Changing Teachers Teachers Changing Schools: assessing a graduate program in technology education

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1 Journal of Information Technology for Teacher Education ISSN: X (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: Changing Teachers Teachers Changing Schools: assessing a graduate program in technology education Priscilla Norton & Debra Sprague To cite this article: Priscilla Norton & Debra Sprague (1996) Changing Teachers Teachers Changing Schools: assessing a graduate program in technology education, Journal of Information Technology for Teacher Education, 5:1-2, To link to this article: Published online: 13 Nov Submit your article to this journal Article views: 47 View related articles Citing articles: 2 View citing articles Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at Download by: [ ] Date: 09 October 2015, At: 23:47

2 Journal of Information Technology for Teacher Education,Vol.5, Nos 1/2, 1996 Changing Teachers - Teachers Changing Schools: assessing a graduate program in technology education PRISCILLA NORTON University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, USA DEBRA SPRAGUE George Mason University, Fairfax, USA ABSTRACT Innovative uses of technology may require a revision of educational policy and practice if technology is going to have an impact on the educational system. In 1993 the University of New Mexico College of Education began a four semester in-service graduate program to develop teacher knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors that might assist the teacher to confront today's challenges without being restricted by past patterns. During the second year of its implementation, a comprehensive research study was instituted to assess the impact of the program. This paper presents findings relevant to the outcomes of the program. The results reveal that significant shifts occurred among participants in the frequency of use of technology and student-oriented strategies and that participants were increasingly concerned with assuming leadership roles in their schools and school districts. Four dimensions of the program were central in achieving these results: its cohort nature, the fact that it was graduate, the use of telecommunications, and the incorporation of group activities by faculty that modeled frameworks and practices under study. The program was effective in helping participants to examine their educational beliefs and assumptions, to turn their perceptions into practices, and to shift their concerns from personal impacts and insecurities to global and system-wide impacts and potentials. Graduate study for these educators has become a process of change with already discernible consequences for New Mexico schools. Introduction The responsibility for realizing the potential of technology to improve educational practice is frequently placed on the classroom teacher. Yet, the integration of technology does not lie with the classroom teacher alone. Difficulties in integrating technology center, at least in part, on the inadequacy of traditional teaching models - models that have existed for 93

3 PRISCILLA NORTON & DEBRA SPRAGUE decades. Teachers and educational reformers rarely recognize that innovative uses of technology may require a revision of educational policy and practice if technology is going to have an impact on the educational system. One possible reason why educators fail to recognize the need for revision of educational practice is that education is a self-replicating system. New teachers entering the system bring with them the same beliefs as their predecessors (Norton, 1994). These beliefs are the result of at least seventeen years of experience in the educational system, and it is frequently difficult for teachers to challenge their existing image of educational practice. Thus, they continue to teach the way they were taught. It is possible that teachers need to experience alternative teaching strategies as part of their own learning. These experiences may then precipitate changes in their perception of the teaching/learning process. Research on teacher development suggests that change is more likely to occur among in-service teachers than pre-service teachers (Katz, 1972). It is likely, therefore, that it is within graduate teacher education programs that we may best answer the question: how can technology be used to reform an educational system in crisis? The emerging electronic technologies pose an enormous challenge to teachers because their use demands considerable shifts in their pre-existing knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. A unique attribute of computers as an educational innovation is that their use demands many new skills and competencies and embraces changes to educational ideologies (Wild, 1993). Computer-based learning environments, for instance, promote a shift from conventional teacher/student dialogue to learning environments that are complex and interactive (Prawat, 1992). In addition, researchers such as Becker (1992) and Hall (1991) note a shift from teacher-directed teaching to student-centered learning. Teachers must learn how to become effective change agents if they are to use technology effectively in schools. An effective change agent is a teacher who can take responsibility for and actions toward exploiting the many opportunities for bringing about improvements. For teachers, this means changing their own teaching, but it might also mean effecting improvements within a wider school context. When teachers become change agents, they are able to create conditions that enable them to use and develop technology as a resource in their teaching (Robinson, 1995). In short, individuals should have the capacity to know when and how to pursue and implement certain change possibilities, to know when to reject others, and how to cope with policies, programs, and constraints that are imposed upon them (Fullan, 1991). Since teacher education for change may well be most promising at the graduate in-service level, the University of New Mexico, College of Education, began the Integrating Technology in Schools (ITS) Program in This program has as its goals: 94

