A window to teachers’ ICT practices: Discerning between teaching and the complex science of pedagogy

Uma janela para as práticas de TIC dos professores: discernimento entre o ensino e a complexa ciência da pedagogia

Una ventana a las prácticas TIC de los docentes: discernimiento entre la enseñanza y la compleja ciencia de la pedagogía

Resumo

Utilising Loughran’s notion of the complexity of teaching, this study set out to explore how teachers used information and communication technology (ICT) in their classroom practices. The study is grounded in qualitative research methods. Data capture included a mix of semi-structured interviews, observations and document analysis. Data was analysed using content analysis methods. Findings were fourfold. First, small pockets of innovative teachers changed their pedagogy. Second, teachers’ beliefs suggest (mis)understandings about their ICT induced teaching, which they perceived as changed pedagogy, but actually only their mode of curriculum delivery changed. Third, most teachers seemed to reposition their practice using technology to facilitate the demands of a scripted curriculum, thus merely changing their teaching practice. Fourth, teachers’ apprenticeship of observation is further perpetuated through pre-service training that does not promote pedagogical experiential change.

ICT; Pedagogy; Teaching; Experiential learning; Change agents