Getting inside the black box of technology integration in education: Teachers' stimulated recall of classroom observations

Abstract

This study explored the black box of technology integration through the stimulated recall of teachers who showed proficiency in the use of technology to support teaching and learning. More particularly, the aim of the study was to examine how these teachers use technology in their lessons and to gain deeper insights into the multifaceted influences affecting their current practices. In order to explore this black box, observations and stimulated recall interviews with primary school teachers were conducted in schools which were selected by the inspectorate on the basis of advances they had made in educational technology use. Stimulated recall interviews -a verbal reporting technique in which the teachers were asked to verbalize their thoughts while looking at their own classroom practice on videoseemed to be a promising approach to increase authentic understandings of technology integration. The results emphasize that (a) the teachers involved in this study were pedagogically proficient and flexible enough to fit technology in with the varying demands of their educational practices, (b) the teachers' ongoing learning experiences rather than training affected the development of the quality of their practices, and (c) the role of the school and the broader context of teachers' personal lives played an important role. By interpreting the results of the study, recommendations are discussed for teacher technology integration and future research. IntroductionResearch in the classroom documents that teachers are beginning to integrate technology in their classrooms (e.g., Newhouse & Clarkson, 2008;Tondeur, Cooper, & Newhouse, 2010). According to these studies, the use of technology during teaching and learning activities is steadily increasing. But integrating technology is a complex process of educational change, and the use of technology in schools is still extremely varied (Lim, Zhao, Tondeur, Chai, & Tsai, 2013;Spector, 2010). Spector (2010) argues that with the potential of technology we can now do things to improve education that were not possible twenty years ago, but the potential gains in learning and instruction have yet to be realized on a significant global level. In this respect, Lei and Zhao (2007) demonstrate that the quantity of technology use alone is not critical to student learning. In their study, technology uses that had a positive impact on students were those related to specific subject areas and focused on student construction of knowledge.Although there is still much to learn with respect to the role and the impact of educational technology, the studies mentioned above indicate that some teachers are motivated to use the potential of technology in educational practice, while others do not share this affinity. To understand these reasons, many researchers have focused on critical characteristics associated with educational technology use, such as technical and human resources, as well as teachers' innovativeness, their computer experience and their beliefs about education (Hermans, Tondeur, van ...

Teachers’ professional development for ICT integration: Towards a reciprocal relationship between research and practice

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Seeing the system: Dynamics and complexity of technology integration in secondary schools

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“…Using a triangulated qualitative approach rather than the creation of statistical models, Tondeur et al (2013) also engage with complexity of integration. They believed that Btechnology integration in education must be studied from a system of factors that interact^ (Tondeur et al 2013, p. 435).…”

“…However, the way in which factors came together in a system was not visible. Tondeur et al (2013) argue the added value of their approach was the Bricher account and the broader context^(p. 446), which has been noted in other qualitative studies (e.g., Ertmer 2005;Windschitl and Sahl 2002).…”

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