4 ASSESSING A GRADUATE PROGRAM IN TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION 1. the creation and support of leaders who can work both in schools and in universities; 2. the creation and support of collaborations that help bridge theory and practice - the possible and the ideal; and 3. the fostering of reflective practice that leads to both researchable ideas and testable actions. (Norton, 1994, p. 164) The ITS Program has been comprehensively described by Norton (1994) but might be summarized by the following:... the ITS process is participating in a cohort group program. Structuring graduate study as a cohort group plan allows for the creation of a group of students who share a common area of inquiry. It does not, however, demand uniformity of interest Rather, a thought community creates a community of inquirers bound by a common question who then branch and recombine to share individual angles of vision. Starting at the same time and proceeding together over a period of time facilitates the development of a shared set of experiences, knowledge, readings, activities, and support systems The classroom becomes an organism rather than a sequence of meetings defined by a beginning and an end. Academic study within the frame of a thought community supports the redefinition of roles where all participants become learners, students, and teachers transactionally. (Norton, 1994, p. 167) The four semester, cohort ITS Program seeks to develop teacher knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors that might assist the in-service teacher to confront today's challenges without being restricted by past patterns. During the second year of its implementation, a comprehensive research study was instituted to assess the impact of the program. The remainder of this paper presents findings relevant to the outcomes of the program. Methodology Subjects Participants in the ITS Program applied for acceptance during the Spring of A review committee examined material submitted by all applicants and selected 21 in-service teachers to participate in the Santa Fe Group and 25 in-service teachers to participate in the Albuquerque Group. The groups met separately once a week but for on-line activities and Saturday class sessions, both groups met together. At the completion of three of the four semesters of the program, all 46 participants were still actively enrolled in the program and registered to complete the practicum/field research components of the program during their fourth and final semester. However, 95

5 PRISCILLA NORTON & DEBRA SPRAGUE a complete set of survey data was available for only 38 of the participants. Final questionnaire data, however, were available for all 46 participants. Demographic data for the final sample group showed that 34 were female and 4 were male. Twenty-eight reported Anglo ancestry; 5 reported Hispanic; and 3 reported Other Minorities. Twenty-eight sought the Master's Degree while 9 were seeking the Educational Specialist Certificate. Twenty-one taught at the elementary level, 5 at the middle school level, and 11 at the high school level. The mean number of reported years of teaching was The mean age of participants was years. Instrumentation Two instruments were used to gather data at the beginning of the program of studies and at the end. A structured, open ended questionnaire was added to the post test data collection. The first instrument, The Instructional Strategies Frequency and Effectiveness Inventory (ISFEI), was developed by Alexander (1988) to determine how teachers teach. The original inventory consisted of 35 survey items rated on a 4 point Likert Scale and represented a sample of various instructional strategies and techniques. The strategies were organized into five categories: teacher-centered, student-centered, process-centered, content-centered, and generic. Respondents rate each item for frequency of use from "seldom/never" to "usually" and for perceived effectiveness from "very" to "not". Perceived effectiveness is rated even if the participant rates frequency of use as "seldom/never". The ISFEI was modified by Harvey (1991) to include strategies specific to science and the use of information technology strategies in the classroom. The teacher-centered and content-centered strategy categories were collapsed into one category called teacher-oriented strategies, and the process-centered and student-centered categories were collapsed to form a category called student-oriented strategies. It was further modified for this reseach by randomly distributing the additional information technology strategies throughout the inventory. The second instrument, the Stages of Concern About the Innovation Questionnaire (SoCQ), was administered in order to assess the level of teacher concerns related to the integration of technology as a change or innovation. The instrument is based on a seven stage developmental model: (0) awareness; (1) information; (2) personal; (3) management; (4) consequence; (5) collaboration; and (6) refocusing (Hall, George, and Rutherford, 1979). The SoCQ consists of thirty-five questions each designed to reflect concerns relevant to one of the seven states of the model. Respondents rate the degree to which each item reflects their feelings using an eight point Likert Scale that ranges from "not true of me now" (0) to "very true of me now" (7); A cover sheet is included which explains the purpose of the questionnaire and provides directions. 96

