The effect of e-portfolio application on reflective thinking and learning motivation of primary school teacher candidates

Abstract

The aim of this research is to determine the effect of e-portfolio application on reflective thinking and learning motivation of primary school teacher candidates. The study group of the research consists of primary school teacher candidates studying in the 3rd year of the Faculty of Education of a state university in Ankara. In the research, a quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest control group was used. Quantitative data of the study were collected using the Learning motivation scale, Reflective thinking scale and Performance tasks and independent samples t-test, two-factor ANOVA for mixed designs and Mann Whitney U-Test were used in the analysis of quantitative data. The qualitative data of the study were collected by applying a semi-structured interview form to the primary school teacher candidates in the experimental group through the interview technique. In addition, content analysis method was used in the analysis of qualitative data. When the results obtained from the research were examined, it was seen that there was a significant difference in favour of the experimental group in terms of reflective thinking post-test mean scores. Moreover, when the significance of the difference between the post-test mean scores in terms of learning motivation was examined, it was seen that there was a significant difference in favour of the experimental group. It was determined that there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in favour of the experimental group in terms of the performance tasks administered to the primary school teacher candidates. As a result, it was concluded that e-portfolio applications have a positive effect on reflective thinking, learning motivation and performance tasks of primary school teacher candidates.

Introduction

The importance of technology in human life is increasing with each day as technology affects human life in many areas. Undoubtedly, one of the most important areas affected by technology is education. One of the most important components of the educational-instructional process is the teacher. It is extremely important for teachers to use technology effectively and adapt it to the teaching process. Therefore, possession of technological competences by teachers affects the teaching process positively. For this reason, it is becoming more and more important for teachers to have the technological competences required by the age. The application of new technologies in teaching facilitates the learning of students and increases the permanence of what they have learned. Thus, the effective use of new technologies in the teaching process contributes to the increase in the efficiency of teaching (Escobar et al., 2016).

The purpose of using educational technologies in the field of education is to provide suitable environments and opportunities for teachers to use these technologies in the classroom environment and to have the students use these technologies (Aslan Efe & Baysal, 2017). The integration of technology has helped teachers and students develop and apply higher-order thinking skills to implement and use technical devices in the classroom (Bowen, Williams, Napoleon & Marx, 2019). In addition, students can increase their technology competences and improve technology learning experiences when technology is used in lessons (Lei & Zhao, 2008). Jamieson-Proctor, Finger, and Albion (2010) argue that teacher quality is a critical factor affecting students’ success. Teo (2015) argues that teachers play an important role in successful technology integration in the teaching process. Erdogan and Serefli (2021) stated that the use of technology in the training of teacher candidates will contribute to the training of qualified teachers necessary for society.

Theoretical background

Today’s educators prefer an alternative assessment technique that is student-centered. One of the student-centred learning and teaching approaches is constructivist approach. Constructivist approach is a mind-based learning approach based on the student’s structuring of knowledge in the mind (Kurtdede Fidan, 2016). In this approach, the understanding of assessment requires the use of assessment methods such as “portfolio”, which reflect the student’s performance and focus on revealing the student’s proficiency in different fields (Baturay & Daloğlu, 2010). There is a clear relationship between constructivism and portfolio evaluation. One of the most important key elements of constructivism - as in the portfolio evaluation process - is that learning is the process of constructing knowledge and linking known and new knowledge. Today, portfolio is one of the most important approaches to complement student learning in higher education (Filkins, 2010). Portfolio can be expressed as a file that collects pictures, sketches, poems, stories and academic writings prepared by the person. It shows the major and minor studies prepared by the students and how these studies will be evaluated. A portfolio can also be expressed as a collection of works collected in a certain process. It gives students the opportunity to correct and revise so that the best work can be elicited. Thus, it supports students to do creative activities (Batson et al., 2017). Portfolios are files in which students’ efforts in the process and achievements in different fields are exhibited (Gök et al., 2020).

Many researchers (Alshumaimeri, 2017; Karakaya, 2015; Knauf, 2017) have explained the features of portfolio evaluation as follows: portfolios are folders where systematic, purposeful and meaningful student works are collected in one or more subject areas. In addition, portfolios are not only an assessment method, but also provide an opportunity for learning (Gök et al., 2020). Due to the development of technology in recent years, it can be said that the use of web-based portfolios has increased instead of traditional portfolios. The e-portfolio system is a web-based software system with cloud storage features that can be accessed via the World Wide Web. Among the traditional e-portfolio systems in education are Google Applications, Mahara Systems, WordPress, Blogger, LiveBinders, Weebly, PebblePad and Canvas. In addition, it has been stated that e-portfolios help increase the success of students and are a source of motivation for students. The e-portfolio can be considered as a part of a student-centred learning approach that enables students to participate actively in the learning process (Harring & Luo, 2016).

Gülen (2020) argues that it is difficult and time consuming to keep the portfolios of students stored in files or other places safe, and recommends that students create an e-portfolio. Gök et al. (2020) also suggest that once the portfolio is created electronically, it is easier to maintain, edit and update than their traditional paper counterparts. Students’ work can be collected, stored and managed electronically without physical space in e-portfolios.

As modern society develops, the complexity of information increases and the information available changes more rapidly. This prompts information users to constantly rethink, acquire new ways of obtaining information, and change the problem-solving strategies. Therefore, it becomes more and more important to help students develop strategies for applying new knowledge to complex situations in daily activities and to encourage reflective thinking during learning. Reflective thinking supports students to (a) associate new information with previous experiences, (b) think in both abstract and conceptual terms, (c) apply certain strategies in new tasks, and (d) understand their own thinking and develop learning strategies (Gülen & Yaman, 2019; Kasap, 2021a). Reflective thinking is the process of finding a logical solution by going through the process of emotion, thought and knowledge in order to solve a problem (Bayrak, 2010). In this context, reflective thinking can be expressed as individuals taking lessons from their experiences, solving problems and developing themselves professionally by learning from their experiences (Gür, 2008; Gülen, 2018). The purpose of reflective thinking is the process of understanding and solving a problem logically. Reflective thinking includes problems, hypothesis evaluation and testing and consists of six phases: Experience, interpretation of experience, naming problems that arise out of experience, producing explanations for problems, forming hypotheses and testing hypotheses (Dursun & Özen, 2018). Reflective thinking is seen as one of the most important elements of teaching practice (Ayan, 2010). In addition, it can be said that individuals’ experience in a subject, learning lessons from experiences and solving problems will motivate more.

