3 research outputs found
Is alignment enough? Investigating the effects of state policies and professional development on science curriculum implementation
Implementation of science curriculum materials has been a fundamental challenge in science education for decades. Policy researchers have argued that alignment of standards, curriculum, and assessment are the key to supporting implementation. This paper focuses on teachers' perceptions of curricular alignment and on curriculum implementation using empirical data from a statewide systemic inquiry science reform effort targeting students from kindergarten to eighth grade. We find that the success of alignment policies depends on teachers' construal of the relationship between standards and curriculum materials and on allocation of time for planning at the school level. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 93: 656â677, 2009Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/63036/1/20321_ftp.pd
An Examination of Teacher Concerns Beyond the Initial Stages of a District\u27s One-to-One Technology Adoption
The purpose of this study was to examine the change process teachers experience during a technology adoption in an effort to understand how effective technology implementation comes about, what obstacles must be navigated, and what resources are needed for that navigation. The convergent parallel mixed-methods design used in this study provides both qualitative and quantitative data analyzed separately in a side-by-side comparison and then merged to develop a fuller understanding of high school teachersâ implementation of a one-to-one technology adoption 5 years after its inception in a rural North Carolina district. A purposive, stratified sample of 30 teachers, representing a wide range of levels of use of technology in the classroom, provided data utilizing the Concerns-Based Adoption Model. The three instruments in this model delivered data about participantsâ concerns, behaviors, and effectiveness of implementation. The studyâs data led the researcher to conclude the majority of participants continue to have personal concerns about the innovation; and while they have implemented the innovation, the implementation remains superficial. However, such holistic statements are secondary to the data informing each level of teacher use except in how they allow change facilitators to inform needs assessments. The crux, and greater value, of the study is an understanding of individual teachers at every level of implementation, obstacles they experienced, how they overcame them, and what resources they still need
Factors impacting the integration of one-to-one computing initiative into learning and teaching in Azerbaijan
During recent decades the educational community around the world has witnessed an
increasing interest in programmes aiming at providing teachers as well as learners of
all ages with direct access to personal computing devices and the vast amount of
information such provision enables. These types of programmes are known as âone-to-
one computingâ, a term that indicates a very widespread distribution of computers
in educational settings. Research into such patterns of provision has accordingly
become a priority. Understandably, the realities of one-to-one programme
implementation vary considerably across the nations, since cultural setting,
educational system, customs of technology use and teachersâ experiences are all
significant aspects that influence the process. However, there can be certain
commonalities across all these aspects in countries whose educational systems have a
largely shared history, as is the case in the former Soviet Union states. Azerbaijanâs
experience in the field, as one of the countries with a post-soviet educational system
going through curriculum reforms, was very attractive for a comprehensive study
with the primary focus on identifying the factors influencing the infusion of one-to-one
computing into learning and teaching.
The research question developed for this study was: âWhat factors influence the
integration of one-to-one computing into teaching and learning?â Qualitative
research methods were used to gather data at three purposively selected schools, two
in the capital city of Baku and one in a provincial town. The research data were
collected by conducting classroom observations, interviews and focus group
discussions with main stakeholders of the programme allowing for investigation of
studentsâ, teachersâ and parentsâ experiences throughout the implementation process.
Using a constructivist grounded theory approach the gathered data were analyzed in
two major stages: the first one employed the âhelicopter viewâ approach to attain a
preliminary picture, followed by the process of coding, memo-writing and analysis.
The second stage of the analysis resulted in a thematic summary into teacher, student
and classroom-dynamics-related categories.
The findings revealed that the students were the most enthusiastic about the changes
brought to the learning process with the introduction of the lightweight, small and
inexpensive devices, commonly known as netbooks. The students improved their
technological skills and knowledge and applied these skills in acquiring domain
knowledge. By providing students with netbooks, the one-to-one programme
introduced anytime, anywhere, and individualized learning opportunities. The study
also revealed that the introduction of netbooks was leading to students developing
collaborative learning skills. In addition, the study found that most of the teachers
were developing new teaching methods to continue the programme implementation.
They invested extra time and worked hard, notwithstanding the lack of guidelines
both on the integration of technology with pedagogy and on meeting newly-set
National Curriculum standards. Some teachers overcame the technological
challenges that arose along the way eagerly, while others used them as an excuse to
discontinue the programme implementation. The parentsâ opinions varied
considerably, some of them supported the innovation, while others considered the
frequent usage of technology excessive, unnecessary and potentially damaging to
their childrenâs health. The latter group of parents expected their children to be
taught similarly to them, with a primary focus on the development of handwriting
and speaking skills as well as the habits of reading printed books.
The research has identified eight major factors influencing the integration of one-to-one
computing into teaching and learning: embedding ICT in the curriculum,
fostering of exploratory learning, student satisfaction, new learning practices,
professional development, school leadership support, teacher beliefs and parental
support. Most importantly, the findings have revealed the importance of addressing
teacher professional development in terms of integrating technology with pedagogy
and meeting curriculum standards through technology-infused teaching methods.
These factors indicate the improvements needed for successful programme
implementation. It is hoped that the results can be adopted by educational leaders to
inform their decisions on one-to-one programmes, thereby contributing to successful
integration