From Zoom to Bloom: Developing the Self-Efficacy of Physics Teachers Through Collaborative Online Professional Development

Abstract

The study examined how Collaborative Online Teacher Professional Development (COTPD) can best improve the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) and Self-Efficacy (SE) of physics teachers. Focus group data collected from participants of the Frontiers International e-School, through which physics teachers were supported in bringing Nobel prize-winning physics to the classroom. The study set out to understand the benefits and challenges of COTPD through the participants' socially constructed subjective perspectives. A thematic map of findings identified key elements and considerations for best utilising online platforms to facilitate COTPD. The study found improvement in TPACK and SE for both experienced physics teachers and out-of-field physics teachers through the Frontiers International e-School's COTPD model.