Educators’ Perceptions of the Challenges of Using Online Educational Marketplaces
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to understand educators’ perspectives regarding challenges with the online educational marketplace, TeachersPayTeachers.com (TpT). Over 1,300 TpT users from across the United States and abroad completed an online survey, and their open-ended responses were qualitatively coded. Our interpretation of the data indicated that in line with scholarly critiques, educators who use the platform also believe (a) online educational marketplace content can be of low quality, (b) platform features can be flawed and ineffective, and (c) marketplace models of curricular exchange can reinforce harmful neoliberal forces. However, the depth at which educators described the downsides of platform biases and neoliberal logic were limited, and may have been rooted in assumptions of platform neutrality.