Keynote presentation

Are teachers ready to teach in the information society? – An international perspective

Associate Professor Dr. Joke Voogt

University of Twente, The Netherlands

Faculty of Behavioral Sciences

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Abstract

It is generally accepted that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) changes our society from an industrial towards the information or knowledge society. These changes require that citizens in our time need to have the opportunity to acquire digital literacy and higher-order skills such as teamwork, problem solving, and project management. At the same time everyone is also entitled to obtain sufficient literacy and numeracy skills. Education nowadays is challenged to find a balance between new requirements for learning in the information society and those goals of the industrial society that are also deemed relevant. Curriculum goals relevant for the information society align with views about learner-centered forms of instruction. The potential of ICT to realize learner-centered forms of instruction is recognized by many. In reality however, ICT integration in the school curriculum is often limited. The teacher is a crucial factor in realization the integration of ICT in educational practice. Teacher’s use of ICT is affected by will (attitudes toward IT), skill (IT competencies) and access to IT tools. Teacher’s ICT competency is not limited to basic ICT knowledge and skills. A competent teacher is able to blend subject matter knowledge, with appropriate pedagogy and ICT knowledge and skills. The term Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK) is used to emphasize the interaction between these three domains. Many argue that TPCK is not enough for IT integration, but that also teachers’ disposition towards educational change. In order to focus teacher learning on ICT integration standards for teachers and benchmarks for teacher education programs have been developed.

In this keynote the integration of ICT in the curriculum will be discussed from the perspective of the teacher. First challenges of ICT integration for teachers will be presented. Then, based on evidence from research, teacher factors that contribute to and hamper ICT integration are given, followed by suggestions on how teachers can be guided in their integration of ICT. Use is made from findings from the Second International Technology in Education Studies and the International handbook of Information Technology in Primary and Secondary Education.