As modern society develops, the complexity of information increases and the information available changes more rapidly. This prompts information users to constantly rethink, acquire new ways of obtaining information, and change the problem-solving strategies. Therefore, it becomes more and more important to help students develop strategies for applying new knowledge to complex situations in daily activities and to encourage reflective thinking during learning. Reflective thinking supports students to (a) associate new information with previous experiences, (b) think in both abstract and conceptual terms, (c) apply certain strategies in new tasks, and (d) understand their own thinking and develop learning strategies (Gülen & Yaman, 2019; Kasap, 2021a). Reflective thinking is the process of finding a logical solution by going through the process of emotion, thought and knowledge in order to solve a problem (Bayrak, 2010). In this context, reflective thinking can be expressed as individuals taking lessons from their experiences, solving problems and developing themselves professionally by learning from their experiences (Gür, 2008; Gülen, 2018). The purpose of reflective thinking is the process of understanding and solving a problem logically. Reflective thinking includes problems, hypothesis evaluation and testing and consists of six phases: Experience, interpretation of experience, naming problems that arise out of experience, producing explanations for problems, forming hypotheses and testing hypotheses (Dursun & Özen, 2018). Reflective thinking is seen as one of the most important elements of teaching practice (Ayan, 2010). In addition, it can be said that individuals’ experience in a subject, learning lessons from experiences and solving problems will motivate more.

Motivating students to succeed in school is one of the biggest challenges of this century. Ensuring students’ motivation to learn at school is a matter of great concern for today’s educators (Awan et al., 2011; Kasap, 2021b). It should be the aim of teachers to enable students to learn and to maintain the interest in what students learn. Motivation is an important factor for learning and success and for learning to take place at the desired level (Filgona et al., 2020). Motivation is a concept related to the behaviour of individuals and is thought to be the sum of efforts that direct individuals to reach the goals. However, it can also be defined as the driving force that drives a person’s behaviour towards an end in a personal and professional context (Fang et al., 2020).

In general, motivation refers to an internal force that encourages a person to do something or take action. Motivation is the force that energizes and directs experience and behaviour, and can also be interpreted as a person’s power (energy) that can lead to a level of persistence and enthusiasm in the activity (Guido, 2013; Kasap & Peterson, 2018). Motivation is one of the main factors that determine the academic success rate of the student, and motivation is important in improving the learning levels of students and determining how much of the information students will internalize (Riswanto & Aryani, 2017).

With the developing world, rapid advances in information and communication technologies have contributed to the increase in the number of technological tools in education. Educational technologies based on innovative assessment, such as e-portfolio systems, have offered innovative and creative ways for educators to revise, rethink, and restructure the pedagogical designs to improve student learning in the 21st century (San Jose, 2017). It is thought that teachers will help students use educational technologies more effectively by providing them with experience in e-portfolio evaluation application (Shroff et al., 2011). This study is based on the fact that enabling primary school teacher candidates to gain experience using an e-portfolio system can contribute to the primary school teachers’ acceptance of educational technology that has been specially developed to respond to the current demands and requirements of teacher education. In addition, the results of this study can give the primary school teachers an idea about how students can be motivated to be more reflective and active participants in the e-portfolio usage process. In short, it is thought that this study will contribute to theory and practice to improve the primary school teachers’ skills in using e-portfolios.

Literature review

As a result of the literature review, there are many research sites at different grade levels by different researchers on e-portfolios in education. A large part of these studies reveal that e-portfolios showcase students’ academic achievements in a learning area. Studies have revealed that the evaluation of the e-portfolio provides more feedback to the students and teachers than the evaluation made with traditional methods, and e portfolio also supports the students in giving the responsibility of learning to the students and keeping the students more active in the process, and increases the communication between the student-parent-teacher. The researches were carried out mostly in the form of experimental studies. Researches focused on basic skills (reading, writing, speaking), thinking skills and personal characteristics (association, socialization, responsibility) rather than lifelong learning skills, and mostly undergraduate level studies were conducted. Studies have been carried out to fill the gaps in this field. It has been observed that studies on thinking skills (critical thinking, creative thinking and reflective thinking) are relatively few in the literature. In addition, few studies have examined the factors that affect students’ motivation to use e-portfolios (Douglas et al., 2019).

When the literature in recent years is examined, study results similar to the results of this study are seen. Meletiadou (2021) stated in the research with undergraduate students that e-portfolio increases students’ motivation for writing and learning. Contrary to these studies, Douglas et al. (2019) emphasized that e-portfolio has a low effect on students’ motivation to learn. Khan and Hoq (2021), in the study with primary school teachers, emphasized that e-portfolio increased the reflective thinking skills of primary school teachers. Farahian et al. (2021) state that the e-portfolio positively affects students’ reflective thinking in an experimental study conducted with university students. Oehlman et al. (2016) stated that e-portfolio supports reflective learning, facilitates the transfer of knowledge, and actively involves students who are not active enough in the course. Endres and Chowdhury (2022) concluded in the study that the e-portfolio applied to individuals working in production and service organizations positively affects reflective thinking and motivation. Chang et al. (2018) experimentally determined that there were significant improvements in students’ self-regulation in the study with high school sophomores. Barrot (2021), in the study with undergraduate students in language education, found that the use of Facebook-integrated e-portfolio has a positive effect on students’ language development. In a mixed research study conducted by Lyles-Folkman (2013), it was concluded that the effective use of visual images and visual tools in the classroom in e-portfolios increases the active participation of teacher candidates in the lesson and in-class communication in the learning and teaching process. Dannefer et al. (2012) stated in the studies that portfolio assessment can be used by the teacher in student assessment and students’ self-evaluation.

The e-portfolio is widely used in different countries and educational philosophies around the world, both in the teaching process and in the assessment process. Despite the increasing popularity and widespread use of e-portfolio, there is still a deficiency in many subjects in the literature. Studies are generally aimed at undergraduate students. However, very little work has been done at other levels, especially with primary school students. No studies were found on primary school students in Turkey. There are very few studies on the use of e-portfolio in the classroom environment. The studies carried out were mostly carried out either qualitatively or only quantitatively. Few studies have conducted both qualitative and quantitative research designs. It has been observed that there are many deficiencies in both the teaching process and the evaluation process online during the pandemic (covid-19) period that has occurred worldwide. It is important to have strong reflective thinking skills to be a good primary school teacher. In the pre-service period, it is beneficial for primary school teachers to use the e-portfolio in the teaching process to improve their reflective thinking skills and professional development. It is thought that when the teacher candidates become teachers, it will increase the quality of education if the teacher candidates improve the students’ reflective thinking skills and use methods that increase the motivation.

