Preparation versus practice: How do teacher education programs and practicing teachers align in their use of technology to support teaching and learning?

Researchers have called for renewed efforts in exploring both what knowledge should be taught in preservice teacher education programs with regard to technology, and how to best prepare teachers to effectively use that knowledge to support teaching and learning. This study compared the importance of technology topics from teacher educators and teachers’ perspectives. A two-phase mixed-methods research design utilized surveys and multiple case studies (interviews, documents) to collect data from both teacher educators and practicing teachers. Findings indicate that teachers and teacher educators demonstrated similarities in their views regarding the use of technology for personal productivity, information presentation, and the access and use of electronic resources to support teaching and learning. Teacher educators and teachers differed with regard to their use of technology for communication, analysis of student data, documenting professional growth, and facilitating higher-order thinking skills. Recommendations for how teacher education programs can incorporate and address technology topics in order to increase relevance for teachers are discussed.     

Student teachers' first reflections on information and communications technology and classroom learning: implications for initial teacher education

Abstract This article explores student teachers' views of the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in schools. There is limited research literature regarding the perceptions that such students develop in relation to the use of ICT in teaching while observing practice in schools. The paper offers an interpretive analysis of the opinions that a cohort of undergraduate student teachers at a Scottish University expressed in an online forum, following a period of school placement. As part of their initial teacher education (ITE), the students were asked to post messages on the forum in relation to the factors that they perceived as promoting or hindering the use of ICT in schools. Perceptions that students held were found to be complex and varied. Students associated the use of ICT with changes in the nature of classroom relations, as well as a reshaping of learning and teaching. While they welcomed the introduction of ICT as a tool for modernising teaching, students identified a variety of factors that hinder this process. The paper finishes by identifying some of the implications for those working with student teachers in encouraging their development of reflective practice with ICT and enhancing their positive attitudes in relation to the use of ICT in schools.     

A formative analysis of how preservice teachers learn to use technology

Abstract   A comprehensive, formal comparison of strategies used by preservice teachers to learn how to use new technology has yet to be researched. Understanding the relative strengths and weakness of learning strategies would provide useful guidance to educators and students. The purpose of the current study was to explore the effectiveness of four learning strategies: collaboration, using authentic tasks, formal instruction and exploratory learning. Seventy-four preservice teachers (25 male, 49 female) were surveyed at the beginning and end of an 8-month, consecutive, Bachelor of Education programme, with respect to their learning strategies, change in computer knowledge and use of computers in the classroom. Collaborative learning and use of authentic tasks were the most preferred strategies – formal instruction was the least preferred. A collaborative approach to learning was the best predictor of gains in computer knowledge. Authentic tasks and collaborative strategies were significant predictors of teacher use of computers in the classroom. Preference for authentic tasks was the only predictor of student use of computers. Regardless of strategy preference, selecting more than one primary learning tool was significantly correlated with amount learned and use of the computers in the classroom. Ability was not related to strategy preference. Finally, females preferred collaborative approach to learning, although they were significantly more open to using multiple strategies than males.     

Developing Web literacy in collaborative inquiry activities

Although many children are technically skilled in using the Web, their competences to use it in a critical and meaningful way are usually less well developed. In this article, we report on a multiple case study focusing on the possibilities and limitations of collaborative inquiry activities as an appropriate context to acquire Web literacy skills in primary education. Four 5th grade school teachers and their students worked with collaborative inquiry activities on the subject of ‘healthy food’. The project was aimed at both the development of Web literacy skills and content knowledge building. Data from a variety of sources were collected: videotaped and written lesson observations, interviews with teachers and students, teacher diaries, student questionnaires, and student assignments. The teachers appeared to be able to carry out the program to varying degrees. Contextual factors that influenced the realization of the project’s goals and results were the adequacy of the research questions formulated by students, students’ inquiry skills, and the teachers’ teaching styles. Students’ learning results show that it is possible to teach Web literacy skills in the context of collaborative inquiry activities. All classes show knowledge gain with regard to the subject healthy food and all classes but one show knowledge gain with regard to Web literacy skills. Although many students show adequate use of particular Web searching, reading and evaluating skills after the project, inconsistency, impulsiveness and impatience are also typical of their Web behaviour. In the context of collaborative inquiry activities teachers are challenged to deal with the paradox that they want their students to be active knowledge builders with help of the Web, whereas the Web seems to invite students to be more or less passive searchers.     