6 ASSESSING A GRADUATE PROGRAM IN TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION The third instrument was a researcher-designed questionnaire which asked five questions: 1. Do you feel you have changed as a result of your participation in the ITS program? 2. What changes do you feel you have undergone? 3. What factors do you feel have been influential in your changing? 4. What changes have occurred in your professional practice? 5. What professional activities are you involved in now that you were not involved in prior to ITS? Procedures The ISFEI and the SoCQ were administered at the first ITS meeting in August of They were readministered during the Summer session at the concluding meeting of each group during the 3rd and 4th week of July, At this time, the final questionnaire of five open ended questions was included. Pre and post instrument results were compared to identify complete sets of data, resulting in the 38 sets of data employed in this study. Analysis of the data consisted of paired t-tests computed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSSx). An alpha level was set at.01. In addition, results of the SoCQ were converted to percentile scores for the purpose of interpretation. These percentile scores are provided by the manual which accompanies the SoCQ. Results ISFEI The 49 strategies on the ISFEI were collapsed into three categories: teacher-oriented, student-oriented, and technology. All 49 strategies were rated by the participants for self-reported frequency of use and perceived effectiveness. A paired t-test was performed for each category, using an alpha of.01. Results of the analysis are presented in Table I. The Table reveals that both the self-reported frequency of use and the perceived effectiveness of teacher-oriented strategies remained constant from the beginning to the end of the treatment period. Student-oriented strategies and technology strategies for both self-reported frequency of use and perceived effectiveness, however, were rated more positively on the posttest than on the pretest Changes in the ratings for self-reported frequency of use were significant for both student-oriented and technology strategies. 97

7 PRISCILLA NORTON & DEBRA SPRAGUE Self-reported frequency of use: Teacher-oriented strategies Student-oriented strategies Technology strategies Perceived effectiveness of use: Teacher-oriented strategies Student-oriented strategies Technology strategies 9 Pretest mean Postest mean t-value df P *.0001* * p<01 Table I. Paired t-test results for the ISFEI: self-reported frequency of use and perceived effectiveness. An examination of individual items included on the ISFEI revealed some interesting trends. Of particular interest was the summary item for technology strategies which asked participants to respond to the following: "Make use of computer technology in class". On the pretest, 66% of respondents rated their frequency of use for technology in general as "seldom/never" or "sometimes". On the posttest, 62% of respondents rated their frequency of use for technology in general as "often" or "usually". In addition, there was a similar increase in mean scores for the reported use of student-oriented strategies. For instance, on items related to "instructing students in interpretation, analysis, and evaluation" and "using students' opinions to provoke discussions and/or have students lead group discussions", respondents shifted from a mean response of "sometimes" to a mean response of "often". A second interesting trend emerged when ratings of perceived effectiveness of various strategies were compared to mean scores of self-reported frequency of use. On some items, such as "make use of computer networks and/or telecommunications" and "make use of computer simulations", increases in reported frequency of use were matched with increases in perceived effectiveness. On some items, such as "use programmed textbooks and materials" and "utilize assignments in the textbooks", a decrease in frequency of use corresponded to a decrease in assessment of perceived effectiveness. On some items, however, such as "have student presentations" and "assign students to work in small groups", mean increases in the perceived effectiveness of these strategies was not related to increases in their use. Conversely, on some items such as "use programmed textbooks and materials" and "assign questions at the end of the chapter", mean decreases in the effectiveness of these strategies were not related to decreases in their use. 98