Considering the literature reviews, studies with secondary and high school students are relatively few. No studies were found for primary school students. The fact that primary school students are both younger and their technological competencies are relatively lower than the students in other levels makes it difficult to work at this level. With this study, it is thought that primary school teachers reflec the e-portfolio experiences to the students it will facilitate the process.

This study is an experimental study in which both qualitative and quantitative methods are applied together, and it details a study on primary school teachers’ own learning motivation and reflective thinking skills by using the e-portfolio to provide quality teaching across the university. The current study is to provide an experience of the e-portfolio application to improve both the learning motivation of teacher candidates and the reflective thinking skills. In addition, it is to provide pre-service teachers to experience in order to evaluate their own performance. With the pandemic (covid-19), it is thought that by using the e-portfolio in the online teaching process, the teaching process of the students will be enriched and the literature gap in the online teaching process will be filled.

When the literature is examined, there is a lack of literature on how the use of e-portfolios affects the learning motivation and reflective thoughts of teacher candidates studying in Education Faculties, or how much the primary school teachers can use the technology skills gained during the undergraduate education in the future. It is thought that this research will fill the gap by bringing innovation to the literature on the use of e-portfolio application by teacher candidates studying in the Department of Primary Education. When teachers learn about these influencing factors on the e-portfolio practices, it can help to understand the practice and provide policy implications for improving overall teacher competencies. In this way, it can shed light on teachers’ professional development and general teaching competencies.

According to the findings of the study, it was seen that the e-portfolio application positively affected the reflective thinking skills, learning motivation and performance of the primary school teacher candidates. These findings are important in terms of allowing the primary school teachers to develop themselves in this field by applying the e-portfolio in the classrooms. In addition, theoretically, it can be thought that the e-portfolio will have a positive contribution to the professional development of teacher candidates.

Research problem

Do e-portfolio applications have an effect on the learning motivation and reflective thinking skills of primary school teacher candidates?

Sub-problems

1. 1. Is there a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test learning motivation mean scores of the primary school teacher candidates in the experimental and control groups?

2. 2. Is there a significant difference between the reflective thinking pre-test and post-test mean scores of the primary school teacher candidates in the experimental and control groups?

3. 3. Is there a significant difference between the performance task post-test mean scores of the primary school teacher candidates in the experimental and control groups?

4. 4. What are the opinions of the primary school teacher candidates in the experimental group about reflective thinking and learning motivation during e-portfolio applications?

Method

In this study, it was aimed to determine the effect of e-portfolio application on “reflective thinking” and “learning motivation” of the primary school teacher candidates. For this purpose, this study, in which qualitative and quantitative data collection sources were used together, was carried out using the experimental research method. In experimental studies, it is tried to determine the effect of the independent variables created by the researcher on the dependent variables. It is aimed to test the cause-effect relationship between these variables (Büyüköztürk et al., 2012). In this study, “quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest control group” was used, since it was studied on existing ready-made groups and there was no random assignment. Quasi-experimental designs are used when random selection of individual participants is not possible (Fraenkel et al., 2012). In the quasi-experimental design, it is possible to include the existing groups in the process as they exist, since artificial groups cannot be created in the environment where the research is carried out and random assignment cannot be performed (Creswell, 2012). For this reason, no selection process was run in the assignment of students to the experimental and control groups in the study, and the groups were taken as they were.

The research was carried out in two stages. In the first stage, quantitative data were obtained from the experimental and control groups, and then data were collected through interviews only from the primary school teacher candidates in the experimental group to support the quantitative data. Qualitative research is defined as a research process in which data is collected by methods such as observation, interview and document analysis, and a qualitative method is used in which perceptions and events are determined in a realistic and holistic way in their natural environment (Yıldırım & Şimşek, 2018). In qualitative research, unlike a large random sampling in quantitative research, the number of research participants is usually smaller and selected through a purposive sampling process. The use of interviews, which is one of the qualitative research methods in experimental designs, provides complementary and mutually enhancing ways of reaching richer interpretations of observed events than that would be possible with a quantitative or qualitative approach alone. It has been stated that researchers bring together qualitative and quantitative methods to gain a better understanding of the tested or discovered concept, providing an advantage for studies (Büyüköztürk et al., 2012). Supporting experimental designs with qualitative data includes using both quantitative and qualitative methods together in a single study. This is to argue that it holds researches stronger than either qualitative or quantitative designs alone (Fraenkel et al., 2012). It can be said that supporting the experimental design with the interview method in the research can provide the opportunity to collect the data more effectively and to analyze the research data more deeply.

Study group

The study group of the research consists of teacher candidates studying in the Primary Education Department of a state university in the capital of Turkey (located in the Central Anatolian region of Turkey). One of the two classes participating in the study was randomly assigned to the experimental group while the other to the control group. The purposive sampling method was used in the study. Purposive sampling provides the opportunity to select richer situations according to the purpose of the study and to conduct more in-depth analysis (Büyüköztürk et al., 2012). The research sample consists of two classes and 60 teacher candidates who took the “Measurement and Evaluation in Education” course in the spring term of the 2019–2020 academic year. There are 30 teacher candidates in the experimental group and 30 teacher candidates in the control group. In the study, 28 (93.4%) of the participants in the experimental group are female, 2 (6.6%) are male, and 26 (86.7%) of the participants in the control group are female and 4 (13.3%) are male. Table 1 shows the inclusion and exclusion criteria used in the selection of the participants and characteristics of the participants.

Table 1.

Participant Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

Inclusion Criteria	Exclusion Criteria
Studying in a Primary Education Department of a state university Having the course of “Measurement and Evaluation in Education”	Not having the course of “Measurement and Evaluation in Education” Not having filled out the voluntary participation form or not being volunteer to participate in the research Not having access to the internet and computer

In the qualitative part of the research, 13 primary school teacher candidates in the experimental group were selected and the opinions on e-portfolio applications were obtained using a semi-structured interview form. The students who would be interviewed were tried to be selected to be proportional to the sample in terms of gender but there were only two male students in the sample thus both of them were included in the interviews.

Data collection process

Electronic portfolio portal. In this study, an online file uploading portal was developed, where students can transfer the research, assignments and products they have prepared during the research process to electronic media and that the teacher candidates can access them whenever and wherever they want. The e-portfolio portal was developed by web experts for the teacher candidates to communicate and share materials for the course. This web portal belonging to the researcher was written using PHP (Personal Homepage) programming language and using Codeigniter Framework. PHP is a server-side, broad-use, general-purpose, scripting and programming language that can be embedded in HTML (PHP Group, 2001). MySQL is used as database.

In this section, the applications made in the experimental and control groups are discussed in three sections: before the application, during the application and after the application.

