WhatsApp as an educational tool: perspectives of pre-service teachers

ABSTRACTThis study explores pre-service teachers’ perspectives about the use of WhatsApp as an educational tool. This is a qualitative project set within an interpretive paradigm. Sixteen pre-service teachers at a University of Technology voluntarily agreed to be part of this study. These pre-service teachers were divided into two groups of eight participants each to take part in a focus group discussion. The data collected were analysed deductively, linking it to literature and the Community of Inquiry theoretical framework. The results show that despite challenges, pre-service teachers used WhatsApp because of its benefits, which include cost-effectiveness, quick dissemination of information, supporting learning and relieving stress among preservice teachers. The researchers concluded that lecturers and pre-service teachers should adopt and adapt WhatsApp for teaching and learning as a tool that supplements the learning management system in order to meet the contextual and diverse learning needs of students.KEYWORDS: Community of Inquiryinstant messagingmobile phonepre-service teachersWhatsApp AcknowledgmentsWe thank all the pre-service teachers who participated in this study.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.Additional informationFundingThis research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.Notes on contributorsNkosinomusa MabasoNkosinomusa Mabaso is a part-time lecturer for the Post Graduate Certificate of Education in tourism and also teaches at a Deaf school in Cape Town, South Africa. Currently, he is a member of the OERiGA project (Open Educational Resources of Indigenous Games) in Africa. He earned his ND, PGCE, BEd Honours and MEd in Education at Cape Peninsula University of Technology. He enrolled at the University of Cape Town in South Africa for a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in education. HIs research interests are in Play in Education, Mobile Learning, Social Media in Education and Educational Technology.Chantyclaire TibaChantyclaire Tiba holds a Doctorate in Educational Technology from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). Currently, Chantyclaire is a Postdoctoral Fellow at CPUT. She supervises Masters and doctoral candidates. Her research interests are educational technology, mobile technology, digital storytelling, social media in education, teacher education and use of transformative pedagogies for teaching.Janet CondyProfessor Janet Condy is currently an adjunct professor at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). She has been teaching for the past 40 years. She taught for 19 years in mainstream schools and one Special School in Rondebosch, and since then she has been developing teachers at the Education Faculty of CPUT. She graduated with her Doctoral degree in 2006 and in 2019 was inaugurated as a Full Professor. Her teaching and research focus has been primarily on Literacy, including Inclusive Education, Digital Storytelling and Philosophy for Children. She has published over 40 articles, supervised three Doctoral students and nine Masters students.Lawrence MedaLawrence Meda holds a PhD in Curriculum Studies. He is currently working as an Associate Professor and Director of Research at Sharjah Education Academy in the United Arab Emirates. His areas of research interests are in Curriculum Studies, Teacher Education and Inclusive Education.