RESEARCH PAPER TEMPLATE

North American University

Education Department
M.Ed. in EDLE & CUIN
EDUC 5324: INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY INTO EDUCATION
Name:Gercek Boz

Date: 9/19/2015

Topic Selected: Teachers need to be trained and go through professional development

in order to successfully implement technology into education.
1. LITERATURE REVIEW:
What does the literature/research say about this issue/topic? By using NAU
Library or Online Search engines, conduct a literature review.

You need to include 5 different sources (book, journal article, web article
etc.) in your review. Try to use current sources as much as possible.

You need to summarize and synthesize your sources by discussing a

common theme or issue.

You don't need to critique your sources

You don't need to evaluate your sources (if the sources are trustworthy,
weather the author has a bias or not)

You need to provide background information such as history and

definitions

Brief Literature Review:

Technology usage or implementing to classrooms whether has positive impact
or effect on the students learning has not been a debated issue; rather, there is a
huge agreement between scholars on this matter owing to the research
conducted over the past 20 years( Mumtaz,2000). Although, according to all evidence
supported by those research, technological implementation contributes largely to the
product of learning process; unfortunately, there has been a disappointingly slow uptake
in schools (Cox et al, 1999; Passey & Samways, 1997)
A number of early studies investigated why teachers do not use computers in their
teaching (Rosen & Weil, 1995; Winnans & Brown, 1992; Dupagne & Krendl, 1992;
Hadley & Sheingold, 1993). Following list of the inhibitors has been determined thus far:

lack of experience with information and communication technology (ICT);

lack of on-site support for teachers using technology;
lack of help supervising children when using computers;
lack of ICT specialist teachers to teach students computer skills;
lack of computer availability;
lack of time required to successfully integrate technology into the curriculum;
lack of financial support.

With the motivation of overcoming the obstacles cites above, several studies have been

completed. Becker & Riel (2000) is just an example of recent studies on constructivist
classrooms that examined the relationships between professional engagement and
teaching practice, including instruction involving computer use.
In their study, Becker & Riel (2000) defined professional engagement as a teacher
taking effort to affect the teaching that occurs in classrooms other than his or her own;
and measured professional engagement by (1) the frequency that a teacher had informal
substantive communications with other teachers at their school, (2) the frequency and
breadth of professional interactions with teachers at other schools, and (3) the breadth of
involvement in specific peer leadership activitiesmentoring, workshop and conference
presentations, and teaching courses and writing in publications for educators. Using
these measures of professional interactions and activities, teachers were divided into
four groups from the most- to the least-professionally engaged using the following
categories: Teacher Leaders (2%), Teacher Professionals (10%), Interactive Teachers
(29%), and Private Practice Teachers (58%)(Becker & Riel, 2000)
Becker & Riel (2000) tested the hypothesis that teachers who regularly participate in
professional interactions and activities beyond their classroom teach in different ways
than teachers who have minimal contact with their peers or profession. In particular, it
was examined whether the professional engagement of teachers correlated with a
specific philosophy, with types of instructional practices linked to philosophies, and with
frequency and type of computer use.
According to results of that study the more extensively involved teachers were in
professional activities, the more likely they were to (1) have teaching philosophies
compatible with constructivist learning theory, (2) teach in ways consistent with a
constructivist philosophy, and (3) use computers more and in exemplary ways. They
found that professionally engaged teachers were somewhat more experienced than
others and had made more investments in their own education but that they taught a
representative group of studentsthey were not less likely present in schools serving
disadvantaged students nor were they more likely to be assigned to classes of higher
ability students. Finally, it was concluded that although professionally engaged teachers
who taught in more privileged situations did use computers more than professionally
engaged teachers in high-poverty schools, those differences were largely explained by
differential access to technologyat school, at students' homes, and at teachers' homes.
Given sufficient access to computers, professionally active teachers will use them in
exemplary ways, and given their greater involvement in leadership activities and informal
collaborations with peers, teacher leaders are in a position, with sufficient authority and
time, to help other teachers move towards being more accomplished users of computer
technology. (Becker & Riel, 2000)
In Conclusion, the barriers to the effective use of classroom technology could be due to
the lack of clear plan in regard to this technology. Due to the lack of such a plan, Fabry
and Higgs (1997) offer an action plan that could be applied to guarantee the effective
use of classroom technology and integrating it into the teaching process. This action
plan consists of two main elements both of which includes significant number of trainings
;
1. Professional Development
2. Technical Support. ( Fabry and Higgs, 1997)
Therefore, based on the studies aforementioned, one might easily claim that teachers
need to be trained and go through professional developments in order to successfully
implement technology into education.