Before application. Before starting the application, the Measurement and Evaluation in Education Course Achievement Test, Reflective Thinking and Learning Motivation scales were administered to both groups in order to determine whether the primary school teacher candidates in the experimental and control groups were equivalent in terms of success in the Measurement and Evaluation in Education course. An independent sample t-test was conducted in order to determine whether there is a significant difference between the “Measurement and Evaluation in Education” course achievement, Reflective Thinking and Learning Motivation pre-test scores of the teacher candidates in the experimental and control groups, and the results are given in Table 2.

Table 2.

Independent Sample T-Test Results for Reflective Thinking, Learning Motivation and Measurement-Evaluation Course Achievement Test Pre-Test Scores of the Primary School Teacher Candidates

	Groups	N	X̅	S.s	sd	t	p
Learning Motivation	Experimental	30	41.56	10.63	58	1.23	.46
Scale	Control	30	43.46	9.16
Reflective Thinking	Experimental	30	116.23	17.33	58	.01	.39
Scale	Control	30	120.30	18.73
Measurement-Evaluation	Experimental	30	45.83	13.96	58	.46	.16
Achievement Test	Control	30	44.33	10.88

When Table 2 is examined, it is seen that there is no significant difference between the pretest mean scores of the experimental and control groups in the achievement test (t(58) = 0.46, p > .05). Accordingly, it can be said that the mean scores of the experimental and control groups in terms of their achievement in the “Measurement and Evaluation in Education” course are equivalent to each other. It is also seen that there is no significant difference in terms of Learning Motivation Scale and Reflective Thinking Scale pre-test scores (p = .46 > .05; p = .39 > .05). In addition, primary school teacher candidates entered the classroom teaching program with similar scores. Considering these results, it can be said that the groups are equivalent to each other. “Personal Information Form” was used to determine whether the primary school teacher candidates had knowledge about the e-portfolio. According to the answers obtained from the Personal Information Form, it was concluded that the students in the experimental and control groups did not have any experience with the use of e-portfolio. Within the scope of the research, first of all, the purpose, scope and importance of the e-portfolio were explained to the teacher candidates in the experimental group. In addition, sample applications were conducted for the teacher candidates to experience the use of the portal. After the activities and performance tasks, the teacher candidates were informed about their self-evaluation through the “Self-Evaluation Form”.

Application process. The researcher planned the e-portfolio application process in the experimental and control groups as 13 weeks and 39 course hours in total. The first three weeks were implemented in line with this plan. However, due to the corona virus (Covid-19) pandemic that occurred on a global scale, universities were closed for two weeks. After the holiday, the 10-week application was conducted online through the zoom program, and performance tasks and activity tasks were carried out via the e-portfolio.

A total of 11 monitoring activities and 10 performance tasks were administered to the teacher candidates in the experimental and control groups. Monitoring activities and performance tasks for the experimental group were shared with the teacher candidates via e-portfolio and their answers were collected via e-portfolio. Necessary feedback and corrections were given to the students by using monitoring activities and performance tasks feedback form. In line with the feedback and corrections made, the primary school teacher candidates in the experimental group evaluated themselves through the self-evaluation form. In the control group, the monitoring activities and performance tasks for the first three weeks were collected in the classroom. In the other weeks, the activities mentioned above were shared with the students in the control group via the online system, and the answers were collected online.

After application. After the application, “Learning Motivation” and “Reflective Thinking” scales were administered to the experimental and control group primary school teacher candidates as a post-test. Online interviews were conducted with 13 primary school teacher candidates in the experimental group via the Zoom program.

Data collection tools

The collection of data in this study was carried out in two stages as quantitative and qualitative data.

Quantitative data

Learning Motivation Scale. The original scale was developed by Kauffman et al. (2011), and adapted into Turkish by Güzel Candan et al. (2015). The study group of the study consisted of 342 teacher candidates studying at the education faculty of a state university located in the Marmara Region of Turkey. The scale, prepared for teacher candidates based on the heuristic model, has two dimensions; internal motivation (7 items) and external motivation (5 items). The lowest score that can be obtained from the scale is 12, and the highest score is 72.

It is stated that the learning motivation of the person with a low score is low, and the learning motivation of the person with a high score is high. In the reliability analysis, the reliability of the intrinsic motivation dimension was found to be 0.86, and the reliability of the extrinsic motivation dimension was found to be 0.76. The Cronbach’s alpha internal consistency coefficient for the whole scale was found to be 0.92. As a result of the CFA analysis performed to determine the validity of the scale, the following values were obtained; X² = 136.09 (sd = 44 p = .00), X² /sd = 3.10, RMSEA = 0.08, NFI = 0.92, CFI = 0.94, GFI = 0.94, AGFI = 0.89. In this study, the reliability was examined for the 60 primary school teacher candidates in the experimental and control groups again and the reliability of the intrinsic motivation dimension was found to be 0.75, the reliability of the extrinsic motivation dimension was found to be 0.70, and the Cronbach alpha internal consistency coefficient for the whole scale was found to be 0.80. Sample items for the scale are as follows: “I chose teaching as a profession because it would enable me to achieve a better standing in the future (Item 1, intrinsic motivation). I chose teaching as a profession because of the freedom it would provide for me (Item 3, extrinsic motivation).”

Reflective Thinking Scale. The scale is a 5-point Likert-type scale developed by Güney (2008) for teacher candidates and consists of 27 items, 21 negative and 6 positive. The scale was administered to 233 teacher candidates studying at Fırat University Faculty of Education in Turkey. The scale, based on the heuristic model, has one factor and in the factor analysis, the reflective thinking scale KMO value was found to be 0.90, and the Bartlett test value was found to be 6039.83. The factor loadings of the items in the scale vary between 0.37 and 0.80. It was shown that 45.69% of the variance was explained by the factor. For the reliability of the scale, the test-retest was used and this value was found to be 0.87. At the same time, the internal consistency coefficient of the scale was calculated and the Cronbach reliability coefficient of the scale was found to be 0.95. In this study, reliability was re-examined on the 60 primary school teacher candidates in the experimental and control groups, and the internal consistency coefficient for the whole scale was found to be 0.92. Sample items of the scale are as follows: “I encourage my students to solve problems (Item 1). I encourage my students to plan for their future (Item 2).”

Performance Tasks. In the research, 10 different performance tasks prepared by Başol (2019) were used to reveal how the teacher candidates reach the information and to what extent they can structure and use the information they have learned. In order to be able to complete the performance tasks prepared based on the objectives of the “Measurement and Evaluation in Education” course, the primary school teacher candidates were asked to come up with a product to reach new information based on the information they had already learned in the lesson, to associate the information they had just learned in the lesson with their prior knowledge and to transfer the information they learned in the lesson to a new learning situation.

