The use of blogs in Home Economics : an exploratory study

Abstract

The use of social media amongst the younger generation has escalated over the past few years. The aim of this research study was to explore the potential use of blogs within Home Economics (HE) in ways which could contribute to constructivist pedagogy. Interviews were carried out with six HE teachers to gain insight into their perceptions and use of learning technologies, focusing particularly on blogs. The interviews also sought to establish what would contribute to an effective introduction of blogs in class. This resulted in a need for a manual on blogs, applied to the subject of HE. The results were used to create the said manual and a complementary website which provide relevant information, and a number of activities related to the area of sustainable living, to show how blogs can be used in HE to address curricular and teachers' needs. The teachers then reviewed the manual by trialling one activity each, and filled in an evaluation sheet to give feedback on the information provided, and evaluate the feasibility of the tasks for classroom use. The results yielded were qualitative in nature due to the small sample size. The interviews showed that there are a lack of technology based resources within HE, and that teachers feel the need for specialised material in the area. The evaluation results showed that the manual was easily comprehensible and helpful for the teachers, and the tasks had a positive overall impact on most students' learning. An improvement was seen in some of the teachers' attitudes and perceptions towards educational blog use.