Digital Strategy for Schools

3. THEME 2: TEACHER PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
3. THEME 2: TEACHER PROFESSIONAL
LEARNING
INTRODUCTION
Teacher professional learning featured prominently during the Strategy’s research phase and in the
Census Report findings. In that context, the Department understands the strategic need to support
teachers in developing their professional practice, knowledge and skills so they can integrate ICT
more effectively into their practice.
The Strategy notes that teachers have different knowledge and skill levels in relation to using ICT
to design and develop effective learning experiences, and the level of knowledge and skills may
change as teachers progress in their careers. The Census Report supports the idea that many
teachers need to further build their knowledge and skills and develop greater confidence with ICT
so that they can effectively integrate it into their practice.
This section features a number of main issues that emerged during the research and consultation
phase, which feed into enhancing teacher professional learning over the lifetime of the Strategy.
By addressing these issues, the Strategy will provide all teachers with a range of opportunities and
supports to assist them to embed ICT into their practice.
GOAL: TEACHER PROFESSIONAL LEARNING – INDICATORS OF SUCCESS
• Use of ICT for teaching, learning and assessment is embedded at each stage of the continuum
of teacher education i.e. Initial Teacher Education, Induction and Continuous Professional
Learning.
• Department and Teaching Council policies on teacher education recognise the role and
potential of ICT to enhance teaching and learning.
• Department-funded support services and related bodies have embedded the use of ICT in
CPD design, development and delivery.
• Guidance and examples of good practice on the effective, critical and ethical use of ICT for
teaching, learning and assessment are provided to and shared by teachers.
TEACHER KNOWLEDGE
Teachers require a wide range of knowledge in order to embed ICT effectively into their practice.
The Technological Pedagogical and Content Framework 35 , better known as TPACK, was developed
by Mishra and Koehler (2006) to describe the levels of knowledge a teacher requires in order to
integrate ICT into their professional practice. It describes the three types of knowledge required by a
teacher for effective pedagogical practice in a technology enhanced learning environment (figure 4).
• Teachers need a mix of technological knowledge (TK) so they can use ICT effectively.
• Teachers need to have a deep knowledge of the curriculum content they are teaching (CK).
• Teachers require pedagogical knowledge in order to teach their subject area (PK).
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What is Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge? (http://www.citejournal.org/articles/v9i1general1.pdf)
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