factors determining the pre-service and in-service teachers’ continuous use of technology after...
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This paper was presented at ISATT annual conference held in Ghent, Belgium from 1st to 5th July 2013.TRANSCRIPT
Factors determining the pre-service and in-service teachers’ continuous use of technology after participation in professional development
Ayoub Kafyulilo,
Dar es salaam University College of Education,
Petra Fisser and Joke VoogtUniversity of Twente.
This paper was presented at ISATT conference held in Ghent, Belgium from 1-5th July 2013
Introduction
Efforts to introduce ICT in education in Tanzania started in 1997 when the first ICT syllabus was introduced in schools.
Up to 2002, most of the schools and teacher training colleges were equipped with technology tools such as computers, radio and TVs.
Introduction
Although technology was available in schools since 1997, its uses for teaching and learning was low.
Teachers’ limited knowledge and skills of integrating technology in teaching was one of the reason for low technology uptake
A professional development involving a workshop, collaborative design in teams, lesson implementation and reflection was introduced from 2010 to 2012 among pre-service and in-service teachers
Introduction
The focus of most professional development projects is on the effects that continue some years after its termination (Harvey & Hurworth, 2006).
The current study was conducted to investigate whether or not, teachers continued to use technology in teaching, after the end of the professional development arrangement.
Conceptual model
Building from literature, the following conceptual model was developed and used in this study
A conceptual model for the determinants of the teachers’ continuous use of technology
Research questions
Two research questions guided this study
Are pre-service and in-service teachers who previously attended the professional development program still using technology in science and mathematics teaching?
What are the professional development, personal, institutional, and technological factors that affect the teachers’ continuous use of technology in science and mathematics teaching?
Participants
The participants in this study were:
13 teachers who participated in the study in 2010 as pre-service teachers
29 in-service teachers from three secondary schools which are presented anonymously as:
School A, who participated in the study in spring 2011,
School B and School C who participated in the study in spring 2012.
Two data collection instruments were used: a questionnaire and an interview.
Data analysis
Means and standard deviations were computed to determine the extent of the continuation of the use of technology in teaching.
A regression analysis was conducted to establish the model of the predictability of the continuous use technology in teaching.
Qualitative data were transcribed and coded by using the codes generated from the study’s theoretical framework (deductive coding)
Findings
Teachers’ continuous use of technology in teaching after the professional development arrangement was;
High (M ≥ 4) for pre-service and school B teachers,
Above average for school C teachers (M > 3.0), and
Average for school A teachers (M ≈ 3.0) in a five point Likert scale.
The regression models for the factors predicting the continuous use of technology in teaching were developed for each factor
Professional development factors
The regression analysis verified that; Approximately 16% of the variances were attributed to the
opportunity for continuous learning,
22% were attributed to the teachers’ perceived value of the PD.
The predictability increased to 23% when the perceived value of PD and the opportunity for continuous learning were combined.
The regression model for professional development factor was; Continuous use of technology predicted = Constant + 0.41 Value of the PD
Personal factors
The regression analysis verified that approximately; 32.6% of the variances were attributed to knowledge and skills,
4% were attributed to the teachers’ belief
4% were attributed to time and
8% to engagement.
The predictability increased to 33.4% when engagement, and knowledge and skills were combined.
The regression model for personal factors was; Continuous use of technology predicted = 0.54 Knowledge and skills
Institutional factors
The regression analysis verified that approximately 28% of the variances were attributed to the access to technology.
22% were attributed to the support offered by the school administration
0% were attributed to the environment.
The predictability increased to 33% when support and access were combined.
The regression model for the institutional factors was; Continuous use of technology predicted = Constant + 0.40 Access + 0.36
Support
Technological factors
The regression analysis verified that approximately 17% of the variances were attributed to the effectiveness of technology
in teaching, and
44% were attributed to the ease of use of technology.
When the effectiveness and ease of use were combined the predictability of the continuous use of technology in teaching was 44%.
The regression model for technological factors was;
Continuous use of technology predicted = Constant + 0.71 Ease of use
Combined model of professional development, personal, institutional and technological factors
The regression analysis verified that approximately 33% of the variances were attributed to knowledge and skills,
28% to access,
22% to support,
22% to the perceived value of the professional development, and
44% to the ease of use.
48% when knowledge and skills were combined with access,
51% when knowledge and skills, access and support were combined
55% when the knowledge and skills, access and ease of use were combined.
Combined model
The regression analysis further verified that, The combination of the perceived value of PD, knowledge and skills,
access and ease of use, did not change the percentage of predictability.
Therefore a combined model of the factors determining the teachers’ continuous use of technology in teaching was;
Continuous use of technology predicted = 0.25 Knowledge and skills +
0.30 Access + 0.37 ease of use
Findings - interview
Although in some schools there were computers, their use for teaching was prohibited (availability vs. accessibility)
Teachers who had support from their management were the most likely to integrate technology in teaching
Teachers differed on the perceived ease of use of technology.
To some technology is easy to use,
Others difficult during the design, and
To few the ease of use depends on the type of technology
Majority of teachers reported to have a good knowledge of technology, but some of them had forgotten and needed a rehearsal before use
Conclusions and discussion
From the model, the conditions for teachers’ continuous use of technology in teaching are: knowledge and skills, accessibility and the ease of use.
Conclusions and discussion
Although support was not a significant predictor, we consider it essential for teachers’ continuous use of technology in teaching.
From the findings, teachers who were supported by their management had better implementation than those who were not supported.
The model is based only on regression analysis. Future studies should involve high level of analysis such as structural equation modelling.
Future studies should identify the effectiveness of the professional development when the conditions identified in this study are met.
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