8 ASSESSING A GRADUATE PROGRAM IN TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION SoCQ On the SoCQ the 35 statements were collapsed into the seven stages identified by the manual. A paired t-test was performed for each stage, using an alpha of.01. Results of the analysis are presented in Table II. This Table reveals that over the course of the treatment period participants' level of concern for Stages 0, 1, 2, and 3 decreased. This reflected the expression of declining concerns as the mean rating moved closer toward "not true of me now" for such items as "I don't even know what the innovation is" (Stage 0), "I have a very limited knowledge about the innovation" (Stage 1), "I would like to know how my teaching or administration is supposed to change" (Stage 2), and "I am concerned about my inability to manage all the innovation requires" (Stage 3). The Table also reveals that over the course of the treatment period participants' level of concern for Stages 4, 5, and 6 increased. This reflected the expression of increasing concerns as the mean rating moved closer toward "very true of me now" for such items as "I am concerned about how the innovation affects students" (Stage 4), "I would like to co-ordinate my effort with others to maximize the innovation's effects" (Stage 5), and "I would like to modify our use of the innovation based on the experiences of our students" (Stage 6). The developmental progression reflected in participants' changing concerns, thus began with unrelated concerns and advances on the pretest and ended with concerns about the self, the task, and finally the impact of the innovation on the posttest. Responses on the SoCQ were scored and converted to percentile scores for the purpose of interpretation. Percentile scores were obtained for each individual at each of the seven stages. The highest percentile score was circled for each individual. If the highest score appeared twice, it was circled and counted twice. The number of circles at each stage for the full sample was counted for pre and post results. The mean percentile scores for each of the seven stages on both the pre and posttest were computed and appear in Figure 1. Stage 0: awareness Stage 1: information Stage 2: personal Stage 3: management Stage 4: consequence Stage 5: collaboration Stage 6: refocus Pretest mean Posttest mean * p<.01 Table II. Paired t-test results from the SoCQ. t-value df P * * * *

9 PRISCILLA NORTON & DEBRA SPRAGUE A close look at the pretest mean percentile scores in Figure 1 reveals that it is a typical nonuser SoCQ profile. A nonuser's concerns are usually highest on Stages 0, 1, and 2 and lowest on Stages 4, 5, and 6. The pretest profile is that of a normal interested group of individuals who are somewhat aware of and concerned about integrating technology in schools (Stage 0) and are interested in learning more about it from a positive, proactive perspective (Stage 1 slightly higher than Stage 2). The group did not have a great deal of management concerns (medium intensity Stage 3) and was not intensely concerned about technology's consequences for students (low Stage 4). The group did have concerns about looking for ideas from others in an effort to learn from what others know and are doing (high Stage 5 and high Stage 1). The low tailing-off Stage 6 score suggests that the group did not have other ideas that would be potentially competitive with the integration of technology (Hall, et al, 1979). UJ t UJ 5 UJ Q. \Post Test Results Pre-Test Results 40 SoC STAGES Figure 1. Means for percentile scores for stages of concern about the integration of technology. Conversely, the posttest mean percentile scores in Figure 1 suggest the group is intensely involved with integrating technology in schools. The group continues to be interested in obtaining more information about technology and to have some personal concerns about technology and its consequences 100

10 ASSESSING A GRADUATE PROGRAM IN TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION for them (medium intensity for Stages 1 and 2). The group at this time does not have a great deal of management concerns (low intensity for Stage 3) and is expressing moderate concerns about the consequences of technology for students (medium intensity for Stage 4). The group has very strong concerns about working with others in relation to the integration of technology and may perceive themselves to be in a leadership role (high for Stage 5). The low tailing-off Stage 6 score suggests that the group does not have other ideas that would be potentially competitive with the integration of technology (Hall, et al, 1979). Open Ended Questionnaire In order to assist the researchers in interpreting the results of the ISFEI and the SoCQ, an open-ended questionnaire was used to identify participants' perception of various aspects of the program and its impact On the first question of the final open ended questionnaire, 44 of the respondents stated that they felt they had changed as a result of their participation in the ITS Program. The remaining 2 respondents replied with a "maybe" to this question. Participants' responses to the remaining four open ended questions were analyzed for emerging themes. Table III provides a summary of the themes identified for questions 2 through 5. Discussion Becoming an educational change agent begins, for many teachers, with their own practice. The results of the analysis of pretest/posttest data in this study reveals that significant shifts occurred in the practice of ITS participants as a result of the three semester program of studies. Participants reported a significant shift in their frequency of use of technology and student-oriented strategies. This reflects a reassessment of their teaching practices, attitudes, and beliefs toward what might be characterized as constructivist as well as a shifting away from conventional student/teacher relationships to learning environments that are more complex and interactive (Prawat, 1992). Participants report classroom practices which emphasize higher level thinking skills and more active student involvement, not only with a variety of technologies but through student presentation and input In addition, data suggest that the organization of classroom learning environments among the participants are more collaborative. There were no significant reported shifts away from teacher-oriented strategies. Data, however, show declines in participants' assessment of the effectiveness of time-honored practices such as reliance on the use of programmed textbooks and materials and assignments taken from textbooks without accompanying decreases in their use. Perhaps, the ISFEI was inadequate in identifying the true nature of changes in participants' practice. 101

