IT in teacher education in Denmark

Abstract As with many European countries Denmark is experiencing change in teacher education and most notably in the wake of an act of government in 1992 which was designed to set out common aims for teacher education. Prior to that the content and structure of teacher education had been highly specified including, for example, the requirement that student teachers should take a course of 42 hours IT-related lessons. This paper provides a brief history of the background to the changes in teacher education and focuses on the implications that the more flexible aims for teacher education have for the future integration of IT in teacher education.     

IT in education and teacher education in Australia

Abstract Responsibility for education at all school levels in Australia is the constitutional prerogative of the states and territories while almost all the funds are produced via Commonwealth taxation. On the other hand, university education, including those faculties responsible for teacher education, come directly under Commonwealth control. These arrangements have been questioned often, particularly in terms of assuring the Commonwealth that 'they are getting value for their money'. In recent years, there has been a number of moves towards a more national approach to education and many of these have incorporated statements concerning the role of technology in education. This paper sets the context of these developments as they have impinged on teacher education and provides specific examples from two institutions.     

IT under school-based policies for Initial Teacher Training

Abstract This paper describes aspects of a survey carried out amongst students and staff in the use of Information Technology (IT) in the initial training of teachers at the University of Leeds during the academic year 1992/93. The survey attempted to chart the IT profiles of students during their Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) year, assessing their initial and final IT confidence, their IT activities and problems they encountered, and the extent to which IT was used on their teaching practice. The results of the survey are discussed in the light of the changes which are taking place in the training of teachers.     

IT in teacher education in Scotland

Abstract This paper outlines the consensual approach to the formulation of curriculum policy in general, and in relation to information technology (IT) in particular, in Scotland. It outlines the approaches to IT that have emerged as a result. These are founded on the premises that all children should develop knowledge and understanding about IT and skills in using IT; that IT should influence both content and delivery of the curriculum; and that IT (computing studies in Scotland) should be an elective for secondary school pupils. Against this background, the paper describes the evolution of policy and practice relating to IT in teacher education. It appraises the strategies which institutes are using for developing the professional skills necessary to deliver IT in the Scottish curriculum. It notes significant progress but highlights the need to develop strategies which integrate IT more deeply with other professional studies so that student teachers develop deeper, more reflective approaches to IT.     

IT in teacher training in France

Abstract To understand what is going on in France at the moment in the domain of computers and related communication technologies in teacher training, there are two major developments that have to be kept in mind. Firstly, the ways of becoming a teacher in France underwent major changes in 1991. It is therefore too early to come to general conclusions about the effects of this reform in the field of new information technologies. Secondly, French IT in schools policy has shifted from a large-scale centralized equipment operation, which provided microcomputers in each school from 1985 to 1987, to a more regional management of equipment funding, with less national piloting in the field. This paper describes what happened during the previous period and what is taking place now. With matters still evolving the paper represents a snapshot rather than an exhaustive survey; such a survey remains to be done.     

Informatics in teacher education in Japan

Abstract This paper charts the developments in information technology (IT) policies in education in Japan over the past decade with particular emphasis on the impacts on teacher education. Beginning with the work of the National Council on Educational Reform in 1985, the Japanese education system initiated a thorough analysis of the role of information technology in all aspects of education from kindergarten through to high school, vocational education and pre- and in-service teacher education. The various approaches culminated in guidelines and statutory requirements relating to both schools' curricula and teacher training, published in the period 1990–1992. More recently other ministries have contributed to developments including the Ministry for International Trade and Industry which has categorized the different types of information engineers and among these is the new Educational Engineer. The paper reports the processes leading to these developments.     

IT in Primary Schools—the opportunities of the National Curriculum

Abstract This paper examines the demands made by the National Curriculum on the IT skills of primary teachers and concludes that these demands are, in the short term, quite impossible to meet. However, a longer term view examines the reasons why primary education is, potentially, a very fertile environment for the effective use of IT in education. The stumbling blocks to progress are shortages of resources; hardware, software, technical support and INSET. Suggestions are offered to overcome these, particularly the final two, in the current climate of financial constraint.     

IT capability in primary schools — a case of something lost in the translation?

Abstract  This paper examines the National Curriculum guidelines for Information Technology in Key Stages 1 & 2. Problems of interpretation are identified. The results of a survey indicate that primary school teachers lack sufficient understanding, of the concepts involved, to translate guidelines into practice. In-service training is recommended. The likely outcomes of National Curriculum guidelines for information technology are also considered.     

IT culture in medical education

Abstract A survey of the Information Technology (IT) skills and attitudes of 180 pre-clinical students at two UK medical schools are reported. Medical School A had little in the way of an 'IT culture', while School B runs a short course in informatics in the first year, and regularly employs IT and CAL applications in teaching and learning. School A students were less likely to consider their skills to be 'adequate' for their educational needs. Students at School B rated IT skills as of greater importance for both their current and future needs as undergraduates, but over 87% of both groups considered IT competency as 'essential' or 'important' for their future in medical practice. These, and other findings, are discussed in relation to the impact of 'IT culture', including training in informatics within the undergraduate medical curriculum.     

