Increasing Preservice Teachers' Capacity for Technology Integration through Use of Electronic Models.

Abstract

Current teacher educators are being challenged to find opportunities for their preservice teachers to develop both competence in, and confidence for, integrating technology into their curricula. Given the difficulty involved in trying to arrange successful classroom technology experiences for preservice teachers, this study was designed to examine whether electronic models of exemplary technology-using teachers, presented via CD-ROM, could provide a viable alternative for developing ideas about and self-efficacy for technology integration. Sixty-nine students enrolled in a one-credit technology course completed demographic and online survey instruments before and after interacting with a CD-ROM that featured six teachers' classroom technology beliefs and practices. Results suggest that electronic models can significantly increase preservice teachers' ideas about and self-efficacy for technology integration. Furthermore, students found the examples of teachers included.on the CD-ROM to be both realistic and relevant. Implications are discussed, as well as suggestions for future research. (Contains 30 references.) (Author/AEF) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Increasing Preservice Teachers' Capacity for Technology Integration Through Use of Electronic Models PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) f1 This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. By: Peggy A. Ertmer, Deborah Conklin & Judith Lewandowski En COPY AVAIIIIABLIE Increasing Preservice Teachers' Capacity for Technology Integration Through Use of Electronic Models Peggy A. Ertmer Deborah Conklin Judith Lewandowski Purdue University Abstract Current teacher educators are being challenged to find opportunities for their preservice teachers to develop both competence in, and confidence for, integrating technology into their curricula. Given the difficulty involved in trying to arrange successful classroom technology experiences for preservice teachers, this study was designed to examine whether electronic models of exemplary technology-using teachers, presented via CD-ROM, could provide a viable alternative for developing ideas about and self-efficacy for technology integration. Sixty-nine students enrolled in a one-credit technology course completed demographic and online survey instruments before and after interacting with a CD-ROM that featured six teachers' classroom technology beliefs and practices. Results suggest that electronic models can significantly increase preservice teachers' ideas about and self-efficacy for technology integration. Furthermore, students' found the examples of teachers included on the CD-Current teacher educators are being challenged to find opportunities for their preservice teachers to develop both competence in, and confidence for, integrating technology into their curricula. Given the difficulty involved in trying to arrange successful classroom technology experiences for preservice teachers, this study was designed to examine whether electronic models of exemplary technology-using teachers, presented via CD-ROM, could provide a viable alternative for developing ideas about and self-efficacy for technology integration. Sixty-nine students enrolled in a one-credit technology course completed demographic and online survey instruments before and after interacting with a CD-ROM that featured six teachers' classroom technology beliefs and practices. Results suggest that electronic models can significantly increase preservice teachers' ideas about and self-efficacy for technology integration. Furthermore, students' found the examples of teachers included on the CDROM to be both realistic and relevant. Implications are discussed as well as suggestions for future research. Introduction According to the most recent report of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES, 2000), nearly 70 percent of teachers report not feeling well prepared to use computers and the Internet in their teaching. The 1998 Technology in Education Report (Market Data Retrieval) noted that only 7 percent of schools, nationwide, boast a majority of teachers at an advanced skill level (i.e., able to integrate technology into the curriculum). Even among our newest teachers, instructional use is not as high as might be expected. Contrary to popular belief, preservice and beginning teachers do not use computers significantly more than their more experienced colleagues (Hadley & Sheingold, 1993; NCES, 2000; Sherwood, 1993). Although beginning teachers report wanting to use computers, and have gained adequate technical skills, they typically lack knowledge about how to integrate computers within the more routine tasks of teaching and managing their classrooms (Hruskocy, 1999; Novak & Knowles, 1991). Skills vs. Ideas Clearly, the growing increase in teachers' technical is insufficient to guarantee the effective use of technology in the classroom (Carvin, 1999; Marcinkiewicz, 1994). In order to translate into practice, teachers need specific ideas about how to use these to achieve meaningful outcomes under normal classroom conditions. Traditionally, inservice technology training programs have been softwarerather than curriculum-based (Gilmore, 1995). Thus, teachers completed technology courses still not knowing how to create or implement smallor whole-group activities that incorporated meaningful uses of technology (Moersch, 1995). Unfortunately, this also has been true for most teacher education technology courses (Moursund & Bielefeldt, 1999; Yildirim, 2000). Although the majority of teacher preparation programs now require that students take three or more credit hours of technology instruction, recent survey data suggested that most teacher education faculty still do not feel that technology use is being effectively modeled for our future teachers (Schrum, 1999). Simply stated, few of our current or future teachers have either observed or experienced with or from computers (Carlson & Gooden, 1999). While today's teachers are expected to leverage the full potential of powerful conceptual technology. tools to meet the changing needs of their students, they have been given few, if any, opportunities to develop their own visions for, or ideas about, meaningful technology use. The importance of developing a vision for technology use cannot be overstated (Ertmer, 1999). As noted by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (1993): Most teachers will find little incentive to tackle the technical and scheduling problems associated with technology unless they have a clear vision of how the technology can improve teaching and learning (p. 83). Once a clear vision is in place, specific tools and strategies are needed to help teachers address the many unique challenges posed by the translation/integration process: changing roles of teachers, students, and technology; classroom organization, management, and security issues; and assessment methods, among others. As Dexter, Anderson, and Becker (1999) explained, For teachers to implement any new instructional strategy, they must acquire new knowledge about it and then weave this together with the demands of the curriculum, classroom management, and existing instructional skills (p. 223). Teachers need information about how, as well as why, to use technology in meaningful ways. Lack of knowledge regarding either element can significantly decrease the potential impact that these powerful resources might have on student learning. BEST COPY AVAILABLE 3

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