25.07.2013 Views

January 2012 Volume 15 Number 1 - Educational Technology ...

January 2012 Volume 15 Number 1 - Educational Technology ...

January 2012 Volume 15 Number 1 - Educational Technology ...

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

teachers deploy ICT tools in language instruction, we should investigate pre-service teachers’ perceptions of ICT<br />

integration since perceptions are good indicators of intentions and future behaviors in future language teaching and<br />

diagnose pre-service EFL teachers’ needs in relation to the integration of ICT into instruction.<br />

As teacher training is at the first zenith and as ‘the heat is on’ for those who prepare educators for effective use of<br />

ICT (Knierzinger et al., 2002), for more effective solutions, special attention should be paid to revising and updating<br />

the curricula, equipment and educational materials on a permanent basis in the faculties of education. As to distance<br />

higher education in Turkey, it is to be noted that ICT can create a better teaching and learning environment in<br />

schools (Akkoyunlu and Orhan, 2001) as long as prospective teachers are trained well through a curriculum rescued<br />

from traditional behaviorist approach domination and the curricula, equipment and educational materials are<br />

designed with a more internationally accepted and fast-growing educational model based on practicing and<br />

experiencing.<br />

Unfortunately, achieving this aim in a distance education setting is rather difficult as the students live in separate<br />

places. Considering the time and place independency feature of distance education, we suggest two major ideas:<br />

1. The course related to ICT integration, Instructional <strong>Technology</strong> and Material Design, should be offered within<br />

the first two years of the program, during which prospective teachers can come to central cities to join the<br />

partially face-to-face sessions. Thus, prospective EFL teachers may decide on what facets of ICT they need to<br />

explore and learn them by doing in the classroom.<br />

2. If the above-mentioned course is offered in the last year of the program (as is the case in the current system),<br />

computer laboratories should be established in big cities, if possible in all the cities of the country, so that<br />

distance learners can attend face-to-face sessions at least once a month. To supplement this continuous training,<br />

prospective EFL teachers can be required to prepare ICT-integrated lesson plans and then present them in their<br />

practice schools, whereby they can get feedback from their supervisors.<br />

In doing so, certain problems should be solved such as lack of computer laboratories for distance learners,<br />

insufficient staff in the area of ICT training, insufficent access to ICT tools and lack of research in this field. As<br />

Altun (2007) suggests, there is an urgent need for relevant empirical research in line with the integration process in<br />

Turkey.<br />

References<br />

Ajzen, I. (2007). Constructing a TpB Questionnaire: conceptual and methodological considerations. Retrieved <strong>January</strong> 10, 2009<br />

from http://people.umass.edu/ajzen/pdf/tpb.measurement.pdf.<br />

Akkoyunlu, B., & Orhan, F. (2001). The use of computers in K-12 Schools in Turkey. TechTrends, 45(6), 29-31.<br />

Albirini, A. (2006). Teachers’ attitudes toward information and communication technologies: The case of Syrian EFL teachers.<br />

Computers & Education, 47, 373–398.<br />

Alkan, C. (1987). Open Education: A Contrastive Study of Distance Education Systems. Ankara: Ankara University <strong>Educational</strong><br />

Sciences Faculty Publications, No: <strong>15</strong>7.<br />

Altun, T. (2007). Information and Communications <strong>Technology</strong> (ICT) in Initial Teacher Education: What Can Turkey Learn from<br />

Range of International Perspectives? Journal of Turkish Science Education, 4, (2), 45-60.<br />

Alvine, L. (2000). A 20th century english teacher educator enters the 21st century: a response to Pope and Golub. Contemporary<br />

issues in technology and teacher education. 1(1). Retrieved from February <strong>15</strong>, 2010 from<br />

http://www.citejournal.org/vol1/iss1/currentissues/english/article3.htm.<br />

Aydın, S. (2007). Attitudes of EFL learners towards the Internet. The Turkish Online Journal of <strong>Educational</strong> <strong>Technology</strong> –<br />

TOJET, 6(3), 18-26.<br />

Balanskat, A., Blamire, R., & Kefala, S. (2006). A review of studies of ICT impact on schools in Europe: European Schoolnet.<br />

Bates, A., & W. Bates. (2000). Managing technological change: Strategies for college and university leaders. Jossey-Bass Inc.<br />

Publishers, USA.<br />

Baylor, A.L., & Ritchie, D. (2002). What factors facilitate teacher skill, teacher morale, and perceived student learning in<br />

technology-using classrooms?. Computers & Education, 39, 395–414.<br />

192

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!