ICT as an instructional tool for in-service teachers : influence of classroom practice

Abstract

The rapid expansion of the knowledge society, due mainly to the ubiquity and access of ICT, places a demand on teachers to meet the challenges by acquiring the knowledge needed to make effective use of technology in the classroom. As key players in the education process to achieve transformed pedagogical practices, teachers must develop technological pedagogical skills to effectively integrate ICT into their teaching repertoire. In this regard, pre- and in-service training quality are crucial in preparing teachers for technology integration. This study explored the influence of ICT as an instruction tool on the classroom practice of in-service teachers, utilising a case study approach and Activity Theory principles as a theoretical lens. Qualitative methods were employed to capture data through interviews, observations, and document analysis. Data was analysed using content analysis to understand in-service teachers’ constructions about learning through ICT and how it influenced their classroom practice. The investigation of the influence of ICT as an instructional tool for in-service teachers yielded unique patterns of their ICT learning-teaching experiences. The findings were threefold. First, the ICT learning experiences of the in-service teachers changed their perspective towards teaching and learning with ICT in their classrooms. This significant finding suggests that the in-service teachers developed technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK) as an unintended outcome of their learning experiences, transforming their classroom practice. Second, the teacher participants mirrored their lecturers’ use of ICT in their classroom practices. This experience created affordances for the in-service teacher trainees to learn “how to teach pedagogically with ICT” rather than just “about ICT”. Third, the in-service teachers displayed professional resilience to pursue the use of ICT and transform their practice in under-resourced and very constrained school conditions.

Keywords: ICT, teacher training, in-service teachers, pedagogy, mirroring, unintended