Pedagogical Beliefs and Descriptions with ICT in Initial Teacher Training

Author(s):

Jose Miguel Garrido-Miranda(presenting / submitting)Sonia Pino Valentina Haas

Conference:

ECER 2014

Network:

16. ICT in Education and Training

Format:

Paper

Session Information

16 SES 05 A, Teacher Training and ICT

Paper Session

Time:

2014-09-03

11:00-12:30

Room:

B011 Anfiteatro

Chair:

Koen Aesaert

Contribution

There is a social and research consensus on the importance of digital technologies in the configuration needed to interact with skill in the knowledge society; for this reason, incorporation of ICT is promoted as a means and as an object of learning in the training of new generations (UNESCO, 2003; Kozma , 2005). Similarly , research shows that there is a gap between expectations and the use made of these technologies in the usual educational practices ( Conlon & Simpson , 2003; Zhao & Frank , 2003).

The reasons for this situation have been analyzed and interpreted from different viewpoints ( Kozma , 2008; Pelgrum & Law , 2003) among which account the role the pedagogical beliefs of teachers in deciding what and how to use technology digital teaching and learning ( Rienties , Brouwer & Lygo -Baker , 2013 ; Jimoyiannis & Komis , 2007 ;) . Some studies on this relationship, show the inconsistencies between what teachers believe and expect pedagogically and what they do when to use ICT in the classroom (Lim & Chai , 2008) , concluding that the factor of change and innovation lies more, in the pedagogical belief that every teacher has, that in the potential and opportunity offered by digital technologies . In the case of initial teacher training, this issue takes on added significance , paper product that has this formative stage in shaping the style and manner of teaching the next generation of teachers (Hargreaves , 2003; Marcelo 2009), and low level of innovation in the use of ICT that is recorded in some studies in university classroom ( OECD, 2009 ) .

Is this problematic context, it has conducted an investigation (Fondecyt Project Nº11110455) to establish the similarities and differences that are manifested in the beliefs and practices with ICT made by professors and students in initial training of teachers from some Chilean universities. The objectives of the study were: (i) identify the pedagogical beliefs of professors and students for teaching careers and the value of ICT as a learning medium, (ii) systematic descriptions over different practices with ICT reported by professors and students for teaching careers with different pedagogical beliefs , and (iii) characterize the relationship between beliefs and practices according to informed pedagogical typology of informants.

The results show some differences in the way that professors and students of initial teacher training think and use ICT, a situation that contributes to understanding the training gap of future teachers

Method

The research design used is mixed, sequential explanatory type (Creswell, 2009; Teddlie and Tashakkori, 2009), and was organized in three stages. The first was the development and implementation of a questionnaire structured to identify the levels and forms of uses, the level of innovation and beliefs about the role of ICT in teaching and learning (Garrido & Ponce, 2012). The items of the questionnaire were developed based on the results obtained in a previous study (doctoral thesis) about beliefs and the phenomenon of ICT performed at 24 informants (Garrido, 2010) and adaptation of matrix about teaching and technological skills proposed to measure the appropriation of ICT in educational contexts (Mei-Chuen, Wang and Lin, 2012). The application of the questionnaire was made a national sample of students of Initial teaching training in primary education carrers (N = 732) and professor of those carrers (N = 114) in 22 Chilean universities. The questionnaire results allow to respond to the first research objective. The second step was to select informants from the various groups of pedagogical beliefs obtained after the application of questionnaire, by the method of theoretical sampling. These informants answered a semi-structured interview protocol designed to obtain detailed descriptions of "best" practices in teaching or learning undertaken with the use of ICT. By way of contrasting, protocol interviews also inquired those practices considered "bad" by the informants. This application included a 40 professors and 46 students. The results allow to respond to the second research objective. The third stage, analytical, involved analyzing the relationship between pedagogical beliefs and usual practices described. Use two ways: first, compare within each identified pedagogical beliefs group; second, compare between the clusters obtained. This analysis was for characterize the type of technology used, the setting and organization of the practice and the role of the participants. The results allow to respond to the third research objective.

