10.25375/uct.10007036.v1
Karunanayaka, Shironica P.
Shironica P.
Karunanayaka
Som Naidu
Som
Naidu
Impact of integrating OER in teacher education at the Open University of Sri Lanka
University of Cape Town
2019
design-based research
global south
impact
oep
oer
open education
open educational practices
open educational resources
open university of sri lanka
pedagogical practice
ROER4D
teacher education
Higher Education
Education
2019-10-23 09:04:01
Book
https://zivahub.uct.ac.za/articles/book/Impact_of_integrating_OER_in_teacher_education_at_the_Open_University_of_Sri_Lanka/10007036
<p>This chapter reports on a research project implemented in the Faculty
of Education at the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) which
investigated the impact of integrating Open Educational Resources (OER)
in the teaching-learning process by secondary level student teachers in
Sri Lanka. The research questions this study seeks to answer are: What
are the impacts of OER integration on the use of instructional materials
by teachers? What are the impacts of OER integration on teachers’
pedagogical perspectives? What are the impacts of OER integration on
teachers’ pedagogical practices?</p>
<p><br></p><p>The study adopted a design-based research approach. An intervention
programme was implemented with 230 participants who were student
teachers registered in the OUSL Postgraduate Diploma in Education
programme in nine OUSL centres across the nine provinces of Sri Lanka.
Data were collected at multiple stages through the following
quantitative and qualitative strategies: survey questionnaires, analysis
of lesson plans, concept mapping, self-reflection, semi-structured
interviews, focus group discussions, usage data from the learning
management system and narratives in the form of “stories”. While
descriptive statistical methods such as percentages were used to analyse
the quantitative data, the authors employed an Interpretive
Phenomenological Analysis approach to analyse the qualitative data.</p>
<p><br></p><p>Findings showed that the integration of OER had a substantial impact
on changing teachers’ instructional resource use, pedagogical
perspectives and pedagogical practices. The careful and systematic
design of activities facilitated a shift from a “low” to a “high” degree
of innovative use of instructional resources as well as creation of OER
by teachers, while their pedagogical perspectives and practices shifted
towards more constructivist, context-centric and collaborative
patterns, as well as to a participatory and sharing culture, in favour
of Open Educational Practices.</p>
<p><br></p><p>This kind of capacity-building of teachers in the adoption of OER has
the potential to strengthen the school education system in Sri Lanka.
Motivating teachers through provision of further opportunities, and
recognition of their initiatives through incentives and appreciation,
would enhance empowerment of teachers to act as “change agents”. It will
also provide insights to inform recommendations for the formulation of
evidence-based guidelines to support OER adoption.</p>