Examining Perceptions of Systematic Integration of Instructional Technology in a Teacher Education Program

• Published in: Teacher education and special education Vol. 32; no. 4; pp. 337 - 350
• Main Authors: Allsopp, David H., Alvarez McHatton, Patricia, Cranston-Gingras, Ann
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.11.2009; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Attitudes; Beliefs; College Students; Competence; Educational Technology; Evaluation Methods; Methods; Perceptions; Portable computers; Preservice Teacher Education; Preservice Teachers; Preservice training; Professors; Quantitative analysis; Special Education; Teacher education; Teacher Education Programs; Teachers; Teaching; Teaching Methods; Technology; Technology Integration; teacher education; instructional technology; special education
• ISSN: 0888-4064; 1944-4931
• DOI: 10.1177/0888406409346144

In this article, the authors describe a systematic effort by a department of special education to integrate technology into teaching through a one-to-one laptop initiative and to examine preservice teachers’ perceptions concerning their experiences with the initiative. The authors investigate beliefs about preservice teachers’ proficiency in using technology for teaching, their attitudes toward the use of technology for teaching, and their perceptions of the integration of instructional technology practices by faculty across three semesters using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Preservice teachers’ perceptions of their ability to integrate technology in their teaching increased whereas their attitudes toward integrating technology remained consistently high across program semesters. They believed that faculty effectively integrated and modeled the use of technology in their instruction. Implications of the results are discussed.