Teacher Educators’ Beliefs and Technology Uses as Predictors of Preservice Teachers’ Beliefs and Technology Attitudes

Source: Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, Volume 16, Issue 1, 2008, p. 93-112

This study examined preservice teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and attitudes toward technology in relation to teacher educators’ pedagogical beliefs and technology uses. Regression analyses were conducted to answer the research questions. The findings of this study revealed that teacher educators’ learner-centered beliefs and nonlearner-centered beliefs about learning and teaching explained a small amount of variance in preservice teachers’ learner-centered beliefs and nonlearner-centered beliefs about learning and teaching.

Findings indicated that the development of preservice teachers’ nonlearner-centered beliefs was uneven: At the end of the semester, preservice teachers’ nonlearner-centered beliefs about learning and teaching decreased, however, their nonlearner-centered beliefs about learners increased. Although no significant relationship was found between teacher educators’ technology uses and preservice teachers’ technology attitudes, taking an introductory educational technology course was found to be helpful in improving preservice teachers’ technology attitudes related to educational benefits.