27 Leveraging ePortfolios as personalised websites: Exploring final-year pre-service science teachers’ demonstration of pedagogical knowledge and teaching skills

Wiets Botes, Sol Plaatje University, Kimberley
Alan Felix, Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), Wellington campus, South Africa

ABSTRACT

The chapter explores how the use of ePortfolios, designed as personalised websites, enabled final-year science pre-service teachers to demonstrate pedagogical knowledge, teaching skills, and teacher competencies. Innovative and authentic digital tools are required to showcase pre-service teachers’ professional growth and readiness for the teaching profession. ePortfolios are considered a versatile digital tool to showcase teacher qualities. However, little is known about the use of personalised websites in effectively capturing and communicating teacher knowledge and skills. Grounded in Identity Theory, this chapter describes how personalized websites served as interactive platforms for pre-service science teachers to develop, showcase, and reflect on lesson presentations, instructional media and assessments that are characteristic of their self-concept as future educators. Through recorded footage and reflective journal entries of the five participating pre-service science teachers, this qualitative case study unveiled several themes that tie in with Shulman’s forms of teacher knowledge that are essential for quality teaching, such as content knowledge (CK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), knowledge of learners’ needs (KLN), and knowledge of educational contexts (KEC).

Keywords: personalised websites, ePortfolios, teacher knowledge, pre-service science teachers, narrative inquiry, pedagogical knowledge

INTRODUCTION

Portfolios have long been used in higher education institutions (HEIs) as a tool for documenting and reflecting on a student’s learning journey. Traditionally, portfolios comprised physical collections of artefacts such as lesson plans, reflective essays, and records of professional development activities. Rooted in constructivist theories of learning, traditional portfolios were designed to showcase the progression of skills and competencies, often serving as a tool for assessment and self-reflection (Barrett, 2001). With the rise of digital technology, there has been a significant shift towards the use of ePortfolios, which are digital repositories of similar artefacts. ePortfolios incorporate multimedia tools and online platforms to enhance the depth, accessibility, and interactivity of traditional portfolios. This shift has been driven by the increasing prevalence of digital trends in education, which have redefined how teachers and pre-service teachers document and demonstrate their professional growth (Lorenzo & Ittelson, 2005). (Lorenzo & Ittelson, 2005). Common forms of ePortfolios include but is not limited to multimedia presentations, blogs, and digital repositories hosted on platforms like Google Sites, WordPress, and proprietary Learning Management Systems (LMS). ePortfolios enable users to integrate text, audio, video, and hyperlinks, making them a more dynamic and versatile medium for showcasing teaching practices and philosophies (Hartnell-Young et al., 2007). (Hartnell-Young et al., 2007).

Interestingly, the use of personalised websites has also gained traction as a complementary tool in teacher education. Personalised websites comprise personalization of tailored content and experiences to individual users based on their data, creating a more relevant and engaging experience (Desai, 2021). Personalised websites provide an individualised and visually appealing platform where pre-service teachers can curate and present their teaching knowledge, skills, and philosophies in a coherent and professional manner. These websites serve not only as a portfolio but also as a professional identity tool, allowing pre-service teachers to reflect on their development with regard to their teaching knowledge for practice (Younghusband, 2021). Despite this potential, very little is known about how the use of personalised websites enables pre-service teachers to comprehensively capture and showcase their teaching competencies. This chapter addresses this gap by introducing personalised websites as a digital tool to elevate teacher competence.

The purpose is to explore how final-year pre-service science teachers use personalised websites to demonstrate their teaching knowledge and competencies. Through this exploration, the chapter aims to shed light on the potential of personalised websites to enhance professional development and establish a foundation for lifelong learning. In this chapter, we provide an overview of how personalised websites were used by pre-service science teachers to document and reflect on their pedagogical knowledge and classroom practices.

