| The influence of technology beliefs and practices of higher educational faculty on instructional practices was examined in this qualitative study. Purposeful sampling was used to choose two individuals who represented the high and low ends of a technology acceptance/use scale. Random sampling was used to select a third individual to represent a point somewhere between the two ends of the scale. Data sources consisted of a standardized open-ended interview, a technology use survey, the Approaches to Teaching Inventory, course syllabi and on-line course materials, professional development records, institutional archives, administrative interviews, and personal notes. The results of the study were similar to earlier studies in that there was no indication that technology influences instructional practices and that culture was the key to integrating technology into instruction. Data appeared to indicate in this setting that the necessary elements for technology (i.e., integration, institutional vision, senior leadership, access to technology, and appropriate incentives) were not sufficiently present to support technology integration into the classroom. The study did not provide enough information to answer whether technology use contributes to a change in teaching conception, and if there is a change in one's conception, what factors contribute to that change. None of the participants in this study thought that technology had changed or dramatically influenced their teaching styles. This is consistent with earlier studies of teachers who had incorporated technology into their instruction and then attributed instructional changes not to the use of technology, but to increased reflection on the effectiveness of their teaching, school climate, expectations, and formal professional development. Teaching conception, technology, and change should be areas of further research with a larger population focusing upon teacher-centered versus student-centered teaching conceptions, different disciplines, and/or junior and senior faculty. |
