Becoming an effective technology integrating teacher: The effects of a technology-enriched elementary social studies methods course

No longer is the question asked as to whether or not technology (computers, Internet, World Wide Web) should play a role in education. Instead educators and policymakers ask what should this role be and how can teachers be prepared to effectively use technology in their teaching? Several national organizations and government agencies have stated that teacher preparation programs are not adequately preparing its preservice teacher education students to effectively integrate technology and, have made several recommendations to remedy these inadequacies. Teacher preparation programs have responded to these recommendations by shifting the focus of their efforts on finding new ways to prepare teachers to be model users of technology, centering around two main recommendations: integrating technology throughout the entire preservice teacher experience, and providing faculty models for effective technology integration. Little empirical evidence exists to support that these recommendations are valid.; A technology-enriched elementary social studies methods course served as the site for this study. Understanding the effects of this teaching methods course on changing preservice teachers' beliefs and expectations of social studies teaching and technology integration provides valuable insight into determining the validity of these recommendations. To provide a detailed description of the course, 28 class sessions were observed, and two interviews were performed with each participant. Additionally, lesson plan assignments and a videotaped microteaching lesson were analyzed. Of interest was how the beliefs and teaching practice of the instructor affected the beliefs, intentions, abilities and teaching practice of the preservice teachers.; Constructivism, symbolic interactionism, and the College and University Faculty Assembly Technology Committee Guidelines for Using Technology to Prepare Social Studies Teachers were utilized as conceptual frameworks for this case study. Analytic induction was used to analyze data and generated seven empirical assertions. Results indicated that the preservice teachers' K–12 social studies and technology experiences conditioned their beliefs in social studies, social studies teaching, and technology integration. However, the constructivist beliefs and teaching practices of the instructor played an important role in positively changing the preservice teachers' beliefs towards social studies teaching and technology integration, as well as their ability to teach using technology.