The upcoming section will delve into Identity Theory, serving as a theoretical framework to examine how these personalised websites facilitate the articulation of teaching knowledge and competencies.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Identity theory in pre-service teacher development explores how aspiring educators construct their professional identities through interactions between personal beliefs, prior experiences, and the socio-cultural contexts of teaching (Akkerman & Meijer, 2011). This process involves navigating tensions between their perceptions of the teaching profession, expectations from mentor teachers and institutions, and the realities of classroom practice (Beauchamp & Thomas, 2009). Developing a teaching identity is a dynamic process, as pre-service teachers adapt to new roles, reflect on their values, and integrate theoretical knowledge with practical experience (Mockler, 2011). This framework emphasises the significance of supportive environments and reflective practices in fostering confident, resilient, and adaptable educators (Gee, 2000).

Identity theory is particularly relevant to teacher education, as it underscores the role of innovation, resilience, and agency in professional growth (Cobb, 2022). Pre-service teachers must navigate complex educational landscapes and demonstrate adaptability and character while addressing the demands of online and hybrid learning environments. The theory aids in identifying the diverse teacher knowledge demonstrated by pre-service teachers, including content knowledge (CK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), and knowledge of learners (KLN) in identity development (Jay, 2025). It further emphasizes the importance of understanding and responding to learners’ diverse requirements while drawing on knowledge of educational context (KEC). These knowledge systems were identified as crucial for teacher development by Shulman (1986) and later by Mishra and Koehler (2009) in the development of TPACK, which integrates technology. They describe it as a complex interaction between the bodies of knowledge of content, pedagogy, and technology; their pedagogical beliefs; and the uptake of technology (Mishra and Koehler, 2009).

In this chapter, Identity Theory provides a lens to examine the professional growth of pre-service teachers through their personalized websites (Pi, 2024). These websites serve as a medium for expressing their pedagogical philosophies and teaching competencies. Through the creation of lesson plans, assessments, and multimedia content, pre-service teachers articulate their unique teaching traits and professional values (Oo et al., 2021). The application of Identity theory provides insights into how these educators deliver meaningful, context-sensitive instruction and reflect on their practice in a way that highlights their evolving professional identities. Furthermore, the Identity theory aids by showing that the competencies and teaching skills demonstrated in ePortfolios are tied to how pre-service teachers construct and project their professional identity.

LITERATURE REVIEW

The Role of ePortfolios in Teacher Education

Alternative assessment methods, such as portfolio assessment in both paper-based and electronic formats, have been widely promoted in the early years of education development (Yancey, 2019). As a natural successor of the previous print counterpart, its use has been growing since it is easily supported by digital devices and Wi-Fi connections, which are available in most of the world (Ibarra-Sáiz et al., 2020). Therefore, since the development of technology resources, the focus shifted to the use of ePortfolios, and with this, the definition of ePortfolios. Various definitions have been discussed in the literature that constitute an ePortfolio, also referred to as an electronic portfolio. It has been described by Barret (2011) as a compilation of teaching and learning items, which are stored in electronic formats such as audio-visual, graphical, or text. Whereas Jenson and Treuer (2014:55) elaborated by explaining that ePortfolios are a “tool for documenting and managing one’s learning that fosters deep and continuous learning over time.” Lam (2022) provides further insight in a shortened version, where he indicates that ePortfolios are used for pre-service teachers to create, curate, and reflect upon their work in digital portfolios. Mudau and Modise (2023) showed, however, that although there are various definitions, the common trend is that ePortfolios involve the continuous compilation of evidence of learning for assessment.

ePortfolios can be used to document the personal progress of pre-service teachers, allowing them to be more autonomous in the learning process and making the learning process more active (Lam, 2023; Amaya et al., 2013). As pointed out by Mei (2022), ePortfolios have evolved over the past few decades, and they are acknowledged as one of the powerful pedagogical practices that enhance learning in higher education (HE) (Chang & Kabilan, 2024). In an early study by Butler (2010), he provided a summary of the 16 main benefits for pre-service teachers to use ePortfolios in HE, some of which was confirmed in a more recent study by Mei (2022), that it is beneficial in aspects such as knowledge creation, learning management, student performance assessment, and reflective learning. ePortfolios allow for continuous monitoring of pre-service teachers’ development of their transversal skills (Walland & Shaw, 2022), and teacher educators can give constructive feedback on their learning progress and engage in reflective practices (Rani & Nissa, 2025).

