Teaching with technology: a lesson from social participation in an online learning community

Online learning communities (OLCs) offer opportunities to help teachers engage better with technology and develop new skills through a participatory social process. This study investigates the potential of an OLC for advancing teachers’ professional learning in integrating technology into their instructional practices. Drawing on two case studies of teachers, this study provides empirical evidence of how participation in an OLC affected the teachers in their professional learning journeys. Findings reveal that social interactions over the OLC provided learning opportunities for teachers who experimented with new technology tools and gradually gained confidence in sharing their practices. However, teachers rather felt ewuh pakewuh uncomfortable in openly expressing their views in the public OLCs. Instead, teachers preferred to have informal discussions in smaller closed OLCs. The study affirms that OLCs provide teachers with a social learning experience where they can collectively engage with each other to generate new teaching and learning ideas.