How can I build (and sustain)

effective professional learning

communities?

What can leadership do to help teachers

experiment with ICT

Dr Sarah K Howard

University of Wollongong

sahoward@uow.edu.au

Aims of this seminar…

• To discuss some of the current issue around teachers’ practice and technology integration

• To consider some of the factors of teacher integration we see in our research

• To explore how these factors relate to professional learning

• To discuss current strategies and issues you experience in your schools (I’d like to do this for as much time as possible)

What are the current problems?

• Young people require the capacity to select, incorporate and utilize new knowledge and skills in circumstances of rapid innovation and change

• Increasing pressure to prove that these learning outcomes can be achieved through technology integration

• Research is increasingly telling us:

– Positive learning outcomes are more closely related to teachers’ practice and cultural factors than a specific technology.

What do we know about practice?

• Relationships between teaching and technology are not well understood

– How and why do teacher select certain ICTs?

– How do they combine them with content?

– How do we achieve specific learning outcomes?

• If we don’t know these things, how can we support professional learning? Good question.

Exploring the questions

• Data collected in the DER-NSW evaluation, 2010 – 2012

• Each year data is collected in two phases:– Phase 1: Student, teacher & parent questionnaires

– Phase 2: Five case study schools

• Data shown today is teacher questionnaire responses from 2010 – 2012

• We’ll look at the questions from three perspectives:

– The individual teacher

– Discipline/Pedagogy/Curriculum

– School culture

The individual teacher• Teachers with less teaching experience were more likely to

use the DER-NSW laptops in the classroom

• Teachers who felt they had the appropriate skills were likely to take risks using the laptops

• Teachers who found technology to be a fun part of teaching and learning were – more confident using the laptops

– more confident, more likely to use laptops in teaching

– more likely to use student-centred lessson

• Teachers reporting it was important for themselves and students to use computers in learning and teaching were more likely to integrate

Discipline, pedagogy & curriculum

• Teachers who are more likely to use student-centredlessons are more likely to integrate technology in their teaching

• In the four main subject areas: English was most likely to student-centred lessons, followed by HSIE, then Science and Mathematics

• In the four main subject areas: HSIE and Science teachers were most likely to use computers (and the laptops), followed by English, and Mathematics

• Teachers were more likely to use computers and the laptops in Years 9 & 10 than Years 11 & 12

Discipline, pedagogy & curriculum cont.

• The most commonly ICT-related tasks in teaching:

– English• Researching information ~once to 2-3 times a week

• Word processing ~once a week

– Mathematics• Entering data into spreadsheets or databases ~once a term

• Creating charts and graphs ~once a term

– Science• Researching information ~once to 2-3 times a week

• Taking notes & organizing ~once a week

– HSIE• Researching information ~once to 2-3 times a week

• Taking notes ~once a week

Discipline, pedagogy & curriculum cont.

• What we also see in relation to pedagogy & curriculum:

– Gradual positive shifts in teachers’ practice :• Being able to individualize curriculum

• Accessing AND creating diverse teaching materials

• Being able to present topics in greater depth

• Thinking about how use of technology would ENHANCE lessons and learning

– Gradual positive shifts in teachers’ experience:• Feeling they can ask other teachers for help using

technologies in teaching

• Feeling respected in the community

• Feeling supported by their school and their faculties to use technology

The school culture

• Teachers who felt their school leadership supported the DER-NSW program and technology use were more likely to use computers (and laptops) in teaching

• Teachers feeling the school had appropriate support structures were more likely to take risks with the laptops

• Teachers who feel they have been provided with appropriate training on both software and teaching strategies feel more enthusiastic about teaching

• Teacher communication with peers and students has increased significantly each year

Back to the questions…– How and why do teacher select certain ICTs?

• What traits do teacher have that influence these choices?

• How can we help this process?

– How do they combine them with content?

• What are subject area implications?

• What are curriculum implications?

– How do we achieve specific learning outcomes?

• What are the pedagogical factors?

To bring it full circle… using what we know…

• How do we effectively help individual teachers to engage in learning about, and experimenting with, technology integration?

– What do we know about confidence?

– What do we know about differences?

– What do we know about culture?

For more information and data

Howard, S. K., Thurtell, E., & Gigliotti, A. (2012). DER-NSW Evaluation: Report on the implications of the 2011 data collection. Sydney: New South Wales Department of Education and Communities.

Howard, S. K., & Maton, K. (2011). Theorising knowledge practices: A missing piece of the educational technology puzzle. Research in Learning Technology, 19(3), 191–206.

Howard, S. K., & Carceller, C. (2011). DER-NSW 2010: Implications of the 2010 data collection. Sydney: New South Wales Department of Education and Communities.

Howard, S. K., & Carceller, C. (2010). The impact of the Digital Education Revolution in NSW government schools: Baseline data. Sydney: New South Wales Department of Education and Training.

You can find the speaking notes to these slides @ http://tinyurl.com/8bthzke