Purpose of ePortfolios in Pre-service Education and Training

Teacher educators can use them for summative assessments, and they can be evaluated as a comprehensive product that reflects the student teachers’ growth, performance, and improvements in student learning of the module (Yang et al., 2023; Nafari et al., 2021). Therefore, unlike single assessments, ePortfolios serve as a multidimensional tool, allowing evidence to be drawn from various contexts, such as practice teaching and academic coursework, and serve as a comprehensive examination (Zhang & Tur, 2022; Zingraf, 2021). ePortfolios encourage reflective practice and self-assessment, thereby enhancing pre-service teachers’ professional development by allowing them to develop their content, and ultimately, pre-service teachers take ownership of their learning journey (Erkaboyeva, 2025). Imafuku et al. (2018) stated that teachers need to possess good developmental values to effectively utilise ePortfolios as influential tools for encouraging reflective thinking, which in turn enhances self-management, experiential learning, and self-directed feedback (Nafari et al., 2021). A study done by Zhang et al. (2016) highlighted that these reflected practices in pre-service teachers will impact their programme performance because of their professional identity. Pre-service teachers can succeed in developing a professional working plan and develop skills in the use of technology for professional development, which will enhance the establishment of their identity (Beka & Kulinxha, 2021; Beka & Gllareva, 2016). Therefore, these self-reflections provide important feedback on students’ skills (Cimermanová, 2019). Furthermore, ePortfolios, which include teacher skills, can be used for professional growth, evaluation, and job searches (Chung et al., 2024).

ePortfolios serve as a space where pre-service teachers can showcase their evidence of their teaching abilities. More importantly, it offers an opportunity to illustrate the development of their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and how to apply their knowledge in pedagogically sound ways. In their ePortfolios, pre-service teachers can showcase PCK by providing lesson plans, videos, reflections, etc., that will illustrate how they adapt content, use technology, assess learning, and design inquiry-based activities. ePortfolios are structured to ensure that pre-service teachers’ work aligns with professional expectations and provides a framework for assessing their growth and readiness for the 21st-century classroom. This was evident in a study by Al Aamri et al. (2023), which found that reflective ePortfolios can improve teachers’ technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK). Using various digital tools to develop ePortfolios can enhance pre-service teachers’ skills and foster their TPACK as part of professional development and teacher identity in the technological era (Karimi & Asadnia, 2022; Kusuma, 2022).

The Role of Personalised Websites for Employability

ePortfolio websites allow pre-service teachers to present themselves professionally with the acquired learning experience through their training at HEIs, where they assess their own progress and promote their metacognitive skills to potential employers (Butakor, 2024). A digital portfolio provides a multimodal and interactive representation of a teacher candidate’s identity, values, and teaching capabilities, and having this on a special platform ensures a structured, organised, and visually compelling showcase of skills and achievements (Ismail, 2023). Since websites are accessible and flexible, the sites allow pre-service teachers to access and update their ePortfolio anywhere, anytime, and can include downloadable links to lesson plans, digital teaching resources, and teaching videos (Puspita & Hasyim, 2024).

Pre-service teachers need to possess technological competencies, because the application of new technologies in teaching facilitates the learning of pre-service teachers (Ayaz & Gök, 2023). Pre-service teachers need to acquire these skills, and this will be evident when they show their ability to create and maintain a well-structured website. Gök et al. (2020) suggested it is easier to maintain, edit, and update electronical portfolios than traditional paper counterparts. Student competence will be demonstrated using, in this case, WIX, to build their websites with comfort, which aligns with the demands of the modern classroom and ICT integration, which will strengthen their TPACK and teaching philosophy.

