Publication: Collegial in-house learning system to sustain the IT education reform in a school
Date
2004
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The Ministry of Education has introduced major information technology (IT) educational reforms in recent years with the objective of creating an IT-based teaching and learning environment in every school, so that the youth of Singapore can be equipped with skills that are critical for the future - creative thinking, the ability to learn independently and continuously, and effective communication. The IT reforms that have been introduced - IT Masterplan 1 (IT MP1) in 1997 and IT Masterplan 2 (IT MP2) in 2002 - are geared towards creating a highly skilled workforce that will thrive on global rapid technological and economic changes.<br><br>In the early stages of IT implementation, and still to a large extent even now, teachers were sent for staff development programs to equip them with skills and knowledge for IT integration into the curriculum. Implementation of IT in schools was largely top-down in nature with the responsibility for planning staff training and student activities residing with the school leaders and a few members of the school's middle management.<br><br>This was effective during the initial phases of IT MP1. The limitations of top-down approach of staff training and IT implementation became apparent, however with introduction of new constructivist teaching methods and IT MP2 initiatives. In the earlier years of IT educational reforms, the learning outcomes were largely traditional and measured by traditional assessments. The learning outcomes and experiences of IT MP2 activities, however, were not and could not be assessed by this predominant assessment mode of traditional pen and paper and standardized tests. Eventually, this led to a situation whereby the teachers in the researched school wavered in their support and understanding of IT implementation and curriculum integration.<br><br>An intervention system, called the Collegial In-house Learning System, was designed and implemented to improve teachers' attitudes and behaviours towards the IT educational reform in the school. The Collegial In-house Learning System was a staff development programme based on development of learning communities, and was characterized by the sharing of IT skills and knowledge through an informal setting via the school informal staff network. It was based on volunteerism and collaboration amongst teachers whereby some teachers volunteered to be "in-house trainers' and offered to enthuse, cajole and initiate their peers to learn and explore with them on the integration of IT for education.<br><br>This participatory action research study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Collegial In-house Learning System in consideration of the following:<br><br>1. To explain and evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention system to bring about positive changes in the attitudes and behaviours of the teachers towards the school implementation of the IT educational reform, and<br>2. To monitor the spread of peer networking through the intervention system.<br><br>Research instruments consisted of pre- and post- programme quantitative questionnaires interviews with teachers to explain and elaborate the quantitative results, and network diffusion maps to chart the spread of peer networking.<br><br>The research was conducted in a school with 95 teachers and a student enrolment of 2450.<br><br>The results revealed that the Collegial In-house Learning System was generally effective.<br><br>The findings of this study would be useful to school leaders, who would like to seek alternative strategies to complement the still necessary and important top-down approaches to sustain the IT MP2 educational reforms.