Teacher education for using microcomputers in the classroom: generic skills to think about

Abstract  My purpose is to talk about the generic skills a teacher should master to take best advantage and get the most fruitful pedagogical results from the use of microcomputers in the classroom. Yet, the organization of teacher training differs from country to country so that it is difficult to imagine a single way to prepare a teacher for these skills. So, I intend to address my topic in terms of what I think should be known by a teacher instead of in terms of what should be taught through a specific curriculum.
There is another reason for me to avoid talking formally about pre-service and in-service education. Four years ago, Quebec's Ministry of Education launched a plan of action for the pedagogical use of the computer in the classroom and we have gone through quite an evolution in our vision of how teacher training should be organized. We are still wondering whether what we do in that respect is a final picture of what ought to be done. I shall then speak more from the empirical evidence of our action plan than from established scientific proofs.     

Teacher adoption of technology

Technology adoption is usually modeled as a process with dynamic transitions between costs and benefits. Nevertheless, school teachers do not generally make effective use of technology in their teaching. This article describes a study designed to exhibit the interplay between two variables: the type of technology, in terms of its complexity of use, and the type of teacher, in terms of attitude towards innovation. The results from this study include: (a) elaboration of a characteristic teacher technology adoption process, based on an existing learning curve for new technology proposed for software development; and (b) presentation of exit points during the technology adoption process. This paper concludes that teachers who are early technology adopters and commit a significant portion of their time to incorporating educational technology into their teaching are more likely to adopt new technology, regardless of its complexity. However, teachers who are not early technology adopters and commit a small portion of their time to integrating educational technology are less likely to adopt new technology and are prone to abandoning the adoption at identified points in the process.     

Professional development in transition: a Canadian provincial case study

Abstract There is no national information technology (IT) training policy in Canada as education is a provincial responsibility. IT training models vary considerably from province to province, but the Ontario Additional Qualification model for in-service teacher training is perhaps one of the most extraordinary models found anywhere. This paper describes the Ontario model with particular reference to the component of it that deals with IT. The paper concludes with a discussion of the success of the model and future directions that in-service training is likely to take in Ontario.     

What goes on in school-based ITT?

Abstract Initial Teacher Training (ITT) is destined to become more, perhaps entirely, school-based. Teacher competence with IT is still being developed. How might this lack in competence impact on trainee teachers learning to use IT in school? This paper considers the classroom experiences of trainee teachers following an early years, school-based BA (QTS) degree. Working in pairs the trainees undertook a range of IT work that was planned to exploit cross-curricular links. Observations of their work in school and recordings of class teacher/trainee conversations are used to describe the reality of school-based ITT. The data suggest that the value of the school-based work is largely restricted to that of planning for, and doing, in a specific context. There is little evidence that the class teachers are able to act as mentors for the trainee's IT work. This could have serious consequences for the IT competence of the future teaching profession.     

Student IT capability within a school-based primary ITT course

Abstract This study reports on a comparative survey of primary student teachers' use of IT in schools. Groups on a similar course but with different amounts of school placement were compared. Their changing attitudes and perceived competencies were identified. The level of support available in schools was also investigated. Whilst the support available in schools was usually limited by lack of equipment and teacher expertise, students on the more school-based course were found to gain more experience of IT in schools and were more likely to have used a range of IT applications. The level of use of IT in schools is found to have a significant impact on students' confidence and attitudes towards IT. However, wide variation in students' experience is identified and strategies for overcoming this continuing problem are suggested.     

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.     

Teacher self-efficacy,academic self-efficacy,and computer self-efficacy as predictors of attitude toward applying computer-supported education

There is a large body of research regarding teacher self-efficacy, academic self-efficacy, computer self-efficacy, and attitude toward applying computer-supported education of teachers and prospective teachers. However, no study has been conducted on the correlation among the effects of teacher self-efficacy, academic self-efficacy, computer self-efficacy, and attitude toward applying computer-supported education and which additionally explains their relationships to one other. This research is conducted in order to test the effect levels among the latent variables of teacher self-efficacy, academic self-efficacy, computer self-efficacy, and attitude toward applying computer-supported education and these latent variables' ratios to each other. For this, eight hypotheses were developed in light of theoretical information by reviewing the literature. This research is done by using Academic Self-Efficacy Scale, Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale, Computer Self-Efficacy Scale, and The Attitude Scale Toward Applying Computer-Supported Education. The participant group of the research consists of 323 prospective teachers. Exploratory factor analyses of scales were analyzed via SPSS 16.0 software. For the confirmatory factor analyses of scales and the structural equation modeling, AMOS 20.0 software was used. The most significant finding of this study is that teacher self-efficacy, academic self-efficacy, and computer self-efficacy are important predictors of prospective teachers' attitude toward applying computer-supported education.     

Teacher value beliefs associated with using technology: Addressing professional and student needs

Studies have indicated that when teachers believe technology uses are valuable, they are more likely to incorporate those uses into their practices. This hermeneutical phenomenology study investigated the value beliefs that underlie teachers’ uses of technology. To measure value beliefs, teachers’ uses (and reasons for those uses) of technology for teaching and learning were examined. Data were collected from eight award-winning teachers through an interview, observation, and electronic portfolio. Findings indicated that teachers used technology to address professional (e.g., creating customized classroom materials, improving classroom management by engaging students) and student needs (e.g., enhancing student comprehension, equipping students with technology skills), all of which related to the underlying value belief of promoting student learning. Based on these findings, professional development activities should emphasize the potential impact of specific technology uses on student learning.     

基于教师信息管理系统的研究

它实现了对教职工的日常工资标准确定、人员流动等工作的微机管理;基本实现了办公自动化