MOOCs-Based In-Service Training to Strengthen Teacher Trainers’ Professional Commitment in India

Abstract

This paper aims at assessing the impact of MOOCs on the professional teaching practice, commitment and development of teacher trainers in Kanpur city, India. To this end, the study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of MOOCs in comparison to the traditional in-service training approaches due to the emergence of learning platforms. The major objectives included the evaluation of the impact of MOOCs on the level of professional commitment, identification of the factors preventing MOOC adoption, investigation of the ways MOOCs enhance the quality of instruction and comparison of MOOCs to traditional in-service training. A survey was conducted on 93 teacher trainers using pre- and post-test quasi-experimental design. Questionnaires assessing professional development, motivation, job satisfaction and pedagogical skills were used on a five point Likert scale. Inferential analysis included paired t-tests to conduct pre and post MOOC participation tests and independent samples t-tests to compare MOOCs with traditional forms of teaching. The findings showed that the participants gained in professional growth, enthusiasm, and satisfaction; thus, the post-MOOC compared with the pre-MOOCs (t = 6.49, p < 0.01). Teacher trainers showed improved lecture models having carried out the MOOCs participants in knowledge compared to those who received traditional training. Furthermore, MOOCs were considered more flexible and all participants rated MOOCs as a more effective tool for in service training than conventional system. Based on the study, the use of MOOCs increases the professional practice and engagement of teacher trainers and presents a more effective training solution than traditional methods. For professional development, a fusion of MOOCs with other traditional face-to-face approaches might work out as the best solution. To market MOOCs, the following recommendations are proposed: The production of material that can be tailor-made to suit target learners, improvement of support structures, and greater collaboration between institutions of learning and MOOC providers. This research highlights the role of MOOCs in the current teacher training and explicates that they transform the practice of professional learning in the Indian educational context.