withinthis data were also investigated. Text analysis of blogs was alsocarried out to check for evidence of both internal and externalreflective dialogue. The extent to which certain aspects of thefindings emerging from the content analyses was associated withparticipants' experience of and access to ICT was examined.

4. The findings of the study

NQTs prior experience of ICT and its impact on their dispositionstowards this activity were examined.

4.1. Participants' use of ICT prior to the study

Table 1 outlines the extent of participants' use of ICT during theirfirst and second level education and during their university education.

Table 1Teachers use of ICT at various levels of their education (reported %).

Never Seldom Often Very often Constantly

Primary School 60% 40% 0% 0% 0%Post-Primary School 20% 70% 10% 0% 0%Undergraduate education 0% 10% 20% 50% 20%Post graduation education 30% 20% 10% 10% 30%Teacher education 0% 10% 10% 40% 40%

A pattern of increasing use emerged as the cohort movedthrough the education system. The virtual absence of use in theprimary education years is not surprising given the context and theage profile of the group in the study. The majority of new teachersat the time of the study (2008) were in their early twenties andtheir primary education would have taken place between the years1990 to 1998 or earlier for some. The Irish government's first ICT ineducation strategy IT 2000, commenced in 1998. Prior to this date,few schools had any ICT equipment and few teachers engaged withICT use in the classroom. A similar, if somewhat improved pictureexisted during the cohort's years for post-primary education, whichis evident in the emerging pattern of a slight increase in ICT use. Themajority of the respondents first used ICT to any major extentduring their undergraduate education and in their teacher educa-tion programme.

The extent of NQTs personal access to ICT is outlined in Table 2.The majority of beginning teachers (80%) in the sample owned

a personal laptop. They used this laptop mainly for social purposes(80%), and a little less for personal education (70%). It is interestingto note that half the participants (50%) used their personal laptopas a support for their classroom teaching. Half the participantshad access to a desktop computer at school, but only 10% had accessto a school laptop. When teachers were asked about their usageof school PCs and laptops, a total of 70% reported they used theseas a support for classroom teaching. No respondent reported usingtechnology equipment provided by their school for personal orsocial use.

Beginning teachers' current or prior use of communication toolssuch as social networking sites, for example Facebook and MySpace is displayed in Fig. 1.

An examination of responses reveals an obvious division inparticipants' prior use of social networking sites. While 40% ofrespondents never used these sites, and a further 10% seldom usedthem, 20% of NQTs reported using them very often and 30% often

0

5

10

15

Never Seldom Often Very Often Constantly

Pe

Fig. 1. Teachers reported use of sites such as Facebook or My Space prior to thisinitiative.

Reported Prior Use of Blogs

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Never Seldom Often Very Often Constantly

Percen

tag

e o

f rep

on

den

ts

Fig. 2. Teachers reported prior use of blogs.

M. Killeavy, A. Moloney / Teaching and Teacher Education 26 (2010) 1070e10761074

used them. These results indicate that newly qualified teachers,whilesimilar in age do not have a homogenous profile in their use of ‘new’

technologies. This finding contrasts with the wider use of ICT insupporting classroom teaching by the cohort.

Beginning teachers' prior use of blogs is outlined in Fig. 2.Participants' reported prior use of blogs is similar to that of their

use of other ICT and social software. The majority had either never(40%) or seldom (30%) used a blog prior to this study. Contrary tothis trend, 30% of respondents reported they often used a blog.

4.2. Beginning teachers' experience of using the blogas a tool for reflection during the study

The blogs of the participants were monitored throughout thestudy. The content of postings was evaluated to provide feedbackand to provide data in answer to the study questions. The frequencyof use and individual posting was also recorded. Following theanalysis of this data a focus group of participants was organized toprovide a deeper understanding of NQTs' reactions to the use of theblog and with particular reference to its contribution to reflection.

Monitoring of the beginning teachers' blogs indicated that use ofthe blog to reflect on practice was infrequent, and in some cases didnot occur. Some participants used the blog to post entries on theirexperiences in school and their concerns on coming to terms withclassroom teaching issues such as assessment, discipline and soforth.

Teachers used different approaches to describe their expectationsof being a teacher in their response to the project blog question,

� What were your expectations of being a teacher?� How has your experience as a new teacher to date matched

your initial expectations?

The dominant themes which emerged centred on their initialenthusiasm, the difficulties of the reality of teaching in a full-timecapacity, and the loneliness and isolation associatedwith classroomteaching.

A number of the NQTs used images and cartoons such as Superteacher and Number one teacher to illustrate their personal expec-tations of teaching.

