Note: This version is NOT the version finally published. This manuscript is unedited and unformatted.
Motivating factors in online language teacher education in southern Argentina
AbstractOnline teacher education is of growing interest and so is the study of motivation as a key factor in technology-mediated learning environments. This study is based on a pre-service language teacher education programme in Patagonia, a southern Argentinian region with limited face-toface training offers, limited Internet access and a large number of unqualified teachers. Our goal is to broaden the understanding of online teacher education programmes at undergraduate level in contexts where most trainees are practicing teachers and where online education is the only possibility for holding a teaching qualification. We focused on the motivating factors that led 71 trainees to enroll and to remain in this online teacher training course. Through a mixed methods approach, the trainees completed an online survey (n=71) and participated in a followup interview (n=24). Results showed that obtaining a teaching degree, autonomy, and individual activities were key factors in initial and sustaining motivation. Participants" experiences challenged collaborative learning in an online environment.
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