RESEARCH PAPER TEMPLATE

North American University

Education Department
M.Ed. in EDLE & CUIN
EDUC 5324: INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY INTO EDUCATION
Name:_Habibe Agdeniz_____

Date: ___9/21/2015_________________

Topic Selected:
Teachers need to be trained and go through professional development in order to
successfully implement technology into education.
1. LITERATURE REVIEW:
What does the literature/research say about this issue/topic? By using NAU
Library or Online Search engines, conduct a literature review.

You need to include 5 different sources (book, journal article, web article
etc.) in your review. Try to use current sources as much as possible.

You need to summarize and synthesize your sources by discussing a

common theme or issue.

You don't need to critique your sources

You don't need to evaluate your sources (if the sources are trustworthy,
weather the author has a bias or not)

You need to provide background information such as history and

definitions

Brief Literature Review: Back in 1980s, microcomputers and computer terminals

had a huge increase in number, it was -50-fold increase- over 2 million and the number
continues to grow every year. However, teacher training in this issue of integrating
technology into classroom is remaining as a problem. Shortage in this training caused a
low confidence among teachers, and this automatically influenced teacher potentials, and
the effectiveness of technology in education. Training teachers for using computer got
attention in 1980s. School district-as first demander- parents, community and students
wanted from teachers to use technology in classrooms. As minimum, 23 state boards of
education made an act to required training to integrate technology into curriculum as
mandatory. (Topp, Mortenson, & Grandgenett, 1995) Why, this much, training teachers
for educational technology is important?
In order for teachers to deeply understand the content knowledge and enhance
their teaching practices and strategies, training in professional development has the
inevitably precious outcomes for the student success. (Chikasanda, Williams, Jones , &
Otrel-Cass, 2014)
. In general, in such environment that constructivist learning exists, students are
attracted to the classroom tasks as authentically, collaboratively, and willingly. In such
atmosphere, technology helps to boost this attraction in students to the higher level of
learning, and higher level of thinking skills. This is because technology qualifies students
to be able to load the new information into mind, to transform this info and to turn it to

students own. ( Ertner, 2007)

There are some studies investigating the BS/CE program which is stand for
Continuing Education program in West Virginia that reach the result of importance of
teacher training as timely and comprehensively for the sake of success in the program.
Evaluations also manifested that in one condition, the eighth graders get higher score in
problem solving and critical thinking when the technology used: teacher must be trained
to use the technology in more creative way. In turn, the next evaluations of the same
program reached the conclusion that the ultimate attainment in student achievement was
resulted when the teacher had training in the usage of classroom technology. (Ringstaff,
Kelley, 2002 )
While the professional development of teachers is that much effective on the
students success, and that much important, the barriers that can block these training
sessions are present. These barriers include teachers beliefs and attitudes, fears of failure,
comfort level, and lack of pedagogical content knowledge which are the areas that
teacher must be trained and developed. If there would some changes occur in these areas
that teachers possess students understanding along with teachers in classroom
technology will increase.(Claesgens, Rubino-Hare, Bloom, Frederickson, 2013)
Otherwise the limitation in teachers understanding of technology education will lead
some faults and halts to implement technology into classroom. (Chikasanda, Williams,
Jones , & Otrel-Cass, 2014)
The Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) project by Ringstaff and Kelley,
2002 was to investigate if the periodical use of technology will influence teaching and
learning. In over all the country, five distinct schools are equipped as project classrooms
with printers, scanners, laser-disc and videotape players, modems, CD-ROM drives, and
a variety of software packages by ACOT. Hence, it is shown that teachers without enough
and authentic training of technology has less impact on student success. On the other
hand, if teachers took formal training utilize the technology education in the classroom,
students achievement will significantly increase. That shows the powerful ways of using
technology in the classroom that helps student collaboration, inquiry, and interactive
learning, teachers start to think in different and positive way about learning and teaching.
However, the professional development of teachers for technology integration into
classroom will not be working out for them, if they continue to think that lecturerecitation-seat work model of instruction is the most effective teaching method.
Depending on that, the researchers of ACOT have reached the idea that the change in
teachers thinking about learning and teaching at technological level is when those
teacher saw the benefits of classroom technology in the first hand. (Ringstaff,
Kelley,2002) Faculty members need to feel that effective use of technology is expected
for all appropriate courses and situations. (Topp, Mortenson, & Grandgenett, 1995 p.11)
Another main barrier to technology is a lack of technical support. There are at
least some teachers who are willing and enjoying using technology in the class, however,
in any adverse situation that the technological tools cause, they may quit using them.
Think about a scenario that, in the middle of the class, the tool break down and the
teacher unable to fix it due to the shortage of technical skills. There are plenty of teachers
like that, and scenarios as well. Therefore, there is a need of professional development for
technical skill to effectively use hardware and software at classrooms. It is obvious that
technical support is as important as instructional support.
There is a need of principals and administrators support in order for teachers to
come over the barriers to technology in education. According to ACOT Teacher
Development Center project, principals and administrators have three ways of supporting
their faculty that they committed and promised to provide. These are 1) arrange time for