Performance Tasks Rubrics. In this research, two different rubrics were prepared for the measurement and evaluation performance tasks and monitoring activities: “Performance Tasks Rubric” and “Performance Tasks Rubric for Evaluation of E-Portfolio Application”. Prepared “Performance Task Rubrics” were used to score performance tasks, monitoring activities and e-portfolio usage applied to the primary school teacher candidates. In addition, necessary and sufficient feedbacks were given to the primary school teacher candidates about the performance tasks given in the measurement and evaluation course and the activities carried out in the course. In this way, it was tried to make the primary school teacher candidates to see the strengths and weaknesses. “Performance Task Rubrics” were developed by the researcher by considering the following steps as suggested by Kutlu et al. (2017):

1. Sub-Dimensioning of Performance Tasks:

Measurement and evaluation performance tasks rubric for performance tasks and monitoring activities

In the evaluation of 10 different performance tasks and 11 different monitoring activities, seven criteria were determined to evaluate the measurement and evaluation skills of the candidates. These criteria are “Basic concepts”, “The level of consideration of the qualities that should be in the Developed Measurement tool”, “Evaluation Approaches”, “Test Statistics”, “Item statistics”, “Implementation” and “Interpretation”.

Performance Task Rubric for evaluating student e-portfolios of the e-portfolio application

Six criteria were determined to evaluate the e-portfolio usage status of the primary school teacher candidates. These criteria are “Technology Utilization”, “Self-Reflection”, “Originality”, “Work Diversity”, “Number of Studies”, “Time Management”.

• 2.Determining the Success Levels of the Sub-Level Criteria: After the sub-dimensions are determined, the success levels are determined. Success levels can be increased or decreased by taking into account the education level of the students. Performance tasks rubric has been prepared as 4 levels.
• 3. Defining the Performance Tasks in the Sub-Dimension in Details: A detailed and clear explanation is given for each step of the performance tasks. The clearer the definition, the fewer mistakes are made while scoring.

Performance tasks rubric for measurement and evaluation performance tasks and monitoring activities

Opinions were received from five field experts (three of them are specialized in the field of measurement and evaluation, one in science education and one in primary education) for the content validity of the rubric prepared in this context.

Performance tasks rubric for the e-portfolio application to evaluate student e-portfolios

Opinions were received from five field experts for the content validity of the rubric prepared in this context. In line with expert suggestions (three of them are specialized in the field of measurement, one in science education and one in primary education), the criterion of creativity was changed to originality, the criterion of reflection as self-reflection, and the criterion of homework delivery as time management.

Qualitative data

Interview form. In the study, a semi-structured interview form was prepared by the researcher in order to reveal the opinions of the primary school teacher candidates in the experimental group about the effect of the e-portfolio application on learning motivation and reflective thinking. Semi-structured interview is a frequently used method for collecting qualitative data. Interviewing is defined as a verbal data collection technique (Yıldırım & Şimşek, 2018). Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, the interviews were held online at the time of the participants’ request via the Zoom program. In the interviews, it was stated that the audio recording would be taken by asking permission from the participants, and the participants were assured that this audio recording would not be shared elsewhere, and would only be used for this research.

Analysis of data

In the analysis of the quantitative data of the study, first of all, the assumption of normality and homogeneity of variances were tested in order to determine whether the groups met the parametric test assumptions. In the statistical processes, since the data obtained from the learning motivation scores showed normal distribution and the variances were homogeneous, the two-factor ANOVA test was applied for mixed designs, which is a parametric test. The covariances of the groups were also found to be equal for the pairwise combinations of the learning motivation scores of the measurement sets obtained from the groups (p = .30 and p > .05). Considering these data results, “two-factor ANOVA test for mixed measures” was applied, as it met the parametric test assumptions of the groups. It is recommended that this analysis be used in designs with pretest-posttest control groups (Büyüköztürk, 2019). Since the data obtained from the performance task scores showed normal distribution and the variances were homogeneous, the Independent Sample T-Test, one of the parametric tests, was applied. Since the data obtained from the reflective thinking scale did not show normal distribution, the Mann Whitney U-Test, which is one of the nonparametric tests, was used for unrelated measurements. It is seen that the scores obtained as a result of the performance task rubric scoring of the primary school teacher candidates in the experimental and control groups are normally distributed and the homogeneity assumptions of the variances are met. Therefore, Independent Sample T-Test was applied to performance task scores. In order to interpret the results of these statistical analyses, the level of significance was determined as 0.05. Statistical analysis of the raw data obtained from the experimental and control groups was performed using the SPSS 23 program. In the electrical portfolio application, the eta-square (ƞ²) coefficient was calculated to determine its effect the primary school teacher candidates in terms of their learning motivation, reflective thinking and performance task development. Eta-square (η²) correlation coefficient is the coefficient most commonly used in calculating the effect size. It is an indicator of how much the independent variables, which are not required by the linearity assumption, have an effect on the dependent variable (Büyüköztürk, 2019). The eta-square (ƞ²), showing the total variance of the independent variable in the dependent variable, varies between 0.00 and 1.00, and the ƞ² values at the 0.01, 0.06 and 0.14 levels are defined as “small”, “medium” and “large” effect sizes, respectively. (Büyüköztürk, 2019; Cohen, 1988).

Content analysis method was used in the analysis of qualitative data. In content analysis, the aim is to reach concepts and relationships in order to explain the collected data. In content analysis, the data obtained as a result of qualitative research methods are handled in four stages: coding the data, finding the themes, organizing the codes and themes, defining and interpreting the findings (Yıldırım and Şimşek, 2018).

Findings and interpretation

In this section, the findings regarding the effect of the e-portfolio application on the “learning motivation”, “reflective thinking” and “performance task” of the primary school teacher candidates will be presented.

Pre-test-post-test quantitative analysis results of the Learning Motivation Scale for Primary School teacher candidates

In order to determine whether there is a significant difference between the learning motivation scale post-test scores of the primary school teacher candidates in the experimental and control groups, a two-factor ANOVA test was performed for mixed designs and the results are given in Table 3.

Table 3.