11 PRISCILLA NORTON & DEBRA SPRAGUE Themes Related to Changes That Have Occurred (Question 2) # of Respondents Percentage Being able to transfer theory to practice Increase in confidence in own abilities Support of fellow ITS classmates Shift to use of problem-centered curriculum design Impact of course readings and research Use of telecommunications for collaborative study Better understanding of what it means to be a learner Themes Related to Factors Influencing Changes (Question 3) Experiences - Classroom activities which modeled integration of range of instructional strategies - Assigned readings - Friendly, relaxed learning environment of Program - Use of telecommunications for study and collaboration People.. - Peers in the Program - Faculty associated with Program - Support of family members - Graduate students and previous ITS participants Themes Related to Changes in Professional Practice (Question 4) Now applying learning to own practice Increase in technology use Working with and supporting colleagues in their workplace Increase in confidence in their teaching abilities 37/46 21/46 9/46 9/46 8/46 7/46 4/46 31/46 25/46 11/46 8/46 46/46 42/46 9/46 8/46 18/46 13/46 9/46 6/46 80% 46% 20% 20% 17% 15% 13% 67% 54% 24% 17% 100% 91% 20% 17% 39% 28% 20% 13% Themes Related to Newly Emerging Professional Activities (Question 5) Serving on various school committees and as a school technology resource Don't have time; expect more when ITS Program completed Increased use of telecommunications to obtain information related to professional activities Others mentioned (grant writing, reading, attend workshops, present workshops) 19/46 18/46 13/46 30/46 41% 39% 28% 65% Table III. Emerging themes from final questionnaire. 102

12 ASSESSING A GRADUATE PROGRAM IN TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION For instance, participants appeared to reassess the effectiveness of textbooks and lectures but not did not report decreases in their frequency of use. The ISFEI, however, does not allow the researchers to identify shifts in the purposes for which these strategies were used. The content and purpose of lectures may have changed; the role of textbooks may have shifted from the core of the curriculum to providing supportive information used in collaborative, small group work. If student-oriented and technology strategies increased and instructional time remained the same, something must have changed. It is possible to speculate that the classroom dynamics in these participants' classrooms changed and that the experiences of participants' students are likely to be different These probable changes as well as those explicitly found in the data demonstrate the power of combining rigorous graduate study with bridges to application in practice. There is a trend toward viewing technology-oriented strategies as slightly more effective at the end of three semesters than upon entry to the ITS Program. Yet, this trend is not significant While at first this might seem disappointing, it can be expected. First participants in the ITS Program self-selected to involve themselves in an intensive, systematic program of study and would, therefore, come to the Program with existing high expectations for technology. Second, the stability of their ratings of technology's potentials suggests that the Program did not present to, nor develop in, participants unrealistic expectations for technology. The program promoted participants' ability to see potentials in technology and to develop strategies for their wise use without viewing technology as the solution to all of education's problems. Third, the limited access to technology at many participants' schools may have limited their abilities to test technology applications and make more informed decisions. For teachers, becoming an educational change agent is not just a matter of changing their own practices. For many, it also means effecting improvements within a wider school context wherein teachers are able to create conditions that enable them to use and develop technology as a resource (Robinson, 1995). Data obtained from the SoCQ demonstrate that the ITS Program participants were increasingly concerned with assuming leadership roles in their schools and school districts. Although many expressed time constraints on concrete actions on the open-ended questionnaire, high ratings on the SoCQ for Stage 5: Collaboration suggest that leadership activities will become an important role for ITS participants in the future. This is substantiated by Sprague's (1995) ex post facto research of the previous ITS group. Interviews with those participants after the completion of their program of studies and midway through their first school year following the bulk of the ITS Program revealed that 44% of the ITS group were serving on technology committees, 38% were involved in staff in-service training, and 24% were presenting and attending conferences. 103