Some of the participants articulated their initial enthusiasm,however this was dampened by the reality of the classroom ina relatively short time. The experience of these teachers when theyencountered the reality of the classroom was similar to the ‘praxisshock’ described by Kelchtermans and Ballet (2002). “Nobody said itwas easy but from the insight I got last year I didn't think it would be

this hard. Sometimes you think am I getting anywhere? Teachers alsodescribed experiences of loneliness and isolation in their schools.“Its also very hard ‘cos I know no one here and sometimes it feels likemy life has been taken away. Anyway I'm off home next week, twoweekends alone is enough.”

School events also caused comment ‘Also found out that myschool is having a whole school evaluation!! Its been an eventful day.’

Content analysis and examination of usage patterns showedevidence of variation in the satisfaction levels of new teachers atdifferent stages of the year associated with events on the schoolcalendar (Moir, 1990). Postings occurred at key dates in the schoolyear, such as school holidays or mid term breaks and includedcomments such as ‘This day four weeks will be Xmas!!!!’

And from another “Hi, back to school today, first time I actuallyhave got a chance to write a blog! Crazy before Xmas. Mocks comingup so will be busy again soon enough.”

Two focus group discussions were held separately with partic-ipants at the respective venues. These focus group discussions weredesigned to investigate NQTs' experiences in using the blog andto explore the reasons for declining to do so by certain membersof the group. The discussions were recorded and analysed toidentify concerns. Analysis of transcripts showed that teachers hada number of concerns in relation to the use of blogs. These includedthe lack of privacy in the online medium and the lack of time towrite the blog. These beginning teachers experienced considerablepressure in planning for lessons and coping with their classroomteaching. Some members of the group considered that the onlineformat was not conducive to reflection. The views of a numberof respondents are characterised in the response of one NQT. “WhenI want to think about something, am I going to go and turn on thecomputer and write about it?

At a final seminar workshop in 2008, participants were asked toreview their early blog postings. Some NQTs noted that looking attheir early entries to the blog enabled them to see how they “hadmoved on’ and how “much they had learned over the course of theyear.’ One participant in referring to her earlier postings, observedthat she was no longer “at that stage”. Some NQTs posted additionalcomments based on this process of looking back and reviewingtheir current progress in the light of their earlier experiences. Theseincluded reflections by NQTs on how they had developed duringthe year. Unlike earlier postings these comments were not simplyresponses to question prompts. The following commentary fromone NQTcharacterises the situation of a number of the participants.‘I think this year of teaching has meant a lot in terms of experience inmy career. I have encountered all sorts of problems. It has been veryhard to put into place what I have been taught in my dip [Diploma].

She went on to ask Why? I have never taught in a mixed schoolbefore. I had never taught 22 hours before. I was on eight hours last year.I would have preferred increasing the numbers of hours progressively. Itis very hard to build material and all lesson plans carefully when youhave such an amount of hours to teach.”

Others now reflected on their progress and described strategiesthey used for working effectively with students. “Teacher/studentrelationships (have improved). I have found it useful to join in fromtime to time on a joke if the class is hyper when I come into theclassroom, it helps me to regain their energy and redirect it backtowards learning”.

There was no evidence that the use of the blog had led to moreor greater reflection on practice for the cohort generally. Teachersused the blog as a diary rather than as a reflective journal. Lookingat levels of reflection, the blog entries here were all at Mezirow’s(1991) level one, content reflection. However, commentaries fromthe focus groups and final postings suggest that teachers foundsome value in reviewing their previous blog postings as a methodof reflecting on progress.

M. Killeavy, A. Moloney / Teaching and Teacher Education 26 (2010) 1070e1076 1075

4.3. Developing a community

‘There is no . single story of learning to teach. There are,however, some shared persistent dilemmas, contradictory realitiesand common narratives that the newly arrived personally confrontand internalize as their own’ (Britzman, 2003). This study suggeststhat as described by Britzman while teachers shared many of thesame challenges, they encountered them and handled them largelyon their own. There was little evidence of participants sharingthe blog with other NQTs within the programme other than indiscussions during the seminar workshop sessions. This suggeststhat a support community had not developed within this groupof participants. The participants in this programme shared manyconcerns in common, for example coming to terms with issuessuch as discipline and staff relationships and teaching special needsstudents. However, these NQTs did not have the shared purpose orgoal of exploring these concerns within their blogs although thesematters were discussed in depth within the workshop seminarsessions. The experiences related by NQTs indicated that theyencountered their predicaments on their own; the fact that othersmay have had the same experiences was not a consolation orstimulus to search for shared solutions.

4.4. Discussion

The goal of using web logs in this study was to explore whethermaintaining a diary in electronic format would encourage the use ofthe reflective journal, andwhether sharing this blogwould encouragepeer group support among participants. It was hoped that theprocesses involved in this initiative would lead to the beginnings ofa community of practice among the participants involved (Lave &Wenger, 1991).

