Results of the present study indicate a consistent relationship between teacher profiles, based on their educational beliefs, and the frequency of class use of computers. A teacher profile with relatively high constructivist beliefs tends to show a high frequency of educational computer use. This finding is in accordance with earlier research (eg. Becker, 2001). Interestingly, a teacher profile with relatively high constructivist beliefs and also high traditionalist beliefs leads to the most frequent adoption of all types of computer uses. One possible explanation is that, since teachers use computers in ways that are consistent with their personal beliefs, a broader spectrum of educational beliefs might result in a more diverse use of ICT.

Furthermore, teacher belief profiles tend to be associated with different types of computer use. This result confirms the importance of examining different types of computer use (Tondeur et al., 2007). Teachers with a traditional teaching profile are less likely to use “computers as an information tool” where pupils are given more degrees of freedom when the computer is used to research and processing information when compared to the two other types of computer use. In addition, teachers with a traditional teaching profile are much more likely to use “computers as a learning tool” as compared to using “computers as an information tool”. For this group of teachers, drill-and-practice activities are more common. It can be suggested that teachers are likely to adopt practices with computers that are in line with their teaching beliefs.

Considering this finding, how do we support teachers to integrate ICT in their classroom? It might be useful to design professional development approaches that at least take educational beliefs into account. How to facilitate and support this in a pre- or in-service training approach is less clear, especially for staff developers who are familiar with the development of technical ICT skills. Although some argue that the optimal use of ICT demands a new learning paradigm, we think that staff developers might consider introducing ICT to accomplish that which is already valued. The belief-action relationship must be seen as bi-directional: beliefs lead to actions, which, in turn, lead to the creation of new, reconstructed or reaffirmed beliefs (Haney et al., 2002). In this way, teachers’ practices and belief profiles are continually shaped by their ongoing experience.

Pedagogical beliefs are thought to play a significant role in whether/how technology is adopted and implemented by classroom teachers. Furthermore, because of the relative tenacity of these beliefs, it is generally agreed that it is also difficult to influence or change classroom behaviors that are based on these beliefs. This study used a quasi-experimental research design to investigate the impact of problem-based learning (PBL) on teachers’ beliefs regarding technology use (as measured by pre- and post-surveys) and on their intended teaching practices (as measured by pre- and post lesson plans). Participants included 48 preservice teachers enrolled in a 1-credit introductory educational technology course. As expected, survey results measuring teachers’ beliefs showed no significant changes in pedagogical beliefs regarding technology use. However, participants in the treatment group, as compared to the control group, significantly shifted their intended teaching practices from teacher-directed learning to student-centered learning, as demonstrated in four categories: 1) students’ role, 2) curriculum characteristics, 3) learning goals, and 4) types of technology use. Comments from preservice teachers suggested that the instructors’ modeling of PBL influenced the strategies they used in designing their final lesson plans.

Empirical evidence has established the significance of beliefs for understanding teacher behavior (Kagan, 1992). Specific to technology, Niederhauser and Stoddart (2001) described patterns of technology use that were consistent with teachers’ beliefs about curriculum and instructional practice. According to Miller and colleagues (2003), teachers’ beliefs about technology are comprised of three related, but independent components: pedagogical beliefs about teaching and learning, self-efficacy beliefs about technology use, and beliefs about the perceived value of computers for student learning. In a study by Russell, Bebell, O’Dwyer, and O’Connor (2004) these three components were the main predictors of teachers’ classroom technology use.

Literature suggests that teachers’ beliefs can be changed through practices that emphasize reflection on one’ personal beliefs, hands-on experiences, and engagement in authentic problems (Ertmer, 2005). As one example of an authentic, hands-on teaching approach, problem-based learning (PBL) offers a potentially effective means for impacting preservice teachers’ beliefs (Derry, Siegel, Stampen, & the STEP team, 2002). PBL enables preservice teachers to recognize different perspectives and encourages them to articulate, defend, or change their current beliefs about classroom practice (Lundberg & Levin, 2003).

