hubber-technologyandteachers-2007.pdf (258.51 kB)
Technology and teachers in rural schools : diversity and similarity
conference contribution
posted on 2007-01-01, 00:00 authored by Gail Chittleborough, Coral CampbellCoral Campbell, Peter Hubber, Russell TytlerRussell TytlerThis paper reports on a project situated in regional areas of Victoria in which 16 primary and secondary teachers participated in an intensive professional development program designed to assist them in embedding Information Communications Technology (ICT) into their classroom practice. The project provides some insight into the availability and use of current technological resources in the rural schools and examines the impact of an intensive professional development program on the implementation of ICT into the curriculum.
The results identified a large diversity of circumstances experienced by the schools in the project, not only in terms of ICT availability and use, and teacher experience, but also in more general issues of cultures of curriculum planning and integration, size, communication, and pedagogical presumptions. The successful integration of ICT into their pedagogical practice was influenced by a complex of factors including the availability of ICT resources, the teachers’ ICT skill level, the teachers’ ability and opportunity to integrate ICT in classroom, the level of support provided, both technical and pedagogical, and the curriculum requirements.
The results of the project have been positive with evidence of increased networking among the teachers, changes in teaching practice and increased teacher proficiency and awareness of ICT resources. The project has highlighted common difficulties that teachers experienced including frustrations with the unreliability of technology and a lack of time for necessary training and preparation. In response to the constraints, teachers have been resourceful and inventive in developing pedagogical strategies to aid the integration of ICT into their classroom practice.
The results identified a large diversity of circumstances experienced by the schools in the project, not only in terms of ICT availability and use, and teacher experience, but also in more general issues of cultures of curriculum planning and integration, size, communication, and pedagogical presumptions. The successful integration of ICT into their pedagogical practice was influenced by a complex of factors including the availability of ICT resources, the teachers’ ICT skill level, the teachers’ ability and opportunity to integrate ICT in classroom, the level of support provided, both technical and pedagogical, and the curriculum requirements.
The results of the project have been positive with evidence of increased networking among the teachers, changes in teaching practice and increased teacher proficiency and awareness of ICT resources. The project has highlighted common difficulties that teachers experienced including frustrations with the unreliability of technology and a lack of time for necessary training and preparation. In response to the constraints, teachers have been resourceful and inventive in developing pedagogical strategies to aid the integration of ICT into their classroom practice.
History
Event
National Centre of Science, Information and Communication Technology and Mathematics Education for Rural and Regional Australia (2007 : Armidale, N.S.W.)Pagination
29 - 42Publisher
National Centre of Science, Information and Communication Technology, and Mathematics Education for Rural and Regional AustraliaLocation
University of New England, Armidale, NSWPlace of publication
University of New England, Armidale, NSWStart date
2007-04-26End date
2007-04-28ISBN-13
9781921597015Language
engNotes
Reproduced with the specific permission of the copyright owner.Publication classification
E1 Full written paper - refereedCopyright notice
2007, University of New EnglandEditor/Contributor(s)
L GrahamTitle of proceedings
SiMERR 2007 : Proceedings of the 'Narrowing the gap: addressing educational disadvantage' conference : SiMERR National Conference University of New EnglandUsage metrics
Categories
No categories selectedKeywords
Licence
Exports
RefWorks
BibTeX
Ref. manager
Endnote
DataCite
NLM
DC