Results of ANOVA Conducted on the Pre-Test and Post-Test Scores Taken from the Learning Motivation Scale by the Primary Teacher Candidates

Variance
Source	Sum of squares	df	Mean square	F	p	η2
Between-Groups	4408.16	59
Group (Experiment/Control)	187.50	1	187.50	2.57	.11
Error	4220.66	58	72.77
Within-Groups	5435	60
Measurement (Pretest-Posttest)	433.20	1	433.20	5.68	.02*	.08
Group*Measurement	580.80	1	580.80	7.62	.00*	.11
Error	4421.00	58	76.22
Total	9843	119

*p < .05

When Table 3 is examined, it is seen that there is a significant difference between the learning motivation mean score of the experimental group in which the e-portfolio application was conducted and the control group in which the e-portfolio application was not used, before and after the experiment. In this case, when repeated measurements are considered together with being in different treatment groups, it can be said that the common effects on learning motivations are significant (F(1.58) = 7.62, p < .05). According to this result, it is seen that the e-portfolio application has a significant effect on the learning motivation of the primary school teacher candidates. While the mean score of the pre-test was 41.56 in the experimental group in which the e-portfolio application was conducted, this value increased to 49.76 in the post-test after the application. In the control group, where the e-portfolio application was not used, the mean of the pre-test scores was 43.46, while the mean of the post-test scores was 42.86. In the experimental group in which the e-portfolio application was conducted, more gain was achieved in the mean score. Therefore, it can be concluded that the e-portfolio application has a positive effect on the learning motivation of the primary school teacher candidates. When the effect size of this study was examined, it was seen that the effect size between measurements was 0.08 and the group*measurement joint effect was 0.11. In this case, it can be said that the effect sizes obtained from the research have a medium effect, that is, the effect of the application tested in the research is at a medium level.

Pre-test-post-test quantitative analysis results of reflective thinking scale

In order to determine whether there is a significant difference between the reflective thinking scale post-test scores of the primary school teacher candidates in the experimental and control groups, the Mann Whitney U-Test was performed for unrelated measurements and the results are shown in Table 4.

Table 4.

U-Test Results of Reflective Thinking Skills in the Groups

Group	n	Mean Rank	Sum of Ranks	U	p	r
Experimental	30	36.22	1086.50	278.50	.01*	.32
Control	30	24.78	743.50

*p < .05

When Table 4 is examined, it is seen that the reflective thinking scale post-test mean score of the primary school teacher candidates in the experimental group is 126.06, and the post-test mean score of the primary school teacher candidates in the control group is 117.90. When the Mann Whitney U-Test results were analyzed, it was concluded that there is a significant difference between the mean scores of the reflective thinking skills of the experimental and control groups in favour of the experimental group (U = 278.50, p < .05). Accordingly, it can be said that e-portfolio applications are effective in improving the reflective thinking skills of primary school teacher candidates. Considering the effect size, the effect size between groups is 0.32. In this case, it can be said that the effect of the application is large.

Performance tasks Post-Test quantitative analysis results

In order to determine whether there is a significant difference between the performance task post-test scores of the primary school teacher candidates in the experimental and control groups, the Independent Sample T-Test was conducted and the results are shown in Table 5.

Table 5.

Independent Sample T-Test Results of the Performance Tasks Post-Test Scores of the Experimental and Control Groups

Groups	N	Mean	SD	t	df	p	η²
Experimental	30	30.80	7.72	2.09	58	0.04*	0.01
Control	30	26.93	6.49

*p < .05

When Table 5 is examined, it is seen that the performance tasks applied to the experimental and control groups show a significant difference in favour of the experimental group [t(58) = 2.09, p < .05]. In other words, it can be said that the primary school teacher candidates in the experimental group to which the e-portfolio was applied were more successful in performance tasks than the control group. The effect size between the groups is 0.01. In this case, it can be said that the effect size obtained in the research is small, that is, the effect of the application tested in the research is not large enough in terms of performance tasks.

Qualitative analysis findings obtained from the opinions of the primary school teacher candidates about E-Portfolio Application

Content analysis was used to analyze and interpret the opinions of the primary school teacher candidates in the experimental group about the e-portfolio application. The data obtained by using the interview form were divided into categories using codes according to the answers to the questions.

Theme 1. Qualifications of the teacher candidates

In this theme, two categories were obtained according to the codes of the interview data of the teacher candidates. Data for these categories are presented below:

Category 1. Learning Motivation. In this category, it has been examined how the use of e-portfolios affects the learning motivation of teacher candidates. Accordingly, excerpts from the statements of the participants are as follows:

… Sending data to an electronic environment on a regular basis not only allowed us to do our homework regularly, but also allowed us to try such a content for the first time, and I had the opportunity to see my homework more regularly… Yes, it had a very positive effect on my motivation. The feedback especially impressed me a lot. I was able to see better what I was missing. At the same time, I was able to evaluate myself (S3).

The first week we came to school was very impressive. Practical implementation of the course, the applied part e-portfolio… I was excited because we work in the form of a presentation in every lesson. Teachers talk, we listen, but we were also active in the electronic portfolio process. We were at the computer. We were applying what we learned, so these first three weeks were very good (S5).

I think my teacher increased the motivation to learn, because we get feedback after doing the homework, so we see our right and wrong, this can increase our motivation, we can see our own mistakes and make self-evaluation. These are the factors that increase our motivation… We find the opportunity to see and not repeat those mistakes. I think it contributed to me (S7).

… Every week, the answers and feedbacks of the activity helped me, that is, it motivated me. Here’s what you’re missing, there’s something wrong here, I’m doing this and that, I’m doing it like this, It turn out that it increases my motivation to learn (T8).

Well, it had an effect on my motivation. How could I use it if I were to use it with children? I thought about how difficult it would be for children or they could do it (S12).

I think yes it has positively affected my motivation to learn because now you are submitting assignments electronically. … The explanations of the assignments you sent were very explanatory and we understood it positively, and at this point, I think it increased our motivation to learn. We knew that we could access the activities constantly; we had the opportunity to check both ourselves and your answers through the system, at this point, of course, the positive effects on learning… (S13).

As it can be understood from the quotations, all of the participants stated that it is “motivating” and “intriguing” to use “computer and computer programs” to make “regular”, “continuous” and “disciplined” practices every week. In addition, the participants stated that factors such as “preparing a concept map, word or presentation” and “learning what and how to use” had a “positive” effect on motivation.

Finally because of the reasons such as “regular feedback”, “continuous reporting of truths and mistakes”, “correction” opportunity, “self-assessment” and “easy access” the participants stated that the e-portfolio has a motivational effect on learning. Apart from these findings, excerpts regarding the negative impact of e-portfolio on learning are given below.

… When you think about it from the student’s point of view, there were also negative aspects that forced us (S1).

Yes, for example, we write homework on A4 paper, which can be more difficult. This can be more difficult (S2).

Unfortunately, I cannot say that it has that much effect in the distance education process.

… There is a situation that we cannot reach at that moment. We could either ask our friends or do something we could guess. It was a little difficult at that point. I cannot say that it increased my motivation during the distance education process. Also, it is a system that we are unfamiliar with and we have not used an electronic portfolio much before (S5).

