Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
5 Teachers, pedagogy and
professional development
Overview
This chapter considers the processes involved in teachers learning to use technol-
ogy for pedagogic purposes. How teachers come to understand the affordances
of a range of technologies for learning and teaching is more than a simple
case of 'technology training'. It is a complex process which involves teachers' sub-
ject content knowledge, pedagogical reasoning processes and understanding of
how technology affords opportunities for learning. Understanding this process of
teachers' 'technology knowledge' development, and possible changes to practice to
incorporate technology, also requires identification of the barriers teachers face, the
factors involved in supporting technology use and the stages teachers go through
when learning to use technology for professional purposes. Learning is at the heart
of the process of change, and understanding the learning paths of teachers requires
nuanced considerations of distributed cognition and situated learning. Social and
communal constructivist theories which take account of these have been developed
to explain effective models of professional development and knowledge manage-
ment (Leask and Younie 2001).
Introduction and context
Having investigated the ways in which technology can encourage greater interaction
and engagement in the learning process, through a consideration of technologies and
learning theories, attention will turn to the role of the teacher. This section is focused
on the ways in which teachers can scaffold learning experiences with technology
and incorporate these into their pedagogic practice. To understand how teachers
learn to do this, a consideration of the theories of distributed cognition, situated
learning, and social and communal constructivism will help illuminate the social
dimension of teachers learning to change practice.
If teachers are to be expected to be technologically competent, to understand how
to develop teaching and learning strategies that integrate technology, guidance about
new forms of pedagogic practice and professional development is required. Arguably,
while the techno-evangelists dream of a brave new world for learning, pragmatists
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