Integrating cognitive apprenticeship methods in a Web-based educational technology course for P-12 teacher education

The purpose of this study is to investigate the integration of a cognitive apprenticeship model in a Web-based course. The subject of this study is an educational technology course for pre-service P-12 teacher education students. Specifically, this study presents student reports of how cognitive apprenticeship methods impacted student learning processes of (a) technology skills and (b) technology integration methods for teaching. The methodological framework for this qualitative investigation is an interpretive case study. Student reflections and teacher observations revealed that students found modeling, coaching, scaffolding, and exploration key to fostering skill knowledge, and they found the use of cognitive apprenticeship methods fostered an understanding of integrating technology for teaching and learning.     

Bridging the app gap: An examination of a professional development initiative on mobile learning in urban schools

In this study we present a professional development initiative aimed at helping urban teachers in low-income underserved schools in the U.S. learn how to utilize iPads (a representative mobile device) and educational apps (software programs that run on mobile devices) to support teaching and learning. Subsequently, we examine the ways in which four case study teachers utilized iPads and educational apps in their classrooms to support their students' learning experiences. Data included observations of professional development activities, classroom observations, teacher interviews, and student focus groups. Findings revealed that students used iPads and educational apps to (a) access online content, (b) create learning artifacts, and (c) reinforce content learning through personalized instruction. Findings also indicated that use of iPads and educational apps supported student academic growth and empowerment. Results have implications for mobile learning researchers, practitioners, and policy makers, particularly those charged with the design and implementation of professional development programs.     

Information technology: building structures in initial teacher training to develop effective practitioners

Abstract It was reported at a recent conference, that staff of teacher training institutions are less willing than teachers to collaborate in the use of information technology in the curriculum. Teacher trainers will discuss, promote and research innovation in this area but this activity seems unable to influence how teacher training programmes are themselves delivered. This paper examines how one teacher training institution is trying to embed information technology in the pedagogy of its courses in ways that enable student teachers to re-construct similar learning experiences in the classroom on teaching practice.     

Student teachers’ thinking processes and ICT integration: Predictors of prospective teaching behaviors with educational technology

Student teachers should be prepared to integrate information and communication technology (ICT) into their future teaching and learning practices. Despite the increased availability and support for ICT integration, relatively few teachers intend to integrate ICT into their teaching activities (e.g., Ertmer, 2005). The available research has thus far mainly focused on isolated teacher related variables to explain the weak level of ICT integration. Also, most of this research was set up in Western settings. The present study centers on the impact of Chinese student teachers’ gender, constructivist teaching beliefs, teaching self-efficacy, computer self-efficacy, and computer attitudes on their prospective ICT use. For this purpose, a survey was set up involving student teachers from four Normal Universities in China (N = 727). Results show that prospective ICT integration significantly correlates with all teacher related variables, except for gender. Building on the results of a path analysis model, prospective ICT integration could be directly predicted on the base of teacher thinking variables (constructivist teaching beliefs, teacher self-efficacy, computer self-efficacy and computer attitudes in education), and indirectly by the gender of the student teachers. Implications for teacher education and further research are discussed.     

Preservice and inservice teachers' pedagogical reasoning underlying their most-valued technology-supported instructional activities

We examined teachers' pedagogical reasoning for and the technological knowledge underlying their most-valued technology-supported activities for teaching and learning. Data from 140 preservice and 100 inservice teachers included open-ended, narrative responses to survey questions. Qualitative research methods guided analysis of the data that identified (a) the technology-supported activities and (b) the technical tools, target users, types of uses, rationales for use, and the TPACK underlying each activity. Preservice teachers described mostly teacher-focused and fewer student-focused techno-activities, and their reasoning for use focused on the technology's presentational and engagement effects. A majority of inservice teachers' techno-activities were student-focused, and their reasoning highlighted the technology's support for knowledge acquisition of higher-order cognitive skills and collaborative learning. The knowledge underlying all teachers' techno-activities was predominantly technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), but inservice teachers also evidenced technological content knowledge (TCK). These results may reveal differences in the teachers' respective learning experiences in teacher education and professional development or reflect a professional maturation process in that it takes teachers time in the field as professionals to broaden their techno-activity repertoires to prioritize student-focus. Sharing the reasoning patterns in this study with teachers may assist them in developing deeper justifications for their technological work in the classroom.     

