Abstract
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have become a popular means for offering virtual training to qualified professionals. They often come at little or no financial cost to the participants and utilize social-learning models similar to ones used in other types of professional development courses. The research reported in this paper explores why teaching professionals complete MOOCs, to understand how and when to use these learning platforms to deliver teacher professional development. The study is formulated around the Duckworth Grit Framework. A MOOC providing training in Python and Java programming for teachers of computing, sponsored by Google, was offered at no cost on three separate occasions. A total of 5,983 teachers enrolled in the MOOC over this period. Using a mixed-methods approach, data collected from a participant survey and course analytics were analyzed. The findings show a positive correlation between the scores on the Grit Scale-a self-reporting questionnaire-and the successful accomplishment of the MOOC, thereby confirming Duckworth's claims that grit predicts completion. Several other unrelated influences were also identified. The paper goes further to problematize the framework by raising new questions about grit and completion.