13 PRISCILLA NORTON & DEBRA SPRAGUE What is it about the ITS Program that supported the participants' classroom changes and the extension of their emerging leadership capacities? The open-ended questionnaire clearly points to the fact that the cohort nature of the program was central. First, studying together for an extended year long period allowed them to build confidence, to build collegial relations, to build systems of support, and to build sustained relations with faculty. Second, the graduate nature of the program which extended beyond traditional in-service training allowed the integration of readings and sustained examination of theory. This resulted in students' ability to devise practices not as replicas of experience but practices grounded in frameworks for making instructional decisions. Third, the use of telecommunications for on-line co-operative activities and for discussion extended the period of inquiry from a weekly meeting time to an ongoing process of daily connections and collaborations helping to build bridges between theory and practice. Fourth, the design of group activities by faculty that modeled frameworks and practices under study assisted participants to build images of educational practice different from traditional teaching models. Conclusions Based upon the findings of this study, it can be concluded that the ITS Program was effective in helping participants to examine their educational beliefs and assumptions, to turn their perceptions into practices, and to shift their concerns from personal impacts and insecurities to global and system-wide impacts and potentials. While not a stated goal of the ITS Program, the data reflect that the cohort process not only promotes knowledge about the integration of technology as an agent of change and innovation but also promotes a growing interest in leadership roles as they pertain to educational change. The Program has turned graduate study into much more than seeking a degree or attending classes. Graduate study for these educators has become a process of change with already discernible consequences for New Mexico schools. As one participant wrote on the open-ended questionnaire: I am not the original person who entered the ITS Program back in Fall, '94.1 feel knowledgeable and confident that I can use any technology that I encounter. I have learned to experiment and problem-solve (and play). I can't wait to open my classroom doors in four weeks. I have no doubt about my ability to integrate video cameras, tape players, laser disc players, computers/modems, electronic mail via telephone lines, VCRs, etc. into my daily classroom activities. 104

14 ASSESSING A GRADUATE PROGRAM IN TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION Correspondence Priscilla Norton, Division of Educational Specialties, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA (pnorton@unm.edu). References Alexander, JJ. (1988) Teachers' conceptual orientations and the preference, frequency, variety, and application of selected instructional methodology. Unpublished PhD dissertation, University of New Mexico. Becker, HJ. (1992) How our best computer-using teachers differ from other teachers: implications for realizing the potential of computers in schools. Unpublished manuscript, University of California, Irvine. Fullan, M. (1991) The New Meaning of Educational Change. London: Cassell. Hall, G.E. (1991) The local educational change process and policy implementation. Paper presented at the annual meeting of The American Educational Research Association. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED ) Hall, G.E., George, A.A. & Rutherford, W.L. (1979) Measuring Stages of Concern about the Innovation: a manual for the use of the SoC questionnaire. Austin: University of Texas. Harvey, D. (1991) The effects of instructional strategies on secondary science achievement an investigation of science education in New Mexico. Unpublished PhD dissertation, University of New Mexico. Katz, L.G. (1972) Developmental stages of preschool teachers, The Elementary School Journal, 73, pp Norton, P. (1994) Integrating technology in schools: a cohort process for graduate level inquiry, Journal of Information Technology for Teacher Education, 3, pp Prawat, R. (1992) Teachers' beliefs about teaching and learning: a constructivist perspective, American Journal of Education, 100, pp Robinson, B. (1995) Teaching teachers to change: the place of change theory in the technology education of teachers, in J. Willis, B. Robin & D. Willis (Eds) Technology and Teacher Education Annual Charlottesville: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education. Sprague, D. (1995) Integrating technology in the schools: an ex post facto study of a college of education graduate program. Unpublished PhD dissertation, University of New Mexico. Wild, M. (1993) Why preservice information technology programs often do not make a difference to the teaching practices of education students. Paper presented at the Australian Association for Research in Education Conference. 105