Nurturing reflective teaching during critical-thinking instruction in a computer simulation program

Nurturing reflective teaching and improving critical-thinking instruction are two important goals in teacher education, but these are only achievable when teachers-in-training are provided with opportunities for building professional knowledge and for exhibiting reflective teaching practices. A computer simulation program (CS-TGCTS) was therefore developed here, and its effectiveness is explained in this study. From 149 preservice teachers participating in this study, a pretest–posttest control group design was defined by four student groups and two treatments. The central hypothesis was that increasing participants' self-awareness of teacher behaviors and enhancing mindful learning in professional knowledge would provoke reflective teaching and further bring about improvements in teacher behaviors. The findings support the hypothesis and suggest that the CS-TGCTS simulation is an effective vehicle for improving preservice teachers' reflective teaching in critical-thinking instruction.     

Innovative virtual and collaborative teaching methodologies

This collaborative research work between multiple universities demonstrates and rigorously analyses a number of innovative and new teaching methodologies that incorporate the use of new technology to encourage students to participate and take an active role in learning. More precisely, we introduce the ‘Automatic Virtual Lecturing’ teaching methodology which utilises live student feedback to dynamically reorder the lecture slides content of the teacher combined with an online video repository to substitute repeated lecture presentations both during and after class. We also present research outputs of our patented teaching concept SHARED and collaborative learning which creates a paperless collaborative learning environment in our classrooms where students can take virtual notes on their wooden tabletops, while the teacher can give instant feedback on student progress without leaving his personal desk. The methodologies were researched thoroughly in a number of classrooms which resulted in a significant increase in the performance of the students, showing real promise of such unique teaching methodologies.     

Developing situated knowledge about teaching with technology via Web-enhanced Case-based activity

Situated, case-based approaches, featuring virtual teachers’ activity and reasoning in university classrooms, may provide a viable alternative to immersive field-based apprenticeships. Despite widespread advocacy on situated teacher education, research on preservice teachers’ situated learning remains rare. This study examined how preservice teachers gain situated knowledge about teaching with technology by engaging the experiences of practicing teachers through Web-enhanced, Case-based activity (CBA). Situated knowledge of exemplary teachers often espouses a constructivist epistemology and a student-centered pedagogy when they use computers for teaching. Also, their knowledge for teaching with technology requires linking computer skills with associated curriculum and pedagogical strategies. Based on this initial framework, in this study, preservice teachers’ changes in perceptions and understanding about teaching with technology were documented over the course of a semester. A qualitative case study was used, and constant comparative methods were used to continually compare emerging themes and refine categories. Web-enhanced CBA helped most preservice teachers to both understand appropriate uses of technology and refined their perspectives by using experienced teachers’ captured knowledge and practices. Research is needed to refine our understanding of situated case-based approaches’ potential to promote both meaningful technology integration knowledge and skill and to address a range of everyday classroom teaching and learning issues, decisions, and practices.     

Educating online student teachers to master professional digital competence: The TPACK-framework goes online

In this article we study how online teacher education programmes may enhance innovative ways of teaching and learning with Information and Communication Technology (ICT). We explore how online teachers are practising professional digital competence, in general and within subject areas, and to what extent they encourage student teachers to develop their own professional digital competence. Based on online teacher education programmes at two distinct higher education institutions (HEIs), we applied mixed method design including quantitative and qualitative approaches to illuminate the aims and the scope. Our study revealed that even if online teacher education programmes represent good avenues for stimulating teachers and student teachers to develop digital competence for pedagogical purposes, this aspect is poorly integrated within the actual programmes, although some interesting examples were demonstrated. By looking at the origins of the discourses on online education and on digital competence, we found that they derive from different stakeholders: while the discourse on online education originated from the management side at both HEIs, the discourse on digital competence derived from certain teaching staff at the two HEIs. Our study indicated that there is still some way to go to innovative solutions and to develop the potential of professional digital competence in online teacher education programmes.     

How and why do student teachers use ICT?

