Elementary Education Teacher Candidates’ Integration of Technology in the Design of Interdisciplinary Units

• Published in: TechTrends Vol. 60; no. 4; pp. 336 - 343
• Main Authors: Polly, Drew, Rock, Tracy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-07-2016; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Education; Educational Technology; Elementary education; Elementary School Teachers; Handheld Devices; Integrated Learning Systems; Interdisciplinary Approach; Internet; Learning and Instruction; Lesson Plans; Original Paper; Pedagogical Content Knowledge; Preservice Teachers; Statistical Analysis; Teacher Competencies; Teacher education; Teacher Educators; Technological Literacy; Technology Integration; Technology Uses in Education; Thinking Skills; TPACK; Teacher education; Instructional design; Technology integration
• ISSN: 8756-3894; 1559-7075
• DOI: 10.1007/s11528-016-0059-y

In this paper the authors evaluate 85 elementary education teacher candidates’ integration of technology into interdisciplinary units that the candidates wrote during the semester before their full-time student teaching internship. An inductive analysis of the units revealed that teachers used a wide variety of technologies with a large dependence on Internet-based technologies, interactive whiteboards, and iPad applications. Further analyses found that most of the technology uses were lower-level and focused on only basic skills. However, chi-squared tests for independence found statistically significant relationships between numerous factors and when technology was used in ways that addressed higher-order thinking skills. These factors included the structure of the lesson plans, the content of the interdisciplinary units, when the technology was integrated into the multi-lesson unit, and when the technology was integrated into specific phases of the lesson. Implications for teacher education programs and research that focuses on teacher candidates’ TPACK are provided.