Building these ePortfolios is more important to help pre-service teachers apply new knowledge to complex situations in their daily activities, and this reflective thinking supports pre-service teachers to (a) associate new information with previous experiences, (b) think in abstract and conceptual terms, (c) apply certain strategies in new tasks, and (d) understand their own thinking and strategies, which ultimately will lead to their own teaching philosophy and pedagogical approach (Kasap, 2021; Gülen & Yaman, 2019). The emphasis of ePortfolios is on professional activity and self-assessment, and these reflections are seen as a critical skill for teacher development (Vorotnykova & Zakhar, 2021). ePortfolios have the potential to support students’ learning by providing an environment for them to learn meaningfully from their experiences and engage in critical reflections (Chang & Kabilan, 2024; Buyarski et al., 2017). Given the opportunities to reflect, build students’ personal and academic identities, while improving their higher-order skills (Afrilyasanti et al., 2025). Since pre-service teachers can reflect upon their strengths and weaknesses, this data has the potential to assist institutions to reflect on curricular context and design appropriate support tools and strategies (Modise et al., 2023).

Pre-service teachers can use ePortfolios as digital showcases of their identity and personal voice as educators in preparation for in-practice skills, which can give employers more insight into pre-service teachers’ approaches (Kelly & Le Rossignol, 2022; Mgarbi et al., 2021). Since a traditional paper CV is too linear and has not adapted to current modes of communication (Mgarbi et al., 2021), an interactive CV, which is often the first step in professional integration (Sanchez, 2020), can be shared with employers, highlighting their teaching competencies. Therefore, ePortfolios can add value in job-seeking markets to showcase their technology competencies and teaching skills (Fitria, 2022; Gopal, 2021). This was also evident in the research by Setiawan et al. (2024), where users create CVs and access portfolios through websites. Not only will this be a source for future employers, but it will also provide pre-service teachers with a guide to access their examples, lesson plans, etc. to be used in the classroom in practice.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

For this study, five of the pre-service science teachers’ personalised websites were randomly selected and analysed out of a sample of 14 pre-service teachers, allowing us to share our narrative on how each website expressed content knowledge (CK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), knowledge of learner needs (KLN), and knowledge of educational contexts (KECd).

The task of studying the personalised websites was enabled by combining content analysis and narrative inquiry techniques to interpret the various knowledge domains listed above. Content analysis helped us identify topics related to the specified knowledge domains, while narrative inquiry allowed reflection on these domains from the researchers’ perspectives. We utilized content analysis to clarify aspects of Content Knowledge (CK), Pedagogical Knowledge (PK), Knowledge of Learner Needs (KLN), and Knowledge of Educational Contexts (KECd).

Additionally, we employed narrative inquiry to express and curate lesson plans, teaching videos, assessments, and personal reflections, which collectively document and illustrate the pedagogical thinking of pre-service science teachers. As lecturers and researchers, we provided guidance, made observations, and reflected alongside the pre-service science teachers during their process of developing personalized websites. This use of narrative inquiry stems from the belief that lived experiences are best understood through storytelling (Kostere & Kostere, 2021; Taherdoost, 2022). It allowed us to interpret the personalized websites of the pre-service teachers as digital artifacts.

We applied identity theory, adapted for the context of teacher education, as a framework to make sense of these narratives. This approach enabled us to understand how pre-service science teachers developed and expressed their content knowledge (CK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), knowledge of learner needs (KLN), and knowledge of educational contexts (KECd).

FINDING AND DISCUSSION

This section presents our reflective narratives as lecturers who observed and guided the pre-service science teachers in their development of the personalised websites. Following a content analysis approach and guided by a narrative inquiry, we interpreted the pre-service science teachers’ websites not only as evidence of their learning experience but also as stories that revealed how they constructed their teacher identities around aspects of Content Knowledge (CK), Pedagogical Knowledge (PK), and Knowledge of Learner Needs (KLN). Our reflections on these components are shared next.

Content Knowledge

Many of the pre-service science teachers demonstrated a firm grasp of the subject content knowledge used in their personalised websites. This was evident in the content uploaded to their websites, which was reflected in their digital lesson plans and media. From our experience, this content clarity was preceded by intensive mentoring in classes where pre-service teachers were encouraged to deepen their subject knowledge of natural science. In doing this, it shaped their identity as knowledgeable pre-service teachers and the importance of content knowledge during instruction. This was evident in some website designs where lessons centred around ‘energy,’ ‘food chains,’ and ‘earth and beyond’ that form part of the natural science CAPS curriculum.

