Teachers, pedagogy and professional development - Teaching with Technologies: The Essential Guide - page 90

Factors hindering teachers' uses of technology
It is important to identify the factors known to inhibit teachers' use of technology:
these can be classified as material or cultural . The former refers to artefacts, like com-
puters or finance, the latter refers to the prevailing practice and values surrounding
technology. These two types of barrier can be further analysed as external , first-order
barriers, such as lack of resources, lack of technical support, and internal , second-
order barriers, such as teachers' approaches, resistance to technology and forming
cultural barriers. Additionally, attention must be given to the broader ecology of
how these factors interact. Jones (2004) argued it is the complex relationships between
these that are in need of further research. To this end, Younie (2007) investigated the
multidimensionality of integrating technology into professional practice, specific-
ally the material and socio-cultural factors affecting teachers' pedagogical take-up of
technology.
Historically, technology has suffered from masculine, cultural connotations,
which Somekh and Davies (1997) thought led to 'cultural alienation' as a problem fac-
ing schools trying to promote the use of computers in the 1990s, because it was seen
as predominantly male and overtly technical at that time. More recent forms of cul-
tural alienation experienced by teachers pertain to pupils being perceived as digital
natives, where they are seen to be more technology savvy than teachers. With respect
to the research studies, which examined why teachers do not use technology in their
teaching, the following inhibitors were identified (from, Dupagne and Krendle 1992;
Winnans and Brown 1992; Hadley and Sheingold 1993; Rosen and Weil 1995; Leask
and Younie 2000; Pelgrum 2001):
· Lack of technology availability
· Lack of teaching experience with technology
· Lack of classroom-based support for teachers using technology
· Time investment required to successfully integrate technology into the
curriculum
· Lack of in-service training to develop teacher technology skills and confidence
· Inadequate financial support.
Interestingly, Pelgrum (2001) conducted an international comparative survey of the
obstacles to technology integration and found the same factors consistently emerged
across all 24 countries in the research; namely the lack of computers and the lack of
technology knowledge among teachers. While Pelgrum's results were from a 'world-
wide assessment', the UK was not a participating country. However, Opie and Fuku-
yo's (2000) research in the UK did discover that inhibiting the use of technology was
also a lack of resources and training as Pelgrum had found. OECD research (Leask
2001), which tested Rogers' theory of diffusion of innovations against the model for
adoption of technologies in innovative schools worldwide, found a 'fright and flight'
phenomena operating in UK schools, where teachers who were not comfortable with
technologies soon left leading schools where technology adoption was expected
of the staff. This movement of technologically illiterate staff to other schools can