Teacher Perception of Technology Integration (Essay Sample)

Teacher perception of technology integration
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Teacher perception of technology integration
This main purpose of this literature is to discuss how teachers perceive the adoption and utilization of technology in enhancing learning. Teacher perception about technology adoption in enhancing learning revolves around a substantial number of factors. These factors include the level at which teachers understand and identify with technology, the ability of students to adopt technology in learning and the establishment of an environment that supports the integration of technology in learning among other factors. This paper covers research findings appertaining to the adoption of technology in education. Of a great essence in this review is the establishment of the factors that support positive perception and negative perception among the teachers with respect to the use of technology in advancing learning.
The use of technology in learning
Learning is an in an intense process, as such; the improvement of teaching skills and competencies is necessary. In a research that was conducted with the aim of ascertaining the deployment of technology in learning by teachers, Aydin, Dogan & Kinay (2012) found out that the use of technology in education is something that is widely understood and appreciated by teachers. However, the fact that the teachers appreciate the essence and value of technology integration in learning does not translate into their actual use of technology in learning. This observation finds support in the findings, which showed that the number of teachers who consider deploying technology in learning was quite low, as such, raising questions about the will and the level of skills that the teachers possessed concerning different technologies readily available for adoption in learning. Another interesting finding noted in the research is the existence of significant differences among the teachers when it comes to gender and the specialty of teachers. These findings led to the conclusion. That as much as teachers appreciate the existence of technology and the possibility of using technology in learning, there is a need to transform these technologies by way of incorporating learning instructions in the technologies so as to make them meaningful and easily adaptable in advancing learning (Aydin, Dogan & Kinay, 2012).
According to Levin & Wadmany (2008), there have been changes over time in the beliefs upheld by teachers about the use of technology in schools. Teaching and learning processes have had to change because of the increased calls for the integration of technology in schools to help in discharging learning activities. Involving teachers in any changes that take place in the realms of education is a desirable step. Likening this observation to the assertion here, it is worth to point out that the more teachers get involved in the development and implementation of policies appertaining to technology adoption in learning. It is imperative to conclude that teachers should be at the center of the processes of integrating technology in schools for the purposes of easing learning (Levin & Wadmany, 2008).
Concerns about technology integration
Qing (2007) conducted a study on which he sought to examine the views of teachers as well as students about the integration of technology in the learning environment. Based on data gathered from teachers teaching mathematics and science courses, Qing (2007) found that a substantial number of teachers negated the integration of technology in learning while students were more affiliated to technology and showed overwhelming support for technology integration in learning. Going as per the rate at which education professionals support the introduction and use of technology in schools to improve learning. The findings by Qing (2007) shows the existence of a significant number of gaps, evident in the fact that teachers, who are supposed to be the custodian of technology use in learning do not support technology use in learning while students show support for technology integration in learning. Technology adoption in learning comes with a substantial number of changes; therefore, it is imperative that the implementation of technology integration in learning addresses all the pedagogical and philosophical issues and concerns. It is the philosophical and pedagogical issues, which resonates in a substantial number of concerns that teachers raise. These concerns are likened to the negation of technology integration by teachers and the subsequent assumption that teachers have a negative perception about the use of technology for the purposes of advancing learning (Qing, 2007).
In their study, which focused on the concerns that teachers have in the United States regarding the integration of technology in education, Yuliang & Huang (2005) observed that the perception of teachers about the adoption of technology lies in different categories: informational, refocusing and personal. In other words, technology adoption requires critical considerations on the part of the stakeholders responsible for implementing programs that entail technology use in advancing learning in schools. Even the exposure of teachers to technology, which under normal circumstances would get presumed a factor that enhances the number of concerns raised by teachers concerning adopting and using technology in advancing learning in schools does not seem to encourage positive attitudes towards technology integration among teachers. Nonetheless, the concerns raised by teachers do not directly translate into the rejection or the development of negative perception on technology integration in learning. Only such points at the need to address a relatively high number of challenges that come with technology adoption and use in learning (Qing, 2007; Yuliang & Huang, 2005).
At this point, it is imperative to share the observations made by Qing (2007), Aydin, Dogan & Kinay (2012), and Yuliang & Huang (2005). These observations point to the conclusion that it is no longer whether technology adoption in learning is possible, but the broader question lies in how technology adoption ought to imply. This context is in line with the elimination of a substantial number of challenges that come with technology use in learning, which often result in negative perceptions about the whole issue of technology uses in learning in schools across the United States and other countries.
Implementation of technology integration in schools
In his study geared at exploring some of the risk factors that are associated with negative perceptions of technology integration in education, Howard (2011) noted that technology adoption in learning comes with risks. The concern here is whether teachers can completely absorb the risks, considering the facts that these risks depicts some of the critical challenges that teachers face is they choose to use technology in schools. The significance of technology in teaching and learning is an important area that needs emphasis during the development of plans revolving around the use of technology in advancing learning in schools. Reaching a middle ground prior to technology deployment in schools can be meaningful and a key step in the right way as far as eliminating the negative perception of technology integration in learning is concerned (Howard, 2011). In what can be considered a support of the findings by Howard (2011), Levin & Wadmany (2008) identified th...