The pre-service teachers were able to simplify complex scientific terms without compromising accuracy while incorporating animated visuals, real-world analogies, and multimodal teaching resources such as simulations on their websites to enrich learners’ understanding of science concepts. We also found that pre-service teachers succeeded in sequencing topics and integrating them with everyday life examples that the learners are familiar with, rather than just describing science concepts. Through such examples, we observed how the pre-service teachers internalised and applied natural science concepts in a pedagogically coherent manner for a contextually meaningful learning experience.

Pedagogical Knowledge

Across multiple portfolios, we noted that pre-service teachers demonstrated an understanding of general teaching strategies, such as differentiated instruction. This confirmed to us, as teacher educators, that what we taught them translated into pedagogical awareness and their ability to justify choices that reflect a sense of agency in their teaching identity. We observed how the pre-service teachers were able to make pedagogical decisions that reflected their intentional planning around the notions of ‘learner engagement,’ ‘content accessibility,’ and ‘classroom realities’. For example, we could observe how pre-service teachers utilise direct instruction, visual aids, questioning strategies, and video resources to create a meaningful online learning experience that caters to the diverse learning needs of learners. We also observed how the pre-service teachers could sequence instructional activities while integrating formative assessment tasks, such as digital worksheets, to support learner understanding. Additionally, it was also clear that the pre-service teachers attempted to accommodate learners’ different learning styles through audio-visual software that formed part of their website interface. This approach not only demonstrates the pre-service teachers’ knowledge of teaching methods but also speaks volumes to their capacity to apply teaching methods contextually and purposely for different learning environments.

Pedagogical Content Knowledge

The integration of pedagogy with content, which is regarded as a complex form of teacher knowledge, was evident in how pre-service teachers adapt instructional strategies to specific topics. As we have scaffolded their understanding through modelling and peer critique, it was gratifying to see how they were able to embed it authentically in their portfolios. We observed how pre-service teachers could interweave content, such as energy transfer, with pedagogical strategies, including cooperative learning. Examples were provided where pre-service teachers selected abstract science concepts, such as food chains and the role of the sun, and described these concepts in well-formulated tutorial videos on their websites. We could also observe how pre-service teachers integrated visual images, digital clips, and YouTube videos to support their teaching of abstract concepts. This suggests that the pre-service teachers demonstrated an understanding of how learners construct knowledge through visual and experiential learning. Furthermore, the pre-service teachers also incorporated formative assessments into their website designs, which required learners to engage in self-directed learning, thereby regulating their own learning experience. Such thoughtful integration of ‘what to teach’ and ‘how to teach it’ signals the emergence of pedagogical content knowledge.

Knowledge of Learner Needs (KLN) and Educational Context (KEC)

Pre-service teachers often reflect on the importance of adapting their teaching for learning learner diversity. This learner’s sensitivity to context, emphasised during practice teaching debriefing, marks the professional maturity and identity growth. A closer look at their personalised websites revealed that they are cognisant of a broader educational environment, since they acknowledged the socio-economic realities and the school culture in which their learners find themselves. For us as teacher educators, this is important because we believe that contextual awareness is crucial for the development of reflective practitioners. The websites developed by the pre-service teachers demonstrated this understanding through a thoughtful understanding of learners’ needs within a post-COVID classroom context. A closer look at the websites revealed that the pre-service teachers were thoughtful of learners’ learning needs in an online setting. The pre-service teachers intentionally used direct instruction to describe and clarify complex topics while embedding questions into their online lesson presentations to ensure learner engagement. The use of multimedia resources, such as short video clips and animations, reflects the pre-service teachers’ awareness of varied learning styles and barriers, especially in contexts where access to technology is limited. For example, we observed how the pre-service teachers strategically used relevant examples and language that resonated with the learners’ daily experiences, such as food consumption and energy use. Additionally, we could also observe how the pacing of lesson activities on their websites revealed a sensitivity to ‘time on task.’ Such pedagogical choices indicate their ability to align content to context and learner diversity.