the teachers that are present at the center to take decisions in holistic way; 2) give
recognition for the teachers' hard working; and 3) make sure that teachers are able to
modify the instructional structures that is scheduled on a daily basis and be able to make
a better curriculum objectives for improved team teaching and interdisciplinary
instruction. (Ringstaff, Kelley, 2002)
From another research, we can categorize the barriers as extrinsic (first-order) and
intrinsic (second-order). (Ertner, 2007) so, the extrinsic barriers are lack of resources,
adequate training, technical support, and time, and intrinsic barriers are teachers beliefs,
visions of technology integration, and lack of confidence. Sometimes these extrinsic
barriers when in opposite site- access to hardware, quality software, the Internet,
technical support, as well as administrative and peer support become extrinsic enablers
for teachers , Just as personal beliefs, previous success with technology, and self-efficacy
become extrinsic enablers. Moreover, sometimes, teachers may think that intrinsic
enablers are more prior to use technology in education than extrinsic enablers which
means that teachers have access, time and support may not integrate technology into
classroom while teachers have even one computer in hand, it will be used anyway in
exemplary fashion. It seems that extrinsic enablers are crucial; however, not that much
for the purposeful usage of technology in the classroom. Thus, according to this study, it
is essential that teachers believe in technology and commit to use it in education and they
can promote it by extrinsic factors like professional development and technology support.
The research proved that when the professional development for technology integration is
considered, teachers personal belief on technology and the level of commitment to
teaching should also be considered to affect those beliefs and commitments positively.
( Ertner, 2007)
As it is well said above, Chikasanda agrees that when a curriculum is established
to implement the technology education, teacher has the most important role. Hence their
perceptions, worldviews and subcultures should not be taken granted because those are
critical when teachers teaching practices and strategies are getting shape. In saying that,
all those factors must be taken into consideration when arranging the professional
development. Thus, in the professional development while helping to teacher to build a
coherent technological pedagogy and content base, there will be a need of enduring the
change and teachers learning in technology is permanent, not temporary. For this reason,
one of the ways of learning integrating technology is to share the experience with
colleague and reflect each others experiences. In this way, it is easy for the teachers to
adapt their classroom practices in technology and working with a colleague in a
collaborative team work leads the professional development program to the success.
(Chikasanda, Williams, Jones , & Otrel-Cass, 2014)
According to Chikasandas research, teachers are engaged four phases in the
model. In the first stage, based on understanding of teachers view and practices through
a series of semi-structured one-on-one interviews, group interactions and also classroom
observations should be engendered. Teachers joining to the study- technical experience
level was changing from 1 to 10 year and this part of the study which is establishing the
present view and technical practices of those teachers is high standing point to implement
the new learning into present theories and practices. In this stage of the model, it
manifests itself that teachers have unconditional beliefs and theories about assumptions
and goal of the industrial arts-based program. Those teachers, either, exhibit some
behaviorist pedagogical practices, and not enough knowledge about nature of technology
and technology education. As this outcomes in pocket, the in following stage, teachers
disclose their belief and try to see teaching and learning from the wider aspect of nature

