Task relevance in the design of online professional development for teachers of ELLs: a Q Methodology study

Online professional development should focus on designing web-based learning opportunities that help practicing educators solve the tough problems of practice when working in their schools. Technology, pedagogy and content knowledge can be integrated into the design of online professional development modules to enhance task relevance for maximum learning and transformation. The purpose of this study was to learn which tasks in an online professional development module were ranked by in-service educators as relevant to their work with English-language learners (ELLs). Using Q methodology, the researcher asked participants to rank the relevancy of 36 online tasks from an online professional development module developed at a Midwestern university. Participants used a –5 to +5 forced distribution to rank online activities from ‘Least relevant to my work with ELLs' to ‘Most relevant to my work with ELLs', followed by a semi-structured interview to explain their decisions. After data analysis, two factors emerged indicating that participants' perceptions on task relevance differed by professional roles and educational settings. Results served as the basis for future online professional development design and for planning other relevant activities to be applied to the e-learning environment.