Abstract
Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate teachers’ opinions on the use of Personal Learning Environments (PLE) for the development of students’ intercultural competences. Methods: This investigation carried out a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews applied to a sample of n = 100 Compulsory Secondary Education teachers in Andalusia (Spain) with an average teaching experience of 13.13 years (SD = 6.63). The interview shows excellent content validity (Content Validity Index for the interview overall, S-CVI = 0.94). The concordant codes and sub-codes were established in the analysis with the participation of two researchers and an external expert. Then, the data was analyzed using NVivo software. Results: The results show the opinions of the teachers grouped into six separate codes: intercultural learning communities, learning improvement, intercultural development of the student, disinformation, inapplicability, and inappropriate use. Conclusions: In general, it is concluded that the teachers consider the benefits of using PLE in the development of students’ intercultural competences. Despite this, some opinions reveal a lack of training and motivation, or the lack of ability teachers have on the subject, as well as in their classrooms, with the result that the PLE is not applicable for intercultural education.
Highlights
The teachers affirmed that Personal Learning Environments (PLE) related to the tools and strategies for interaction and reflection improve the students’ intercultural competences
Subsequent to the analysis carried out, the results generally show that the teaching staff consider the benefits of using these tools and strategies for students’ intercultural development, this being in line with the opinions of teachers collected in previous studies [51,52,53]
After completing the analysis of the teachers’ opinions on the use of PLE for students’ intercultural competences, the conclusions focus on two important aspects: the teachers’ answers, and what the researchers discovered
Summary
Theories of learning affirm that the relationship of people with their environment is the most important medium through which the teaching–learning process is created [3,4,5] This process requires the use of both traditional and virtual spaces, and is determined by the tools, sources of information, and links between information and activities that each student uses for his or her training. These elements have collectively been defined as Personal Learning Environments (PLE) [2,6,7]. Some opinions reveal a lack of training and motivation, or the lack of ability teachers have on the subject, as well as in their classrooms, with the result that the PLE is not applicable for intercultural education
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