As it can be understood from the quotations, some participants think the e-portfolio has negative effects as well as positive motivational effects.

In general, all of the participants stated that using computers and computer programs to make regular, continuous and disciplined practices every week is motivating and interesting, and therefore increases their motivation. They stated that the e-portfolio has a positive motivational effect on learning, because of the regular feedback, the constant reporting of mistakes, the opportunity for correction, the opportunity for self-evaluation and easy access. However, it was observed that there are few participants who think that e-portfolio has negative effects as well as positive effects on learning motivation.

Category 2. Reflective Thinking. In this category, the effect of e-portfolio applications on the reflective thinking skills of the teacher candidates was analyzed. Accordingly, the quotations obtained from the opinions of the participants are as follows:

For example, I think we are able to reflect the information about computer technology to our lesson, because we use our knowledge in different fields. … I used my knowledge in preparing KPSS how to transfer it to my students and how to use it in the distance education process. … (S1).

… Now I’m doing something, here we are preparing something in the Word file on the computer or there is an activity you send. We are preparing something about it or we are preparing a table in Powerpoint. At this point, it would be strange if it didn’t develop our reflective thinking… (S5).

I think it has an effect. One of the most important effects was both self-evaluation and self-evaluation form. I think that this also affects our reflective thinking skills… I thought that I should make up for what I lacked… whether it’s the concept maps or the presentations we make, I think that using different things has a positive effect on the teaching process (S6).

We will benefit from technology a lot, especially when we become teachers… I saw my mistakes and started to do more precisely, I think that’s why I was influenced by self-evaluation forms… (S7).

I think it increases my motivation as it allows me to make connections between subjects in my KPSS studies… As I said, I think it is positively effective because it allows permanent learning to occur. It compensates for our deficiencies, it helps a lot in terms of keeping the information permanent with the feedback you give (S9).

… Since we left it mostly to the evaluation of the teachers, using the self-assessment form helped me in issues such as seeing my mistakes. I understood that I could do something with your feedback that I could not do before. I was able to use what I learned in the videos you sent (S11).

As it can be understood from the quotations, the teacher candidates stated that they could “use” the knowledge about “technology”, such as “word, powerpoint and concept map” in different fields and that what could be learned could be transferred to teaching life by learning “portfolio use”. In addition, the teacher candidates stated that their knowledge of “how to transfer the information they learned” to the students and “how to use it in the distance education process” improved. It has been stated that especially “feedbacks” are helpful in seeing their own mistakes.

In general, it is understood that the teacher candidates can transfer the knowledge they have acquired as a result of e-portfolio applications to other fields, use technological competencies, compensate for their mistakes with new information as a result of feedback, and use this information in preparation for central exams. These findings show that teacher candidates’ reflective thinking skills have improved.

Conclusion, discussion and recommendations

In this section, the results obtained from the research are included, the results obtained are discussed based on the literature and suggestions are made. The results obtained from the research are discussed on the basis of the research questions.

In this study, the effect of e-portfolio application on learning motivation and reflective thinking skills of the primary school teacher candidates was examined. In the first sub-problem of the study, an answer was sought to the question of whether there is a significant difference between the learning motivations of the primary school teacher candidates in the experimental and control groups. The results of the ANOVA test were studied and it was seen that there was a significant difference in favour of the experimental group. For this reason, it has been determined that the e-portfolio application has a positive effect on the learning motivation of the primary school teacher candidates. When these results are considered, it can be argued that the use of e-portfolio in the process of preparing teacher candidates for the profession is very important in terms of increasing their motivation and creating the awareness that the e-portfolio positively affects the learning motivation when they are teachers. Many studies in the literature also support these findings. Studies have shown that e-portfolio applications positively affect students’ motivation towards the lesson and learning (Buzzetto-More, 2010; Bolliger & Shepherd, 2010; Mobarhan & Rahman, 2015; Wakimoto & Lewis, 2014). Gatyan and McEwan (2007), in their study with teacher candidates, determined that students enjoy using the e-portfolio because the e-portfolio application diversifies the teaching and increases the motivation of students. Blackwell (2013) and Cadd (2012) showed in their study that the learning motivation of teacher candidates is positively affected by the use of e-portfolios. Thill (2010) concluded that e-portfolio increases students’ motivation to learn by encouraging the students to be active in the course.

As a result, the majority of current studies show that the use of e-portfolios in teacher education has a positive effect on the learning motivation of teacher candidates (Çukurbaşı & Kıyıcı, 2018; Erten et al., 2019; Händel et al., 2018). Therefore, it can be concluded that the use of e-portfolio application in the training of teacher candidates is effective in increasing the learning motivation of teacher candidates.

In the second sub-problem of the study, an answer was sought to the question of whether there is a significant difference between the reflective thinking skills of the primary school teacher candidates in the experimental and control groups. When the results of the Mann Whitney U-Test were examined, it was seen that there was a significant difference in favour of the experimental group between the reflective thinking post-test mean scores of the experimental and control groups. So it was determined that the e-portfolio application had a positive effect on the reflective thinking skills of the primary school teacher candidates. According to this result, it can be said that through the use of e-portfolio in the teaching process, teachers, academicians and administrators can recognize that fact that e-portfolios give students the responsibility for learning, enable them to see their own strengths and weaknesses, and thus support the development of their reflective thinking. Therefore, it is thought that the use of e-portfolio in the teaching process positively affects students’ reflective thinking. In the literature review, similar results have been reported. Alshumaimeri (2017) concluded in his study that the e-portfolio is very important for teacher education and improves the reflective thinking skills of teacher candidates. De Jager (2019) thinks that the use of e-portfolio contributes to the development of reflective thinking skills by identifying the strengths and weaknesses of primary school teacher candidates. Öner and Adadan (2016) and Roberts et al., (2016) concluded that the use of e-portfolios is effective in improving the reflective thinking skills of teacher candidates. Oakley, Pegrum and Johnston (2014) stated that e-portfolio improves individuals’ competences such as self-evaluation, self-confidence, and expressing their opinions on themselves and others. Lim et al. (2016) stated that the teacher candidates developed their reflective thinking skills by discovering their strengths and weaknesses through e-portfolio. This contributes to the professional development of the candidates. These form the basis of lifelong learning competences. However, Ayan and Seferoğlu (2011) and Oakley et al. (2014) concluded that e-portfolio caused little improvement in teacher candidates’ reflective thinking skills. As a result, the majority of current studies show that the use of e-portfolios in teacher education has a positive effect on teacher candidates’ reflective thinking skills (Baronak, 2011; Lambe et al., 2013; Lyles-Folkman, 2013; Oakleya et al. 2014). Therefore, it was concluded that the use of e-portfolio application in the training of teacher candidates is effective in the development of their reflective thinking skills.

