Effectiveness and Obstacles of Female Students’ Usage of eportfolio in Learning Skills Development in the College of Education at Kuwait University

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of using ePortfolio to acquire learning skills and the obstacles accompanying its usage, from the perspectives of female students in the College of Education at Kuwait University. The study adopted both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, known as the mixed method approach. A random sample consisting of 224 female students from the College of Education at Kuwait University participated in the study, and a sub-sample volunteered to take part in the follow-up interview. A questionnaire was initially implemented to collect data about the perceptions of the participants. To gain a deeper understanding of the students’ perceptions, focus group interviews were conducted with 43 volunteer participants. The study revealed that students were neutral in their perceptions of the effectiveness of using ePortfolio in acquiring learning skills, while the vast majority of the students resisted using it due to the obstacles associated with its application. These obstacles were attributed to the lack of awareness of the importance of ePortfolio among faculty members and the lack of training given to staff and students. Participants suggested a number of proposals to enhance the effectiveness of ePortfolio usage such as providing adequate training for students and persuading academic staff of the importance of ePortfolio. In light of these findings, appropriate recommendations were drawn.