An analysis of the integration of instructional technology in pre-service teacher education in Zimbabwe

In the context of continuous innovations in information and communication technology (ICT) and its impact on higher education, this study explored the integration of instructional technology (IT) by university lecturers in pre-service secondary school teacher education programs in Zimbabwe. Specifically, the study examined how lecturers integrate IT into their instruction, and the constraints they face. Twenty-one lecturers in the colleges of education at three universities participated. The data collection methods used are questionnaires, interviews and analysis of documents. Analysis of data was inductive, employing Miles and Huberman’s interactive data analysis model. Findings show that lecturers’ computer proficiency and competencies were at the basic level in Internet usage, with little confidence shown in basic productivity software skills and in IT integration tasks and processes. The lecturers’ integration of IT was at the Entry and Adoption stages. Institutional support was characterized by poor availability and access to appropriate technological tools by both lecturers and students, and in the context of a hyper-inflationary operating environment, constraints ranged from lack of institutional funding, to the absence of an IT integration policy framework, and the lack of appropriate initial and continuous staff development. This study is part of the nucleus of instructional technology research in the Zimbabwean context. It is hoped that insights gleaned will influence policy, practice and future research. From a global perspective, this study will add to the limited knowledge and literature on instructional technology integration in “developing” and/or low-income countries like Zimbabwe.     

Modelling by teacher educators

A desirable professional competency of teacher educators is the ability to explicitly model for their students, the thoughts and actions that underpin one's pedagogical approach. However desirable, the articulation of knowledge of practice is a difficult and complex task that demands considerable awareness of oneself, pedagogy and students. This article explores the nature and development of explicit modelling by two teacher educators in the context of a preservice education programme in an Australian University. The article illustrates how through their collaborative self-study, the teacher educator/authors have begun to conceptualise a pedagogy of teacher education that is based on learning from the experience of ‘being explicit’.     

Adoption of information communication technology by teacher educators: one-on-one coaching

Abstract

Research evidence suggests teacher educators who role model the use of information communication technology (ICT) in their practice help their students build confidence and competence as ICT users. This research finding is also supported by feedback from Louisiana Tech University students in teacher education. Research also indicates that a number of factors impact the adoption of ICT in the practice of teacher educators. This research has examined one of these factors, namely the benefits of one-on-one coaching for teacher educators by technology coaches as they worked together to learn to use technology. Participants included 33 teacher educators from Louisiana Tech University and 14 pre-service teachers. The pre-service teachers served as technology coaches and worked with the teacher educators in their offices and classrooms as they learned to use technology for their personal benefit and to integrate technology into their teaching. Interviews and observations indicated that coaches as well as teacher educators benefited from the relationship and both groups increased their technology competency.     

The role of teacher instructional practices in student collaboration

Prior research on collaborative learning identifies student behaviors that significantly predict student achievement, such as giving explanations of one’s thinking. Less often studied is the role of teachers’ instructional practices in collaboration among students. This article investigates the extent to which teachers engage in practices that support students’ explanations of their thinking, and how these teacher practices might be related to the nature of explanations that students give when asked by the teacher to collaborate with each other. The teachers observed here, all of whom received specific instruction in eliciting the details of student thinking, varied significantly in the extent to which they asked students to elaborate on their suggestions. This variation corresponded to variation across classrooms in the nature and extent of student explanations during collaborative conversations and to differences in student achievement.     

Conceptions of school-based teacher educators concerning ongoing teacher education

In this work we describe and analyze the conceptions of 28 teacher educators on the principles, contents, methods, and evaluation of ongoing teacher education, taking the model of teacher-researcher as the theoretical referent. The data obtained with an Inventory of Beliefs on Teacher Education were submitted to classical statistical and to multifactorial analyses. The statistical analysis showed that most of the subjects agree that ongoing teacher education has to be developed around problems of professional practice and in contexts of curricular innovation, and disagree with a technical model of this education developed around academic disciplines. The multifactorial analysis identified four factors which together account for more than 50% of the variance, and which generally reaffirm these tendencies.     

Institutional racism and anti-racism in teacher education: perspectives of teacher educators

This paper focuses on the issue of institutional racism in the Irish education system. Drawing on insights from Critical Race Theory, the views of a sample of teacher educators in the Republic of Ireland were sought in relation to the existence of institutional racism in the Irish post-primary system and the extent to which anti-racism permeates teacher education programmes. Findings suggest the need for a form of deep engagement with anti-racism issues in the education of student teachers and the difficulties of doing so in the current structure of the Postgraduate Diploma in Education.     

Research and professional development of teacher educators

Over the last decade teacher educators have started to systematically study the processes involved in their efforts to improve their teacher education practices. This research by teacher educators (self‐study research) has made an enormous contribution to the professional development of the teacher educators involved. Many teacher educators, however, have neither the time nor the knowledge to systematically study their own practices. In the light of this situation, the authors of this article have tried to devise other research strategies to support the professional development of teacher educators. The three studies presented in this article can be described as research with teacher educators. In closing, and based on the reflection on the three studies, five characteristics of productive research with teacher educators are presented.