In the third sub-problem of the study, an answer was sought to the question of whether there is a significant difference between the performance tasks post-test scores of the primary school teacher candidates in the experimental and control groups. According to the results of the analysis regarding this sub-problem, it was seen that the post-test mean score of the primary school teacher candidates in the experimental group in which the electronic portfolio application was used was higher than that of the primary school teacher candidates in the control group. Performance tasks applied to the primary school teacher candidates show that there is a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in favour of the experimental group. In the study, it was concluded that the e-portfolio application had a positive effect on the performance of the teacher candidates. It is thought that the use of e-portfolio in teacher training programs implemented in Turkey will have a positive effect on the performance of teacher candidates. In this connection, the current study will synthesize the knowledge base and improve the existing knowledge in the field of evaluation, which can be useful in the planning and implementation of teacher training programs. In the literature review, results similar to the results of this study have been reached. Chang et al. (2018) stated that e-portfolio increases the learning performance of students. (Polat Demir & Kutlu, 2016) stated that e-portfolio increases students’ research performance. Similarly, Händel et al. (2018) concluded that e-portfolio application has a positive effect on students’ exam performance. Kabilan and Khan (2012) found that e-portfolio contributes significantly to the information, communication and technology competences of teacher candidates.

In the fourth sub-problem in the research, an answer was sought to the question of what the opinions of the primary school teacher candidates in the experimental group about the effect of e-portfolio applications on reflective thinking and learning motivation. The participants stated that the use of e-portfolio contributed positively to learning motivation. As a result of the interview, it was revealed that most of the participants are of the opinion that using computers and computer programs every week in a regular, continuous and disciplined way is motivating and interesting, therefore it fosters motivation. Participants stated that the e-portfolio has a motivational effect on learning, especially due to reasons such as feedback, reporting of mistakes, possibility of correction, possibility of self-assessment and easy access. Apart from these, it has been observed that there are few participants who think that e-portfolio has negative effects as well as positive effects on learning motivation. The results of this study can give teacher candidates an idea about how students can be motivated to be more reflective and active participants in the e-portfolio usage process. Blackwell (2013) states that if technology is used in the classroom, students will be more engaged with the lesson and therefore students will be more motivated to learn the content. In the study conducted by Blackwell (2013), it was confirmed by through the feedback in the e-portfolio application, the candidates were able to see their strengths and weaknesses, and accordingly, the belief in the importance of the lesson increased the interest and motivation for the lesson. Ayaz, Gülen and Gök (2020) and Demirli and Gürol (2007) reported that the motivation of teachers increases in classes where e-portfolio is used. Contrary to these studies, Erten (2015) concluded in his qualitative study that the effect of e-portfolio on the motivation of teacher candidates is low.

It is understood that the teacher candidates can transfer the knowledge they have acquired as a result of e-portfolio applications to other fields, use their technological competences, make up for their deficiencies through feedback, and use what they have learned to prepare for central exams. These results show that teacher candidates’ reflective thinking skills have improved. Ada, Tanberkan Suna, Elkonca and Karakaya (2016) connected teacher candidates’ current knowledge with the real-life context, which led to a development in their skills and abilities as a result of using e-portfolios. Pennington (2010) supports the idea that the e-portfolio can validly and reliably assess the teacher candidates’ reflection capacity. De Jager (2019) states that the creation of e-portfolios contributes to the development of the reflective thinking process. As a result, it is stated that e-portfolio has positive effects on motivation, learning experiences, taking responsibility, developing collaborative working skills, encouragement, communication and interaction (Graham & Misanchuk, 2004). It has also been stated that it facilitates students’ communication with their peers, helps socialization, and increases learning motivation (Demirli & Gürol, 2007). In addition, it has been determined that the application has a positive effect on measurement-evaluation monitoring activities and performance tasks. As a result, when the quantitative and qualitative data are evaluated together in this study, it can be stated that the e-portfolio application increases the learning motivation and reflective thinking skills of the primary school teacher candidates.

Implications

In order to increase teachers’ awareness of the e-portfolio, it is recommended to cover this issue in pre-service seminars. Teachers and students should be encouraged to use e-portfolios, the e-portfolio should be comprehensively introduced to both teachers and students, and its benefits should be explained. Relevant training should be given in schools on this subject during seminar periods. The teacher is important in student success. For this reason, necessary policies should be supported to encourage primary school teachers and teachers in other branches to use e-portfolio in their teaching practices. Within the scope of a course in education faculties, it is recommended to give trainings on e-portfolio by explaining its purpose and advantages to both academicians and teacher candidates. Considering the findings of this study, it is thought that it is important to encourage teachers and teacher condidates to use technology more effectively in the teaching process.

Suggestions for the directions

This study was planned according to the face-to-face teaching program of the e-portfolio application. However, due to the pandemic, three weeks of face-to-face teaching was carried out, and then ten weeks of online practice. A study can be done only by applying online or completely face-to-face teaching. The effect of e-portfolio application on higher-order mental skills of teacher candidates or students at different levels can be investigated. This study was carried out within the scope of the “Measurement and Evaluation in Education” course and on primary school teachers. Similar studies can be carried out on primary school teachers studying in different departments, or the effect of e-portfolio applications on measurement and evaluation or on a different course can be examined. One of the most important contributions of the e-portfolio is to student autonomy. For this reason, it can be examined whether the e-portfolio will affect learner autonomy and if so, how it can affect it. In addition, the effect of the e-portfolio application on the assessment and evaluation competencies of teachers and primary school teachers can be compared. In addition, the effect of the e-portfolio application of teacher candidates or students studying at different teaching levels on the performance or academic success in classes can be examined.

Limitations

This study is limited to third year students studying in the primary school education department of a state university in the capital of Turkey (located in the Central Anatolian Region of Turkey). The e-portfolio is likely to be designed differently for students in different types of schools and departments of education faculties. In this study, it was decided to determine the participants through convenience sampling. However, the fact that there were very few male participants in the experimental and control groups was considered as a limitation.

Funding

The research is not supported by any institution or organization.

Declarations

Note

i. The study was produced from the PhD thesis titled, “The Effect of E-Portfolio Application on Teacher Competences, Motivations and Reflective Thinking of Pre-service Primary School Teachers” completed by the first author under the supervision of the second author.

Disclosure Statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. All authors have appropriate permissions and rights and also accept order of authorship.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the research.