There was little evidence of the development of a more reflectiveapproach attributable to the maintenance of a blog. Most of thepostings involved descriptions of practice or of current state ratherthan analysis (Admiraal & Wubbels, 2005). The entries could beclassed at level one in levels of reflection. The ‘praxis shock’ describedbyKelchtermans andBallet (2002)was evident in the early revelationsof these teachers. The blog was used in many cases as a vehicle foran outpouring of feelings in relation to current or managed events orcrises. The content revealed teachers private challenges and concernswhich did not surface in group discussions or in the workshopseminars.

A number of insights for the researchers emerged as the studydeveloped. We had assumed that these new teachers were familiarwith reflection methods from their pre-service education. In hind-sightmore direction and support in relation to reflectionwas needed.In addition, there may be a need to situate this reflection in thewider context of the school environment as suggested by Forde et al.(2006). Our approach to the final workshopwhere teachers reflectedindividually on their own blog entries, could perhaps have beenapproached differently. Presenting and sharing the individual chal-lenges from the blogs as the basis for group discussion may haveafforded the developmentof internal and external reflection (Putnam& Borko, 2000).

In response to the second question, the development of peersupport groups through the use of the blog, a number of issuesemerge. The most significant factor in teachers' willingness toshare the blog with others within the groupwas the extent to whicha sense of a community was already in place. Teachers set up theirblogs at their second seminar workshop session. At this stage mostparticipants had met the other participants on only one prior occa-sion. Though the group had been in existence since the beginningof the school year it could not have been described as an existingphysical community as such. The crossing of a further boundary to

become an online community was an additional step for whichmany participants were at this point unprepared. This concurs withresearch findings on the setting up and maintenance of electroniccommunities as described earlier by Preece (2000). It is noteworthythat in this case, the required aspect of sociability could not exist.Participantswere dispersed geographically for themost part and didnot have opportunities outside of the seminar workshop dates toform social networks within the group.

A factor which mitigated against the development of an onlinecommunity was important for a small number of participants. SomeNQTs had issues with usability and access to the necessary tech-nology to facilitate blogging. Another small number were apatheticto the innovation anddisplayed a lack ofmotivation to use ICT for thepurpose of social networking.

An examination of existing electronic groups within Irish teacherpopulations suggests that the purpose of the communication, the typeof interaction, and the prior experience of ICT use within the pop-ulations may be relevant factors in usage patterns. An existing elec-tronic community in which teachers use online discussion boards toshare resources, experiences and support relating to ICT in schoolswas observed. In this user group, members questions relatedto seeking information, seeking support, tips on resources and othersimilar matters. The readiness of teachers to seek online supportwithin this group contrasts strongly with the reluctance of thestudy cohort to seek support in relation to their classroom teaching.This seems to point to the necessity for the community to be firmlyestablished prior to its transfer to an online platform. It is also likelythat the nature, and more particularly the area of the concern of thenetwork has amajor influence on the readiness of participants to seekand offer support. Issues related to technical and resource issuesmay be discussed more willingly and openly than more personal andprofessional competence issues concerning classroom teaching.

5. Conclusions

The findings of this study suggest that the role of professionalcommunities warrants greater exploration particularly in relationto the support such communities may provide for newly qualifiedteachers. Developing a sense of shared purpose appears to be animportant starting and maintenance factor for such groups, as itaffects levels of participation, commitment to the group, and peersupport within the group. An online community support site maybe of particular importance for teachers in schools in rural areas,where personal contact with peers is infrequent. The challenges ofengaging teachers in the productive use of such supports warrantsfurther exploration.

In addition, teachers' approaches to reflection on practice, atindividual or group level andwhere this fits in the overall institutionaland policy context is relevant to the development of professionalcultures. This is particularly important for newly qualified teachersduring the induction phase of their career. The use of alternativemodels such as narratives or dialogues for teachers to document,share and reflect on their practice are potential areas for further study.

The use of blogs or social networks as a support to reflectionand the development and maintenance of communities of practicerequires further exploration. It seems that existing communitiesmay benefit from the use of such communication networks. It isunlikely however that a supportive community can be initiated bythe creation of such a network.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the reviewers for critical andconstructive comments, and colleagues in the National Pilot Project

M. Killeavy, A. Moloney / Teaching and Teacher Education 26 (2010) 1070e10761076

on Teacher Induction at the School of Education, University CollegeDublin for their support.

Appendix. Supplementary information

Supplementary data associated with this article can be found, inthe online version, at doi:10.1016/j.tate.2009.11.002.

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