Abstract

Background:
This quasi-experimental study attempted to investigate the effect of using online communities of practice in teacher education on pre-service teachers’ critical thinking dispositions.

Material and methods:
The methodology of the research is quasi-experimental design with pre-test / post-test control group. Qualitative and quantitative data obtained from pre-service teachers were evaluated. California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory was used as the quantitative data collection tool of the research whereas the comments and answers that pre-service teachers posted to the online community of practice constituted the qualitative data of the study.

Results:
Results showed that online communities of practice did not affect pre-service teachers’ overall critical thinking disposition significantly. However, research results revealed that the scores that pre-service teachers have achieved from self-confidence and open-mindedness sub-dimensions of the inventory have significantly differentiated in favor of the pre-service teachers in the experimental group. The statements that pre-service teachers have made on their comments were weak in terms of critical thinking.

Conclusions:
As a result, pre-service teachers have mostly expressed their own views and they have usually supported each other by providing positive opinions. Therefore, it is thought that online communities of practice affect positively only pre-service teachers’ self-confidence tendency and the abilities to express their own opinions.