Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology: Attitudinal Impacts of Technology-supported Field Experience On Pre-service Teacher Candidates.

TECHNOLOGY & children; EDUCATION policy; TEACHERS; SCIENCE; INSTRUCTIONAL systems

The research discussed in this manuscript was supported by a capacity building grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education as a Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to use Technology Grant (PT3). The problem was to determine the effect on teacher candidates of a field experience in which candidates used technology to support the teaching of a science topic to elementary children. Pairs of teacher candidates were divided into three groups to provide science instruction in one of three ways: (1) instructing with the support of multi-media (HyperStudio(tm)), (2) instructing with the support of the Internet, and (3) instructing without technology support (control group). Pre- and post surveys designed to measure attitudinal gains were administered to all participating teacher candidates. Findings revealed significant advantages associated with the inclusion of technology upon the attitudes of teacher candidates. Implications for maximizing the impact of technology in instruction are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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