This paper examines how and why student teachers made use of information and communication technology (ICT) during a 1‐year initial teacher education programme from 2008 to 2009. This is a mixed methods study involving a survey (N = 340) of the entire cohort and a series of semi‐structured interviews with a sample of student teachers within the cohort (N = 21). The study explored several themes, including the nature of student teachers' use of ICT; variation in the use of ICT; support for, and constraints on, using ICT; attitudes to ICT and to teaching and learning more generally. It was found that nearly all teachers were receptive to using ICT – more so than their in‐service counterparts – and made frequent use of it during their placement (internship) experience. The Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) was central to nearly all student teachers' use of ICT, in good part, because it was already used by their mentors and was widely accessible. Student teachers' use of ICT was categorized in three levels. Routine users focused mostly on the use of the IWB for whole class teaching; extended users gave greater opportunities for pupils to use ICT for themselves; innovative student teachers used ICT in a greater range of contexts and made more effort to overcome barriers such as access. ICT use was seen as emerging from a mix of factors: chiefly student teachers' access to ICT; their feeling of ‘self‐efficacy’ when using ICT; and their belief that ICT had a positive impact on learning – in particular, the impact on pupils' behavioural and affective engagement. Factors which influenced ICT use included mentoring, training and support. Limitations on student teachers' use of ICT are explored and it is suggested that new teachers need to be supported in developing a more discerning use as they begin their teaching careers.     

Contextual perspective in analysing collaborative knowledge construction of two small groups in web-based discussion

This paper presents a methodology designed to explore the role of context in collaborative knowledge construction activity in asynchronous web-based discussion. The discussions of two student groups participating in a web-based teacher education course were compared. The comparison aimed to highlight the differences and similarities between the groups’ knowledge construction activity through studying the thematic structure, communicative functions and contextual resources used in their discussions. The results indicated that the different backgrounds of the two student groups influenced the way context was created and interpreted, and how meanings were negotiated. The differences and similarities between the groups’ activity illuminated the situated and mediated nature of learning. The possibilities of the methodology used in this study for evaluating collaborative knowledge construction in context are also discussed.     

Teacher regulation of multiple computer-supported collaborating groups

Teachers regulating groups of students during computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) face the challenge of orchestrating their guidance at student, group, and class level. During CSCL, teachers can monitor all student activity and interact with multiple groups at the same time. Not much is known about the way teachers diagnose student progress and decide upon appropriate interventions when they regulate multiple groups synchronously. This explorative study describes the strategies and experiences related to regulating the activities of seven groups of students, as reported by two teachers, and aimed to widen the framework for describing teacher regulation of CSCL settings that are characterized by synchronicity. Recurring themes included the high amount of information load teachers experienced while diagnosing students’ needs, the focus and level of regulation, and the way the teachers used prior knowledge of students to decide on an intervention after diagnosis. Both teachers valued the ability to monitor student progress online, and mentioned the necessity of students being able to follow the teacher’s activity as well. Theoretical implications are described in terms of understanding teacher regulation, synchronicity, and information load. Practical implications are described for lowering information load.     

结构化教学法在职业院校教学中的应用研究

职业院校提倡的项目教学法,真正的体现了以教师为主导,以学生为主体的教学理念。结合多年教学经验,针对学生的实际情况,运用有效的教学方法,提高学习效率,是作为一名职业教育教师一直思考的问题。采用结构化教学方法,在充分体现学生主体性的同时,最大化地激发学生的兴趣,给学生独立思考、学习的空间,让学生自己动手去完成一定的任务,给予学生展示自己的机会,让他们体会成功的愉悦。     

Using Wiki in teacher education: Impact on knowledge management processes and student satisfaction

The current study reports on the use of Wiki as an online didactic tool to develop knowledge management (KM) processes in higher education. This study integrates social constructivist principles to learning where learners are pro-active and collaborative through higher order cognitive processes. The study was administered in two countries, namely Egypt and Italy, to close a gap in the literature with an aim to introduce KM processes in teacher educational programmes. These processes are seen as necessary for teachers’ professional skills. Such processes are claimed to enable teachers and therefore schools to evolve in a networked information-driven global society, especially as the complexity of subject knowledge is increasing. It is also a learning experience where teachers learn how to provide their students with educational settings where technology is enabled.     

Using TPACK as a framework to understand teacher candidates' technology integration decisions

This research uses the technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) framework as a lens for understanding how teacher candidates make decisions about the use of information and communication technology in their teaching. Pre‐ and post‐treatment assessments required elementary teacher candidates at Brigham Young University to articulate how and why they would integrate technology in three content teaching design tasks. Researchers identified themes from student rationales that mapped to the TPACK constructs. Rationales simultaneously supported subcategories of knowledge that could be helpful to other researchers trying to understand and measure TPACK. The research showed significant student growth in the use of rationales grounded in content‐specific knowledge and general pedagogical knowledge, while rationales related to general technological knowledge remained constant.