2. REFLECTION:

What is your personal opinion on this issue? Do you agree with the
research? If you agree or disagree, please explain why?
Provide examples/experiences regarding this issue from school
perspective or If you are not working in a school, from your profession. Be
specific with your examples. You can mention software/hardware names,
specific methods that you plan to use, etc.
How would you implement this research in your career? (At least 1
paragraph)

Reflection: I totally agree with the research that I reviewed for this assignment, because
now I am working as Math Department Chair in my school and really put a great deal
effort to make technological implementation happen in our school. For instance, recently
we have purchased a new online tool, and spent at least 8 hours training to make math
teachers feel comfortable with using it. Still, I think, we need more time to see the
desired results, due to some teachers being reluctant and hesitant to new technologies.
It can be always questioned if it is really worth or effective for us. My answer would be
Yes to those concerns. Along with those studies carried out for decades, I have been
experiencing in my classroom for over ten years, technological devices are the reality of
this century; besides, it definitely ease all the tiresome and cumbersome duties for
teachers, and students as well. Think about creating tests, with computers it would take
around 5 min, and so grading it. With Database, we can keep all the information and
logs safe, and reach them whenever we want conveniently. To keep students engaged or
active in classroom is more likely when wireless calculator in used to check all progress
in one screen. In addition to those pay offs, presentations, animations, graphs, proves,
projects can be more lively and attractive with computer systems or programs.
To sum up, yes, I indeed think and believe we need technology in our classrooms, for
both us and students. To achieve that, evidently and apparently we need more trainings
and professional developments.
3. REFERENCES:

Cite at least 5 References in APA.

You may use http://www.citationmachine.net/apa/cite-a-journal for citing
your sources in APA style.

References:
Becker, H. J. & Riel, M. M. (2000) Teacher Professional Engagement and Constructivistcompatible Computer Use [on-line]. Centre for Research on Information Technology and
Organizations, University of California, Irvine.
Cox, M., Preston, C. & Cox, K. (1999) What Factors Support or Prevent Teachers
from Using ICT in their Classrooms? Paper presented at the British Educational
Research Association Annual Conference, University of Sussex, Brighton,
November.
Dupagne, M. & Krendl, K. A. (1992) Teachers Attitudes Toward Computers: a
review of the literature, Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 24, pp. 420429.
Fabry, D. L., & Higgs, J. R. (1997). Barriers to the effective use of technology in

education: Current status. Journal of Educational Computing Research,17(4), 385-395

Hadley, M. & Sheingold, K. (1993) Commonalities and Distinctive Patterns in
Teachers Integration of Computers, American Journal of Education, 101, pp. 261-315.
Passey, D. & Samways, B. (Eds) (1997) Information Technology: supporting change
through teacher education. London: Chapman & Hall.
Rosen, L. D. & Weil, M. M. (1995) Computer Availability, Computer Experience, and
Technophobia Among Public School Teachers, Computers in Human Behavior, 11, pp. 931.
Shazia Mumtaz (2000) Factors affecting teachers' use of information and
communications technology: a review of the literature, Journal of Information Technology
for Teacher Education, 9:3, 319-342, DOI: 10.1080/14759390000200096
Winnans, C. & Brown, D. S. (1992) Some Factors Affecting Elementary Teachers
Use of the Computer, Computers in Education, 18, pp. 301-309.