Supporting online learning in teacher education: student-identified strategies and social constructivist implications

Higher Educators who support online learning invest significant effort in integrating strategies focused on university student engagement and success, yet there is limited evidence of efforts to seek ‘student voice’ or input on these strategies. This study shares findings from a study that explored pre-service teachers’ (PSTs’) perspectives on effective online learning strategies they found ‘most helpful’ within an Australian regional initial teacher education context. Analysis of 584 responses, undertaken through the lens of social constructivism, identified five key themes. Findings reveal that learner autonomy and flexibility, accessibility and centralized resources, meaningful interaction with peers and teachers, as well as a preference for self-organization, and guided scaffolding, represent helpful elements in supporting their online learning. These elements align closely with core social constructivist principles, including learning as a social process, the value of scaffolded learning experiences within the zone of proximal development through a ‘more knowledgeable other’, and the effective leveraging of digital technologies to mediate learning. The study offers practical implications for the design of online teacher education courses and potentially, wider online learning. It contributes to a growing body of research that foregrounds student voice in shaping responsive and relational online learning environments in the higher education context.