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How pre -service teachers incorporate technology into lessons during their practice teaching experience: An intrinsic case study
Abstract
How to prepare students to teach has long been a subject of debate and research. Finding the right formula to incorporate coursework, field experiences, technology and assessment so that a level of competency is achieved leading to certification has been at the center of that debate and research of teacher preparation programs. Very little has been done to determine the effectiveness of the technology aspect of their pre-service training. Instructional technology was defined for this study as anything that is accessed through or connected to a computer. Requiring students to meet technology standards judged as appropriate for teachers is becoming more common. But the effectiveness in preparing them to use technology in their teaching is what we, as educators needed to understand. Little information has been disseminated in the literature about pre-service teachers' use of technology in their practice teaching experience. Pre-service teachers involved in their practice teaching experiences at three different levels—elementary, middle and high school, were studied. Of particular interest were their experiences of incorporating technology into the lessons taught in the practice teaching settings to which they had been assigned. Participants were purposefully selected because of their pre-service training in technology, their availability and their willingness to participate in the study. Data collection was through observations, interviews and the review of related documents. Data analysis was conducted simultaneously with the data collection. Emerging themes were sorted and coded to provide a framework for the writing. Member checks, an external audit and triangulation all validated the findings. Limiting the generalizability of the findings to this group and limiting the possibility of replicating the study served as validation also. The confidentiality of the participants was protected by the use of pseudonyms. The findings will be especially helpful in the reform of teacher preparation programs and to those who are responsible for hiring teachers. The themes identified in this study that influenced the use of instructional technology by the pre-service teachers were personal enjoyment, student interest, teacher preparation programs, modeling by the cooperating teacher and access. Recommendations include teaching the use of technology in the content area of teacher preparation programs; screening cooperating teachers for instructional technology competencies; modeling by university professors; and a follow up study of these participants to determine the impact of the cooperating teacher's role in shaping their teaching practices.
Subject Area
Educational software|Teacher education
Recommended Citation
Springer, Pamela Lynn, "How pre -service teachers incorporate technology into lessons during their practice teaching experience: An intrinsic case study" (2000). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9977024.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9977024