of technology education. Thus, it is obvious that in this stage, teachers discover the nature
of technology and technology education, learning in technology and curriculum issues.
Yet technology curriculum statement and associated papers were out of source, teachers
take part in the reading scholarly papers activities, making presentations of their views
generated from the readings and engaging them in a discussion about learning,
curriculum issues and the concepts of technology and technology education. Among these
activities, there was also watching part that teachers watched Know how 2 videos.
According to this research, third stage consists of teachers reflections and support
through ongoing classroom observations and teacher meetings. In the research, it is
revealed that these ongoing reflections and support parts are helpful for the teachers to
improve their teaching strategies and keep new adapted teaching practices permanent.
Hence, the outcome from the research is a very effective professional development which
is focused on social cultural frameworks of learning that resulted in teachers positive
perceptions of technology and technology education. Also there are innovations for
technology integration that derived from technical pedagogical knowledge. It is
therefore concluded that enhanced knowledge of the nature of technology and improved
technological pedagogical knowledge influences teaching practices and increases
teachers chances of teaching technology that encompasses broader views (Chikasanda,
Williams, Jones , & Otrel-Cass, 2014)
The other research claims that teachers professional development and educational
technology needs a well structures professional development on educational technology.
And a well-structured PDs components; 1) time the teachers must have in order to gain
the pedagogic knowledge and deliver it to audience by effectively integrating into
curriculum. Since ever individual has their own time to make happen that, teachers also
need to have a time outside of the instructional time to learn how to use instructional
technological tools. 2) Take into account varying needs. Organizers of staff development
programs should take the individual differences, weakness and strength into
consideration. Teacher might be anxious about the abilities require learning in this
development program. They may have fear not to meet the goal. However, classroom
teachers may involve the process form the begging and specify the specific needs that
should be addressed in the professional development program. 3) Flexibility of
professional development opportunities. Staff training programs must not have "one size
fits all philosophy, they should give some space to the teachers and make the process
flexible for them. Teacher do not need to think that every participant must meet the one
goals equally which is to learn how to integrate technology and apply it in a perfect
manner. 4) Provisional support. This is to assign the teacher someone with experienced in
both technology and curriculum at the school district. Teachers like this equipped as a
source of technology is very effective for novice teachers and other teachers who are
beginner of using technology in classrooms. 5) Collaborative development. Collaborative
learning is must in this kind of development program for technology teachers. Since,
every teacher has different level of experience in technology; this should not get teachers
in any fear of self-efficacy about their technological experiences. And the organizers have
to be sensitive about arranging the environment accordingly. Peer coaching and modeling
as collaborative development strategies are the most effective ones to delivering the
workshop information to classroom activities and practices. Modeling provides
opportunity to observe the experienced teacher in the first hand, make teachers available
to get rid of their fear of applying the learned things in the workshop. 6) Sustained staff
development. In order to complete the help session for teachers to have finished "learning
cycle" of computer-related professional development, those workshops have to be
continuing and systematic. It is said learning how to use technology in the curriculum is

not a thing that can happen in one day. It must happen in a periodical time manner. This is
the way to get the ultimate effectiveness from workers .(Brand, Glenn A., 1998)

2. REFLECTION:

What is your personal opinion on this issue? Do you agree with the
research? If you agree or disagree, please explain why?
Provide examples/experiences regarding this issue from school
perspective or If you are not working in a school, from your profession. Be
specific with your examples. You can mention software/hardware names,
specific methods that you plan to use, etc.
How would you implement this research in your career? (At least 1
paragraph)

Reflection:

Technology is updating itself almost on a daily basis. It is possible to see the new version
of any technological tool every other day. In such era, it is hard to believe thinking that
technology does not affect on education, and it is a waste of time using it in the
classroom. There are teachers thinking that it is unnecessary, however, research and
studies explicitly show that technology has to be integrated for the better future
individuals. Training teacher for this reason is the first step of technology in education, I
believe. In traditional way of teaching strategy, teachers are the only sources that children
have. They are learning from teachers. Since this tradition has not changed yet, the
teacher dependency is continuing, changing teachers belief is the easier way to make
modification in education. To bring the technology teachers to the classroom, there is no
better way of doing this than having teachers trained in the content area, technology.
Professional development programs are the best in hand.

3. REFERENCES:

Cite at least 5 References in APA.

You may use http://www.citationmachine.net/apa/cite-a-journal for citing
your sources in APA style.

References:
Brand, G. A. (1998). What research says: training teachers for using technology.
Journal Of Staff Development, 1910-13.
Ertmer, P. A., Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A., & York, C. S. (2006). Exemplary technologyusing teachers: Perceptions of factors influencing success. Journal of Computing in
Teacher Education, 23(2), 55-61.
Ringstaff, C., Kelley, L., & WestEd, S. C. (2002). The Learning Return on Our
Educational Technology Investment: A Review of Findings from Research.

Claesgens, J., Rubino-Hare, L., Bloom, N., Fredrickson, K., Henderson-Dahms, C.,
Menasco, J., & Sample, J. (2013). Professional Development Integrating Technology:
Does Delivery Format Matter?. Science Educator, 22(1), 10-18.
Chikasanda, V. v., Otrel-Cass, K., Williams, J., & Jones, A. (2013). Enhancing teachers'
technological pedagogical knowledge and practices: a professional development model
for technology teachers in Malawi. International Journal Of Technology & Design
Education, 23(3), 597-622. doi:10.1007/s10798-012-9206-8
Topp, N. W., & And, O. (1995). Building a Technology-Using Faculty to Facilitate
Technology-Using Teachers. Journal Of Computing In Teacher Education, 11(3), 11-14.