FRAMING RESEARCHERS’ REFLECTIONS THROUGH IDENTITY

Utilising websites as ePortfolios and supervising them as teacher educators provided insights into how pre-service teachers shape and articulate their professional identities. By engaging more deeply with their personalised websites, we could trace the emergence of their identities as they develop their teacher personas. The websites enable pre-service teachers to externalise their self-concept as future educators by designing websites that showcase more than just their technical skills (Hui et al., 2025). Some pre-service teachers demonstrated a strong sense of agency, which contrasts with their growth in resilience as they adapt to new teaching strategies. That brings us back to the beginning of our journey developing interactive websites for educational purposes, which was a tricky concept to grasp at first due to our limited knowledge and experience.

As we observed the development of the pre-service teachers’ websites, it became clear that their engagement in website creation serves not only as a repository of digital artefacts but also as a reflection of their pedagogical growth and evolving professional identity. The way pre-service teachers selected and framed the materials on their websites revealed their underlying values and priorities as emerging science educators. We noticed that some pre-service teachers developed their websites with their teaching philosophies in mind, while others candidly reflected on aspects of their designs that did not go as planned. This approach highlighted their growing capacity for critical self-reflection and vulnerability (Pandey & Mohanty, 2025). In witnessing this process, we are reminded that the journey of identity formation is not linear; it is instead shaped by moments of trial, error, and uncertainty (Zaidan, 2023).

CONCLUSION

This chapter explored how the personalised ePortfolio websites of pre-service science teachers served as powerful tools to demonstrate their pedagogical and professional competencies, as well as their emerging teacher identities. Framed through Identity Theory and analysed through a narrative inquiry, the personalised websites of the pre-service teachers revealed that they not only demonstrated a level of content and pedagogical knowledge but also engaged meaningfully with the diverse learning and contextual needs of learners. Our engagement with their personalised websites provided a glimpse of the pre-service teachers’ developing professionalism in dynamic and authentic ways. It allowed us to witness first-hand their transformation into confident, contextually aware and reflective practitioners. We are convinced that the task of developing personalised websites not merely functions as assessment tools but rather serves as personalised learning spaces for meaning-making and pedagogical innovation.

This chapter contributes to the improvement of curriculum practices in developing websites to demonstrate teacher knowledge by offering examples of how personalised websites served as both a reflective and evaluative tool in teacher education. It suggests the importance of integrating digital identity formation into teacher education. Additionally, findings from this chapter advocate the inclusion of personalised digital portfolios in the form of websites as a requirement for pre-service teachers to demonstrate their teacher competence. Future studies could explore the long-term impact of personalised website use in in-service teaching practices. Future research is also needed on how to support service teachers’ continuous professional development in utilising digital technologies, such as personalised websites, within evolving learning contexts.

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AUTHORS

Dr. Wiets Botes has a PhD in Higher Education Studies from the University of Free State, with a focus on science pre-service teacher development. He is currently a senior lecturer and Head of Department at Sol Plaatje University, Kimberley. His professional experience extends over years of teaching in secondary schools and specialized in natural science teaching. As a lecturer he is teaching Natural Sciences in the undergrad programmes, as well as the post grad programmes at the university. He authored and co-authored various articles on topics related to natural science and innovative technologies. His research interest is in Natural Science education, innovative science pedagogies and digital technologies. One of his current research projects are related to the use of virtual reality in Natural Science teaching and learning.
Email: wiets.botes@spu.ac.za

Alan Felix is a lecturer at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), Wellington campus with a background in Geography, Social Science teaching, and the use of ICT in education. He has held various academic and leadership roles. Prior to this, he served as a Head of Department and lecturer at Sol Plaatje University from 2017 to early 2024, where he managed the Human Science Teaching department. His professional experience includes working as a teacher and principal for the Western Cape Education Department. His academic journey includes a PhD in Curriculum Studies from the University of Free State, which focused on the integrating Geography teaching and learning using ICT. He has authored and co-authored articles and book chapters on topics related to technology in education and challenges faced in higher education. His most recent project is based on the integrating of technology using design thinking.
Email: felixal@cput.ac.za