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A study of the conditions that facilitate teachers' effort in integrating information technology into the curriculum
Author
Sin, Moy Luang
Supervisor
Lee, Ong Kim
Abstract
The education world has become a much more hectic place than it used to be. Teachers need to keep pace with the waves of changes, one of which is the integration of information technology (IT) into the teaching-learning process.
The study involved teachers of an institute under the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) who have embarked on integrating IT into their classroom teaching-learning process. The younger teachers are enthusiastic about the change. The older teachers, on the other hand, seem hesitant. The ITE management has implemented several measures to provide the conditions necessary for the integration of IT into classroom instruction. For management effort to be more effective, there is a need to have a better understanding on how teachers are responding to the changes.
The primary focus of this study is to examine the conditions that facilitate teachers' effort in integrating IT into the curriculum in one of the ITE technical institutes. The study seeks to reach out to all teachers in the institute. A quantitative research methodology was adopted.
A questionnaire survey was administered to all the teachers in the chosen institute as of year 2001. The survey yielded demographic and teacher background information. Teachers were required to select the motivators that would facilitate their efforts in integrating IT from a list of 20 motivators and indicate other factors that would facilitate their efforts in the open-ended questions.
Findings showed that intrinsic motivators were more popular than extrinsic motivators. For extrinsic motivators, enabling motivators ranked more highly than reward motivators. Being teachers whose primary focus is 'training for jobs', 'seeing' how technology is being used at workplace (industry) is their primary concern, as this would enable them to implement IT suitably. The age of teachers and the provision of personal laptop computers were found to have significant effects of teachers' motivation in integrating IT.
Computer knowledge alone will not be enough to conduct innovative teaching. Good teaching practices is the key. It is important that teachers are adept in both technology skills and constructive, collaborative practices. Teachers who are unsure about what students should be learning will not do well with technology implementation. Teachers must learn to work together. The school environment must be where all can benefit. School leadership will increasingly require leadership in IT and teachers must become agents of change, actively engaged in design, development and innovative application of IT in teaching and research.
The future of the nation relies upon the ability of the educational system to provide trained and capable personnel; the teaching profession is a key institution of nation building. Clarifying and understanding the conditions under which ITE teachers may be more effectively motivated would be useful in the implementation of national goals. Hence, the findings of this study could be of use to ITE management because they would provide valuable insight into how best to motivate teachers, the most important professional human resource of all.
The study involved teachers of an institute under the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) who have embarked on integrating IT into their classroom teaching-learning process. The younger teachers are enthusiastic about the change. The older teachers, on the other hand, seem hesitant. The ITE management has implemented several measures to provide the conditions necessary for the integration of IT into classroom instruction. For management effort to be more effective, there is a need to have a better understanding on how teachers are responding to the changes.
The primary focus of this study is to examine the conditions that facilitate teachers' effort in integrating IT into the curriculum in one of the ITE technical institutes. The study seeks to reach out to all teachers in the institute. A quantitative research methodology was adopted.
A questionnaire survey was administered to all the teachers in the chosen institute as of year 2001. The survey yielded demographic and teacher background information. Teachers were required to select the motivators that would facilitate their efforts in integrating IT from a list of 20 motivators and indicate other factors that would facilitate their efforts in the open-ended questions.
Findings showed that intrinsic motivators were more popular than extrinsic motivators. For extrinsic motivators, enabling motivators ranked more highly than reward motivators. Being teachers whose primary focus is 'training for jobs', 'seeing' how technology is being used at workplace (industry) is their primary concern, as this would enable them to implement IT suitably. The age of teachers and the provision of personal laptop computers were found to have significant effects of teachers' motivation in integrating IT.
Computer knowledge alone will not be enough to conduct innovative teaching. Good teaching practices is the key. It is important that teachers are adept in both technology skills and constructive, collaborative practices. Teachers who are unsure about what students should be learning will not do well with technology implementation. Teachers must learn to work together. The school environment must be where all can benefit. School leadership will increasingly require leadership in IT and teachers must become agents of change, actively engaged in design, development and innovative application of IT in teaching and research.
The future of the nation relies upon the ability of the educational system to provide trained and capable personnel; the teaching profession is a key institution of nation building. Clarifying and understanding the conditions under which ITE teachers may be more effectively motivated would be useful in the implementation of national goals. Hence, the findings of this study could be of use to ITE management because they would provide valuable insight into how best to motivate teachers, the most important professional human resource of all.
Date Issued
2002
Call Number
LB1028.5 Sin
Date Submitted
2002