Singapore student teachers’ intentions and practices in integrating technology in their teaching
The purpose of this study is to investigate the development of student teachers' intentions and practices in integrating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into teaching. Data was collected before and after the ICT course on their intentions to use ICT in future teaching, and after the two practicum school attachments to find out their practices in integrating ICT during their student teaching. The results showed that student teachers' intentions to integrate ICT were positive before and after the ICT course. There was a significant decrease in their practices to integrate ICT as an administrative tool and a student learning tool during the first practicum attachment. However, there were significant increases in their ICT practices during their second practicum attachment. The student teachers also reported positive overall attitude towards the use of ICT in teaching throughout their two-year teacher education programme.
Learning in the 21st century
This chapter discusses changes in perspectives about teaching and learning, as well as our state-of-the-art knowledge about ways to optimize learning in the 21st century. Researchers and educators suggested the need to change teaching and learning practices from those that cater to the Industrial Age to those that are aligned with the Knowledge Age. It involves changing roles, such as teachers acting as facilitators and co-learners and students taking more ownership in learning. This chapter will also discuss principles to optimise learning for 21st-century competencies using technologies.
Engaging preservice teachers in reflexive practice: Developing embodied understanding of technology integration
This paper reports the qualitative findings of a two-year study aimed at investigating the process and impact of video technology-aided and researcher-guided reflection on seven preservice teachers’ learning to teach with information technology (IT). Video technology and guided reflection could afford the participants to develop their embodied understanding about technology-enhanced pedagogy and positively impact their future actions. However, dialogic understanding from guided reflection was found most crucial for preservice teachers to unsettle previously held assumptions, reconstruct new understandings, and consequently could prepare them to be thoughtful for future actions. Implications for teacher education are discussed.
Teachers’ perceptions of engaging students in self-directed learning and collaborative learning in Singapore classrooms
The purpose of the paper is to investigate the development of teachers’ perceptions towards engaging students in self-directed learning (SDL) and collaborative learning (CoL) activities, and with the support of information and communication technology (ICT) in classrooms. More than 4000 teachers’ perceptions towards engaging students in SDL and CoL activities were collected through an online survey from 2010 to 2013. The findings showed an upward trend in their perceptions in SDL, SDL with ICT and CoL with ICT. Further analysis of the 2013 data showed that there were some significant differences across different levels (i.e.: primary, secondary, and junior college levels). These findings suggest professional development areas that could further support teachers in integrating SDL and CoL activities in class.
Enhancing preservice teachers’ professional growth through reflections using videos
Premised on situated cognition, this study focused on developing preservice teachers’ understanding and performances in technology-based pedagogies during the formal coursework at NIE and during their field placements. A mixed-method research design was proposed. This study aimed to contribute to the field of technology-based pedagogy and preservice teachers’ education.
The first objective was to track if there were any changes in preservice teachers’ technology competency, perceptions and practice in the use of ICT for classroom teaching and learning. This was done by collecting quantitative survey data from a cohort of 300 preservice teachers in the Diploma in Education (Primary) programme at four different points throughout their initial teacher education programme. The research questions were:
What are the changes of the preservice teachers’ intentions to integrate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in their future teaching?
What are the changes of the preservice teachers’ practices to integrate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in their 5-week Teaching Assistantship and 10-week Teaching Practice?
The second objective was to investigate a small group of 14 preservice teachers’ process of constructing their understanding of technology-based pedagogy throughout their initial teacher education programme.
Nurturing preservice teachers’ understanding of technology-enhanced pedagogy through reflection
This paper reports the preliminary qualitative findings of the first-year phase from a two-year study, in which we aimed to investigate: 1) the preservice teachers' knowledge, attitudes and use of Information Technology (ICT) for classroom teaching and learning, and 2) their learning from reflection upon their use of ICT throughout their two-year initial preparation program. The major first-year findings showed that all the 14 participants demonstrated a gain in ICT knowledge and skills and register positive changes in their beliefs in and attitudes toward using ICT for classroom teaching and learning. Their use of ICT, however, varied greatly from using ICT as a presentation tool to support their instruction to engaging their students in using ICT to work on the authentic tasks. The participants’ reflection reinforced their perceptions of using ICT for classroom teaching and learning. The recommendations for engaging preservice teachers in reflection are discussed.
Self reflection and preservice teachers’ technological pedagogical knowledge: Promoting earlier adoption of student-centred pedagogies
The purpose of this paper is to present the qualitative findings relating to fourteen preservice teachers’ development and translation of their technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK) into their classroom practices throughout the first year of their teacher preparation program. It was found that all fourteen participants demonstrated a gain in both technological and pedagogical knowledge, and registered positive changes both in their pedagogical beliefs and their beliefs in using information and communication technology (ICT) to engage their students in active meaning making after an ICT course and an intervention workshop on reflection. There was, however, great variation in the ways that they used ICT in their first field placements: from using ICT as a presentation tool to complement or support their teaching, to engaging their students in using ICT as a cognitive tool to extend their students’ learning and knowledge construction. This variation was largely related to whether the participants could synergise their constructivist-oriented beliefs, technological knowledge and pedagogical knowledge. It seems that only the preservice teachers who demonstrated student-centric pedagogies and reflected on student learning showed more advanced development of TPK. Recommendations for engaging preservice teachers in reflection with a focus on student learning are discussed.