Au cours des dix dernières années, les formateurs d'enseignants ont commencé à étudier systématiquement les processus impliqués dans les efforts qu'ils déployaient pour perfectionner leurs pratiques de formation d'enseignants. Cette recherche (étude individuelle) effectuée par des formateurs d'enseignants montre qu'elle contribue énormément au perfectionnement professionnel des formateurs. Il convient de signaler toutefois que plusieurs formateurs ne disposent ni du temps ni des connaissances qui leur permettraient d'étudier leurs pratiques professionnelles de manière systématique. C'est dans le cadre de cette situation que les auteurs du présent article se sont efforcés de concevoir d'autres stratégies de recherche pour soutenir le perfectionnement professionnel des formateurs d'enseignants. Les trois études présentées dans l'article peuvent être décrites comme étant des recherches entreprises avec des formateurs d'enseignants. Pour conclure, cinq caractéristiques de recherche productive avec des formateurs sont développées à partir de la réflexion des trois études.

En la última década, los formadores de docentes han empezado a estudiar sistemáticamente los procesos implicados en sus esfuerzos por mejorar las prácticas de formación de docentes. Esta investigación realizada por los propios formadores de docentes (investigación de autoestudio) ha demostrado contribuir enormemente a su desarrollo profesional. Sin embargo, muchos formadores de docentes no disponen de tiempo ni de conocimientos para estudiar sus propias prácticas de forma sistemática. En vista de esta situación, los autores del presente artículo han intentado diseñar otras estrategias de investigación para apoyar el desarrollo profesional de los formadores de docentes. Los tres estudios presentados en este artículo pueden describirse como una investigación con formadores de docentes. Para finalizar, y partiendo de la reflexión sobre estos tres estudios, se presentan cinco características de la investigación productiva con formadores de docentes.

In der letzten Dekade haben die Lehrerausbilder begonnen, systematisch die Prozesse zu erforschen, die zur Verbesserung ihrer Handlungsweise im Lehrerausbildungsbereich erforderlich sind. Diese von Lehrerausbildern durchgeführte Forschung (Selbststudienforschung) leistet einen bedeutenden Beitrag zur beruflichen Entwicklung der betroffenen Lehrerausbilder. Viele Lehrerausbilder haben jedoch weder die Zeit noch die Kenntnisse, ihre eigene Handlungsweise systematisch zu erforschen. In diesem Licht betrachtet haben die Autoren dieses Artikels versucht, andere Forschungsstrategien zu erarbeiten, um die berufliche Entwicklung von Lehrerausbildern zu unterstützen. Die drei in diesem Artikel vorgelegten Studien können als Forschung mit Lehrerausbildern bezeichnet werden. Abschließend und basierend auf der Reflexion über die drei Studien werden fünf charakteristische Merkmale produktiver Forschung mit Lehrerausbildern vorgelegt.     

The proper study of instructional technology

This is the 10th ERIC/ECTJ Annual Review Paper, preparation of which was supported by the ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) Clearinghouse on Information Resources, Syracuse University. The material in this article was prepared pursuant to a contract with the National Institute of Education, U.S. Department of Education. Contractors undertaking such projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their judgment in professional and technical matters. Points of view or opinions do not necessarily represent the official view or opinion of the NIE. - Ed.     

Teacher Education Policy in South Africa: The voice of teacher educators

Teacher educators in a post-apartheid South Africa are being asked to re-conceptualise and re-design their pre-service teacher education programmes to respond to new national policies on teacher education. A sample of teacher educators from various teacher education institutions was interviewed about their understanding, support for and implementation of the new policy and the problems they have faced in making it a reality. This article comments on the potential tension between reform through legislation and reform through personal and institutional vision-building.     

The pursuit of useable knowledge in instructional technology

The object of inquiry in instructional technology is not simply knowledge, but useable knowledge. This paper explores the dimensions of relevance with respect to research and suggests ways the research community can accommodate the needs and interests of practicing professionals in the field. Research relevance is examined as a reflection of: (a) practitioner and disciplinary values; (b) perceived credibility, viewed in terms of authenticity, methods employed, and replicability; and (c) perceptions of utility based upon the concrete nature of the findings. Specific recommendations relate to expanding the range of topics addressed in our research, expanding the range of research methods employed, orienting our research communication to specific practitioner communities, conducting research under natural conditions, replicating research, and establishing links between abstract and concrete findings. Finally, the role of the practitioner as an educated consumer of research is discussed.     

The making of personal meaning: Some thoughts for teacher educators

Much of the focus in schools today is on teaching critical thinking skills. This article challenges the current practice of teaching thinking as a set of skills and procedures. We propose a more thoughtful way of encouraging learners to make personal meaning of what they are learning by searching for insight, making connections between their past and present learning experiences, and using reflection as a tool for gaining understanding, all of which we do quite naturally.This article focusses on the experience of one post-secondary teacher as she attempts to take a more thoughtful approach to her practice with a class of student teachers. Specific ideas for assisting students in using reflection as a learning tool for furthering understanding and for promoting thoughtfulness are provided.