Using ePortfolios to Facilitate Professional Development Among Pre-Service Teachers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine an electronic portfolio project as it was implemented in a teacher education program in a College of Education to determine how these electronic teaching portfolios affect a student’s professional development. Much of the recent portfolio research discusses portfolio implementation in an anecdotal manner, focusing on studies undertaken in a single class, or with a small population of pre-service teachers. This study investigated the implementation of an electronic portfolio project throughout a four-year period, collecting data from students enrolled in the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education programs. It explored the impact the development of an ePortfolio had on the professional growth of these students.