Step 1: Starting Out

Media Go-Along, Interested?

 Thank participants
 Explain aim of interview, which is to learn more about how early childhood educators
use the internet to engage in self-directed learning and communities of practice
 Remind participants of the Explanatory Statement and ask if participants have questions
about the project or process of the interview or the research
 Make sure that participants are comfortable and ready for the interview
 Remind them that they are being recorded

 Remind them that they don’t have to answer any questions they don’t want to, or say
anything they are not comfortable with
 Remind them that they can withdraw from the research at any time

Step 2: Start the Discussion (Questions organised by topic)

1) Personal Use of Web 2.0

- What is the role that the internet plays in your life?
- What devices do you use to access the internet and how frequently do you use them?
- Can you describe some of the sites of networks that you frequent or use regularly?
- Do you feel that the internet has a positive or negative effect on your life? On your teaching
practice?
- Besides browsing social media, do you share and create content?
- Do you engage in groups and conversations on social media or whatsapp?
- Do you feel confident about your ability to use the internet?

2) Professional Life
- Can you the describe the role that the internet plays in your professional life as an early childhood
educator?
- What are some of the ways in which you use the internet in relation to your teaching practice?
- Would you describe the internet as helpful or unhelpful to your teaching practice?
- What are some sites that you use to explore the early childhood profession online?
3) Communities of Practice
- Can you describe your involvement in the early childhood education community online?
- In what ways engage with other educators such as your colleagues or friends online with regards to
your teaching practice or topics about early childhood?
- What would you describe as the impact of online communities on your teaching practice?
- Do you participate in knowledge-sharing or the exchange of ideas with regards to early childhood
education? If so, can you describe what kind of information of ideas that you share?
- Have you created any content that has been shared online?
- Do you engage in responding to questions and discussions about early childhood education on social
media?

4) Heutagogy
- How would you describe your online learning activities regarding early childhood education?
- What do you feel about yourself as a learner, for example, in terms of your effectiveness in finding
information and learning on your own?
- If you encounter challenges or develop questions about your teaching practice as an early childhood
educator, how do you share your questions and seek answers?
- What are some of the platforms that you have found the most effective for learning about early
childhood care and education online?
- In your opinion, what is the quality of online learning content in early childhood education and how
does it compare to content from on-the-job training or college-level courses?
- Is there enough material online to provide professional development opportunities for you?
- In your opinion, to what level are you using the available and relevant online learning resources?
- How much time do you spend engaging with communities and content related to the early
childhood profession on a regular basis?

Step 3: Wrapping up

 Thank the participants

 Ask if they have questions, comments or suggestions
 Remind the participants that they can always use the details on the Explanatory
Statement to contact the researchers or to provide feedback to the ethical board that
oversees the research process