Studying Classroom Practice: Case Development for Professional Learning in Technology Integration

Source: Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 17 (2), p. 175-202. (April 2009).

This study examined the efficacy of case development as an instrument for teacher learning in technology integration. In particular, the study examined whether case development can help teachers

(a) develop the ability to integrate technology with content and pedagogy, and
(b) cultivate skills required to reflect on their own teaching with technology and learn from their practice.

The data consisted of case narratives developed by five in-service teachers, a volume of online discussion entries, and in-depth interviews.

Findings indicated that case development can help teachers develop a critical understanding of the nuanced relationship between technology, content, and pedagogy and transfer their learning into practice. It can also help teachers engage in the type of reflection that enables them to question fundamental assumptions, reconsider their beliefs towards technology, and learn from their practice.

The results of the study help advance our understanding of teacher learning from case development and bear implications for the design of in-service technology programs that treat classroom practice as a site of inquiry.