ICT Coordinators’ TPACK-based Leadership Knowledge in their Roles as Agents of Change

Abstract

Aim/Purpose: The aim of the study is to examine what ICT coordinators perceive as the main elements of knowledge needed to implement ICT successfully into school culture. Background: For the past few years, Israel’s Ministry of Education has been running a national program of adapting the education system to the 21st century skills. Key teachers have been appointed as ICT coordinators. Their role was to implement technology in schools. Methodology: The participants in this study were 130 ICT coordinators in Israeli Hebrew and Arabic schools. Those ICT coordinators had to attend a special in-service 60-hour course throughout an entire school year. The research tool was the reflection of the ICT coordinators who were asked to complete at the end of the in-service course. Narrative analysis was chosen as the main approach to data analysis. Contribution: We claim that ICT coordinators maintain a complex perception of their role, based on broad personal and professional knowledge that enables them to lead the needed changes. Findings: Based on the findings the coordinators revealed primary successful elements of their work: (a) technological aspects, (b) pedagogical aspects, (c) the organizational aspects, and (d) the ICT coordinator as a leader of systemic change. The first two elements already appear in the TPACK construct, while the others constitute organizational knowledge (OK) and leadership knowledge (LK) that enables the coordinators to facilitate ICT implementation in schools, and these are the unique elements of this study. Recommendations for Practitioners : We recommend that when choosing ICT coordinators or ICT implementation leaders at school, one should check not only that they possess the familiar TPACK knowledge, but also organizational knowledge and leadership knowledge that was found essential to successful completion of the coordinators’ role. Impact on Society : his study has shed light on the nature and significance of leadership knowledge (LK) and its function as an additional expression of TPACK. Future Research: We suggest that future research about educational technology leaders’ TPACK be drawn from these results.

A review of the empirical research on teacher leadership (2003–2017)

“…The findings from this contemporary review concur with York- Barr and Duke (2004) and further specifies that teacher leadership has positive impacts on teacher leaders' competences and psychological dispositions. The review findings show that by engaging in leadership activities, teacher leaders benefit from growth in their leadership knowledge and skills (e.g., Avidov-Ungar and Shamir-Inbal, 2017;Wenner and Campbell, 2017;White, 2014), and that they demonstrate positive changes in their instructional practices (e.g., Margolis and Deuel, 2009;Yager et al, 2013).…”

“…role, uncertainty about expectations for leadership roles, and unpreparedness for leadership roles (Baecher, 2012;Reeves and Drew, 2012). External factors involve shifting from teacher to teacher leader (Smith et al, 2017), colleagues' attitudes and capacity (Avidov-Ungar and Shamir-Inbal, 2017;Montecinos et al, 2014), and the shifting nature and structure of peer relationships as a challenge to typical egalitarianism among teachers in schools (Margolis, 2012;Smith et al, 2017;Wenner and Campbell, 2017). c) Organisational Level At the organizational level, this review highlights the positive impacts of teacher leadership on school-level factors such as: supporting positive culture (e.g., Beachum and Dentith, 2004); promoting professional learning communities (e.g., Friedman, 2011;Hairon et al, 2015); and supporting curriculum reforms (e.g., Hofstein et al, 2004;Lai and Cheung, 2015).…”

Changes in Teacher Training within the TPACK Model Framework: A Systematic Review

“…[15] and [16] created some instruments considering the TPACK dimensions. Other studies make an approach to the development of TPACK abilities [17] and to the attitudes towards ICT and their relation with TPACK [18,19].…”

Öğretmen Eğitimi Sürecinin Bilişim Teknolojileri Öğretmen Adaylarının Mesleki Kimlikleri Üzerindeki Etkisi

“…BT öğretmenlerinin üstlendikleri bu görev ve sorumluluklar, onların teknolojinin etkili ve verimli kullanımı ile ilgili temel becerilerin kazandırılmasında ve teknolojinin eğitime kaynaştırılmasında anahtar bir role ve öneme sahip olduğunu göstermektedir. Alanyazında pek çok araştırmada da BT öğretmenlerinin değişim ajanları/aracıları, teknoloji liderleri ve teknoloji koçları olarak vurgulanması onların sahip olduğu önemi ortaya koymaktadır (Avidov-Ungar ve Shamir-Inbal, 2017;Devolder, Vanderlinde, Braak ve Tondeur, 2010;Frazier ve Bailey, 2004;Marcovitz, 2000;Sugar, 2005).…”

“…Teknoloji liderleri olarak bilinen BT öğretmenlerini, çalıştıkları kurumlarda var olan kaynakların erişimini sağlamaktan ortaya çıkan teknik sorunlara çözüm bulmaya kadar farklı pek çok görev beklemektedir (Avidov-Ungar ve Shamir-Inbal, 2017;Frazier ve Bailey, 2004;Sugar, 2005;Sugar ve Holloman, 2009;Woo, 2015). Örneğin Woo'ya (2015) göre, BT koordinatörleri okullarda bilgi ve iletişim teknolojilerinin (BİT) altyapısını kurmak ve BİT'in etkili kullanımında öğrencilere ve öğretmenlere pedagojik (eğitim bilimsel) ve teknik destek sağlamaktan sorumludur.…”