Expected Outcomes

The general results of research are the next: Pedagogical beliefs. Professors: 50.0% with constructivist pedagogical principles. 21.4% with active learning principles. 19.0% with principles of constructionist learning, and only 2.6% with directive learning principles. Students: the 38.52% believe in constructionists pedagogical principles. The 27.46% in active learning. The 21.04% in the constructivist learning and only 2.6% in the principles of managerial learning. Practical descriptions. Professors: the main use is presentation software (Power Point or Prezi), the use of email to communicate, using the google search engine as a means of interaction with information and the use of videos / images to enrich the information used in the classroom. Students: they differentiate between descriptions of their university classes, which include the use of presentations (power point or prezi) by their teachers; and descriptions of educational activities outside the classroom that relate to individual and group actions, especially, collaborative virtual work. Conclusion. The results obtained indicate that students reflect a greater distance between what they expect (want) and innovation with ICTs in their training and who experience (described) in their training practices, this is greater as their expectations are related to beliefs constructivist or constructionist pedagogical and / or use of digital technologies for collaborative activities and self-employment. In the case of professors, we can see that there is more continuity between their pedagogical beliefs and their practice description. This leads to the conclusion that students expect a more innovative use of ICT, because their pedagogical beliefs foster greater collaboration and new location of where do tasks. This differentiates them from their teachers.

References

Conlon, T. & Simpson, M. (2003). “Silicon Valley verses Silicon Glen: the impact of computers upon teaching and learning: a comparative study”. British Journal of Educational Technology, 34(2), 137-150. John W. Creswell. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage. Garrido, J. y Ponce, C. (2012). Inventory of ICT beliefs in initial teacher training: Toll for identify trends of innovation. Proceedings of ICERI 2012 Conference (pp.3104-3112), 19th-21st November. Madrid. Garrido Miranda, J. M. (2010). Creencias sobre el rol de las tecnologías de información y comunicación en la formación inicial de docentes: explorando las diferencias entre estudiantes y docentes universitarios. Universidad de Barcelona. Kozma, R. B. (2005). National policies that connect ICT-based education reform to economic and social development. Human Technology: An interdisciplinary journal on humans in ICT environments, 1(2), 117-156. Kozma, R. B. (2008). Comparative analysis of policies for ICT in education. In International handbook of information technology in primary and secondary education (pp. 1083-1096). Springer US. OCDE. (2009). ICT and initial teacher training. Paris: CERI. Pelgrum, W. J., & Law, N. (2003). ICT in education around the world: Trends, problems and prospects. Unesco, International Institute for Educational Planning. Lin, J. M. C., Wang, P. Y., & Lin, I. (2012). Pedagogy* technology: A two‐dimensional model for teachers' ICT integration. British Journal of Educational Technology, 43(1), 97-108. Jimoyiannis, A., & Komis, V. (2007). Examining teachers’ beliefs about ICT in education: Implications of a teacher preparation programme. Teacher development, 11(2), 149-173. Rienties, B., Brouwer, N., & Lygo-Baker, S. (2013). The effects of online professional development on higher education teachers' beliefs and intentions towards learning facilitation and technology. Teaching and Teacher Education, 29, 122-131. Lim, C. P., & Chai, C. S. (2008). Teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and their planning and conduct of computer‐mediated classroom lessons. British Journal of Educational Technology, 39(5), 807-828. UNESCO. (2003). Building capacity of teachers/facilitators in technology-pedagogy integration for improved teaching and learning (Final Report). Bangkok: UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education. Zhao, Y., & Frank, K. (2003). Factors affecting technology uses in schools: an ecological perspective. American educational research journal, 40 (winter)(4), 807-840. Hargreaves, A. (2003). Enseñar en la sociedad del conocimiento. Barcelona: Octaedro. Marcelo, C. (2009). El profesorado principiante: Inserción a la docencia. Barcelona: Octaedro. Tashakkori, A., & Teddlie, C. (2009). Integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches to research. Handbook of Applied Social Research Methods. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 283-317.

Author Information

Jose Miguel Garrido-Miranda (presenting / submitting)

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso

School of Education

Viña del Mar

Sonia Pino

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile

Valentina Haas