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of problem-based learning on preservice teachers’ beliefs regarding technology use. Specifically, we asked:

1.      What is the impact of problem-based learning on preservice teachers’ beliefs regarding technology use?

2.      How do preservice teachers’ intended teaching practices change after participating in a technology integration course using a PBL approach?

Methods

We employed a quasi-experimental research design, using pre- and post-surveys, to investigate the impact of problem-based learning on preservice teachers’ beliefs regarding technology use. Additionally, pre-and post-course lesson plans were used to investigate changes in preservice teachers’ intended teaching practices.

Of the 50 preservice students enrolled in three sections of a one-credit educational technology course, 48 students completed the pre- and post-surveys and 46 completed pre-and post-lesson plans. The course met once a week, for 2 hours, over 8 weeks. Of the three intact sections, two were assigned to the PBL condition and one to the control condition. For the PBL condition, two video clips featuring a middle school principal and school superintendent introduced the authentic PBL task: the administrators wanted to hire new teachers who could integrate technology into their classrooms. Preservice teachers formed groups according to their disciplines and developed artifacts to demonstrate their skills, knowledge, and attitudes towards technology integration. Participants in the control group evaluated instructional multimedia K-12 programs and using a software evaluation form.

Pre- and post-beliefs were examined via a 54-item survey measuring 1) pedagogical beliefs, 2) self-efficacy beliefs about computer use, and 3) beliefs about the perceived value of computers for instructional purposes. Students rated their levels of agreement (from 1- completely disagree to 7- completely agree) on statements related to these three components. 

Pre-and post-course lesson plans were analyzed with a rubric to measure changes in intended teaching practices. The rubric addressed 7 categories: 1) teachers’ roles, 2) students’ roles, 3) curricular characteristics, 4) learning goals, 5) types of activities, 6) assessment strategies, and 7) types of technology. Each lesson plan was scored on each category using a 4-point scale (1 = teacher-centered learning, 4 = student-centered learning). The seven category scores were added; possible scores ranged from 7 to 28. Graders were blind to both the experimental condition and the timing of the lesson plan.

Results and Discussion

Results of the survey showed no significant differences between treatment groups on the beliefs survey. This result is not completely unexpected given the relatively short duration of the course. To change preservice teachers’ beliefs regarding technology use, we may need to incorporate student-centered learning approaches throughout the teacher education program.  However, it also may be possible that our survey was unable to adequately capture changes in teachers’ beliefs. As Tatto and Coupland (2003) suggested, more than one measurement may be needed over time and across different courses, allowing for triangulation.

Data from the pre- and post-course lesson plans were analyzed using the rubric developed. First, an ANCOVA was conducted, using total scores from the pre-course lesson plans as a covariate. Results showed a significant difference between groups in the amount of change measured, F(1, 43) = 8.80, p = 0.004, h² = .67. Overall, participants in the PBL group showed greater change than participants in the control group, moving from a teacher-centered to a student-centered approach.

Second, changes in participants’ intended teaching practices were examined for each subcategory using a one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). An overall effect of treatment on subcategories was noted: Hotelling-Lawley Trace = .64, associated F(7, 38) = 3.50, p = .0054, h²  = .36.  Follow-up ANOVAs indicated significantly more student-centered approaches for PBL students on four subcategories: 1) students’ role (F(1, 44) = 11.37, p = .0016, h² = .21), 2) curriculum characteristics (F(1, 44) = 14.76, p = .0004, h² = ..25), 3) learning goals (F(1, 44) = 12.67, p = .0009, h² = ..22), and 4) types of technology use (F(1, 44) = 23.29, p < .0001, h² = .35).

These results suggest that hands-on activities with a variety of examples, group work, and PBL modeling activities, have the potential to change preservice teachers’ intended practices toward student-centered learning approaches. This is similar to findings by Derry et al. (2002), which demonstrated changes in preservice teachers’ beliefs after participation in authentic hands-on experiences. It is possible that personal involvement in PBL activities enables preservice teachers to gain a clearer understanding of how they might implement student-centered technology use in a classroom setting. This, then, might be the first step toward changing their future practice as well as their beliefs about effective technology use. By helping teachers adopt new practices that are successful, the beliefs associated with these practices may also change.