A study of the use of ICT for teaching and learning in the practice of NQTs – how one ITT provider is attempting to instil good practice in trainee teachers.

“More rhetoric and reality.”

A research proposal for the final module of my PG Cert in HE Teaching & Learning Support:

I have a passion for the use of ICT in education.  Serious investments have been made in ICT equipment, infrastructure and procedures (Cuban, 2001; Steel, 2009; Reynolds et al., 2003; Field, 2000; Morgan, 2001); but I believe we are yet to experience the scale of benefits such technologies can afford.  I propose to undertake a small research project into the use of ICT by newly qualified teachers from Edge Hill – looking at how they are using technology in their practice and where they found the inspiration to use such technology.  I will then look at how Edge Hill provides for the need to train trainee teachers in the use of technologies for teaching and learning.  I envisage a questionnaire to all teachers on the CPD3371 course at Edge Hill: ‘Beginning a Career in Teaching’ – a course that all NQTs are registered for, numbering many thousands of trainees.  I intend to use the survey tool in BlackBoard to assist in the collation of a large number of quantitative results.  Qualitative questions will also be asked, but at this stage will be designed to elicit narrow, focussed responses to facilitate the automatic processing of many responses.  I anticipate the questionnaire will highlight areas that I would like to follow-up with qualitative methods.  To this end, the questionnaire will ask if the NQT would be willing to be interviewed for 30 minutes – to enable me to explore areas of concern identified from the questionnaire.  I envisage four such interviews – the interviewees being ‘cherry picked’ on the basis of being the most interesting candidates for my study.  I also plan to survey the provision of training in ICT for teaching and learning at Edge Hill to our trainee teachers.  Perhaps this survey can be informed by , or take the form of a focus group of staff  who provide initial teacher training at Edge Hill from a variety of programmes from early years to secondary.

Outcomes are expected to include a good understanding of how technology is currently being used in schools by NQTs and how Edge Hill is supporting such initiatives.

Areas of concern for the study include confidentiality, investigating colleagues practice and gathering information that may be commercially sensitive to my employer.

Anticipated additional benefits may include the creation of a crowd sourced knowledge bank of how to use ICT effectively for teaching and learning (similar to the PGCE survival guide model).

References:

Cuban, L. (2001) Underused and oversold: Computers in the classroom.Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

Fields, M. (2009) Theoretical perspectives on classroom learning. Blended Learning In Practice, 28-34. http://www2.herts.ac.uk/fms/documents/teaching-and-learning/e-learning_journal/EJournalFinal2.pdf#page=28 [accessed 5th May 2010].

Morgan, A. (2001) Times Higher Education - Education news, resources and university jobs for the academic world - Letter: Some paradoxes of participation 2.http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=166294 [accessed 24/1/2010].

Reynolds, D., Treharne, D. and Tripp, H. (2003) ICT-the hopes and the reality. British Journal of Educational Technology, 34 (2) 151-167.

Steel, C. (2009) Reconciling university teacher beliefs to create learning designs for LMS environments. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 25 (3) 399-420.