Balakrishnan Muniandy, PhD. Tan Poay Phing Rasslene Rass Rasalingam Centre for Instructional Technology and Multimedia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, MALAYSIA. mbala@usm.my
MALAYSIA
The State and Island of Penang, MALAYSIA.
SCIENCE UNIVERSITY OF MALAYSIA (USM), PENANG, MALAYSIA
Presentation Outline Introduction Purpose of Study Research Questions Literature Review Research Methodology Findings Challenges and Issues in Preparing Next Generation of Teachers Conclusion.
Introduction The infusion of technology in education has been seen as a means to enhance and extend not only the instructional methods, but also the learning process in this 21 st century. The potential of ICT in educational settings is said to offer teachers and students the teaching and learning opportunities that improves teaching and learning process, when used appropriately (UNESCO, 2002).
Introduction All the computers in the world won t make a difference without enthusiastic students, skilled and committed teachers, involved and informed parents, and a society that underscores the value of lifelong learning (Bill Gates). Educators develop the ability to use not just today s technologies, but be skillful enough to learn and adapt to the technologies of tomorrow (Partnership for 21 st Century Skills, 2007). Teachers worldwide must learn how to use and how to teach by incorporating modern technologies in their instructions. Teacher education institutions develop curricular plans and strategies to train teachers, particularly pre-service teachers to be well-prepared with ICT skills and competencies.
Purpose of Study Part of a larger study that has been conducted on the Standard of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Training Curriculum and Strategies used for Training Pre Service Teachers in Malaysian Universities. Funded by the Universiti Sains Malaysia s Short term Grant. The ICT curriculum used for training Pre Service teachers at eight (8) faculties of education at the Malaysian public universities was studied and mapped out to identify the main areas of the training curriculum. Consequently, the ICT curriculum is viewed in terms of its alignment and expectation to: The international standards of ISTE NETS T UNESCO ICT-CST, National ICT in education policy To the current development of the field of ICT itself.
Research Questions What are the components of ICT curriculum used for training pre-service teachers? To what extent is the ICT curriculum used for training preservice teachers is in line with the: Malaysian Ministry of Education s ICT policy in education International Society for Technology in Education s (ISTE) National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS T) UNESCO ICT Competency Standards for Teachers (ICT- CST) The current advances in ICT in education What are some of the challenges and issues faced by teacher educators in preparing and using ICT training curriculum for the next generation of teachers in the face of rising globalization?
Literature Review ICT Policy in Malaysian Education System Standards for Implementing ICT in Teacher Education Program ISTE s NETS T) for Teachers UNESCO s ICT Competency Standards for Teachers (ICT-CST) Development and Advances of ICT in Education.
ICT Policy in Education ICT for all. ICT as a teaching and learning tool, as part of a subject or as a subject on its own; Using ICT to increase productivity, efficiency and effectiveness of the management system.
ISTE s NETS T) for Teachers (5 Main Standards) Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments Model Digital-Age Work and Learning Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership. (ISTEb, 2008)
UNESCO s ICT Competency Standards for Teachers UNESCO ICT Competency Standards for Teachers Framework (UNESCO, 2008).
DEVELOPMENT AND ADVANCES OF ICT IN EDUCATION Phases of Using Computers in Education (Leinonen, 2005)
TEACHER S AND LEARNER S ROLE ICT Use Roles of Teacher and Students Use of ICTs for different roles of teachers and learners (Haddad & Draxler, 2002)
Research Methodology Qualitative Research Document Analysis Primary Data ICT curricular and training documents from 8 participating public universities. Interviews with ICT course coordinators / Deputy deans of Academic Affairs. Documents related to Malaysian ICT policy in education, ISTE NETS T UNESCO ICT-CST standards documents. Secondary data Books, journals and articles that are related to the latest ICT trends and strategies in education. The development of ICT in teacher preparation program.
Findings The main components of the ICT curriculum used for training pre service teachers Comparison of ICT curriculum to: National ICT policy International standards Development and advances of ICT in education.
Components of ICT Curriculum
Comparison of ICT Curriculum to National ICT Policy None of the participating universities addressed the policy in the prescribed courses. There is a gap between the essence of the policy and the implementation of the ICT courses in the context of course contents and strategies used.
Comparison of ICT Curriculum to ISTE NETS T and UNESCO ICT-CST Poorly designed to be in line with the standards Curriculum are clearly lacking behind in many aspects highlighted, such as the current and emerging technologies and learning environments, leadership, organizing and management skills, subject area integration strategies, policy awareness, and community learning and engagement.
Comparison of ICT Curriculum to Current Development of ICT in Education There is a gap between the current ICT curriculum and the current development of ICT, where the curriculum is still at the fourth phase that incorporates educational technologies that were current nearly ten years ago. The inclusion of current and emerging technologies such as Web 2.0 tools and mobile learning are not found in the curriculum.
Challenges and Issues in Preparing Next Generation of Teachers. What should be the goal and objectives of the ICT curriculum for pre-service teachers? How can we make sure that our pre service teachers ICT curriculum is aligned to the various international standards such as the ones set by ISTE and UNESCO? If yes, how should we do it? How do we make sure the pre-service teacher education curriculum is in line with the national ICT in Education Policy of the Ministry of Education? Should the ICT curriculum for pre-service teachers be uniform and same among all the faculties of education in the universities? As ICT develops very fast and new tools appear very often, what are the challenges it poses to the pre-service teacher education curriculum?
Challenges and Issues in Preparing Next Generation of Teachers. How often should we review the pre-service teacher education curriculum for ICT? What are the fundamental areas of ICT that has to be included in the ICT curriculum for pre-service teachers? What are the models and strategies that can be used to train pre-service teachers in ICT at the Universities? How and what should be done to ensure pre service teacher training ICT curriculum be used as a foundation and bridge to continue in service teacher training in ICT?
THANK YOU