Abstract
The misalignment or contradiction between material and abstract resources within a school are structural barriers to systemic pedagogic innovation and effective teacher professional development. This article contributes a case study to the success stories of information and communication technology (ICT) integration in schools through alternative professional development approaches. The case describes three, designed social interaction practices, or mechanisms, to facilitate ICT champion training and teacher learning about technology at a private international school in Singapore. It explores the complex interplay between each mechanism and temporal, curricular and financial barriers. Data were collected by interviews with the primary facilitator of these ICT champion mechanisms and triangulated by subsequent interviews with selected school stakeholders, observations of selected ICT champion mechanisms, and school documents and artifacts from these mechanisms. Iterative coding of the qualitative data for professional development mechanisms identified the prominence of the three ICT champion mechanisms and then the impact of temporal, curricular and financial constraints on these mechanisms’ designs, and their effectiveness. Mechanisms were effective when they repurposed existing stakeholder time for champion training and teacher learning, and when they did not compete with other mechanisms for stakeholder time. Mechanisms addressed curricular barriers by targeting the appropriate level and unit of curriculum for technology integration and by coupling with other school mechanisms to determine these. The mechanisms also did not harm the existing financial structure in the school but repurposed finances for new roles and relied on other incentives to recruit and retain champions.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bradshaw, P., Twining, P., & Walsh, C. S. (2012). The vital program: Transforming ICT professional development. American Journal of Distance Education, 26(2), 74–85. doi:10.1080/08923647.2012.655553.
Bubb, S., & Earley, P. (2013). The use of training days: Finding time for teachers’ professional development. Educational Research, 55(3), 236–248. doi:10.1080/00131881.2013.825161.
Ertmer, P. A. (1999). Addressing first- and second-order barriers to change: Strategies for technology integration. Educational Technology Research and Development, 47(4), 47–61.
Ertmer, P. (2005). Teacher pedagogical beliefs: The final frontier in our quest for technology integration? Educational Technology Research and Development, 53(4), 25–39. doi:10.1007/bf02504683.
Friesen, M. (2010). The teacher-it worker relationship: A case study of a Singapore International Private School. (Doctor of Education). Leicester: University of Leicester.
Hammond, M., Crosson, S., Fragkouli, E., Ingram, J., Johnston-Wilder, P., Johnston-Wilder, S., et al. (2009). Why do some student teachers make very good use of ICT? An exploratory case study. Technology Pedagogy and Education, 18(1), 59–73. doi:10.1080/14759390802704097.
Haydn, T., & Barton, R. (2008). “First do no harm”: Factors influencing teachers’ ability and willingness to use ICT in their subject teaching. Computers & Education, 51(1), 439–447. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2007.06.001.
Holliday, S. E. (2005). Coaching for technology integration: A strategy in staff development (Doctor of Education). Riverside: La Sierra University. (3176440).
Hudson, P. (2013). Strategies for mentoring pedagogical knowledge. Teachers and Teaching, 19(4), 363–381. doi:10.1080/13540602.2013.770226.
Jackson, K., & Cobb, P. (2012). Coordinating professional development across contexts and role groups. In M. Evans (Ed.), Teacher education and pedagogy: Theory, policy and practice (p. 190). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Jones, W. M., & Dexter, S. (2014). How teachers learn: The roles of formal, informal, and independent learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 62(3), 367–384. doi:10.1007/s11423-014-9337-6.
Kennedy, M. M. (2006). Generalizing from single case studies. In M. David (Ed.), Case study research (Vol. 2, pp. 3–20). London: Sage Publications.
Kopcha, T. (2010). A systems-based approach to technology integration using mentoring and communities of practice. Educational Technology Research and Development, 58(2), 175–190. doi:10.1007/s11423-008-9095-4.
Lichtman, M. (2006). Qualitative research in education: A user’s guide. London: Sage Publications.
Mangin, M. M., & Dunsmore, K. (2014). How the Framing of Instructional Coaching as a Lever for Systemic or Individual Reform Influences the Enactment of Coaching. Educational Administration Quarterly. doi:10.1177/0013161X14522814.
Neumerski, C. M. (2013). Rethinking Instructional Leadership, a Review: What Do We Know About Principal, Teacher, and Coach Instructional Leadership, and Where Should We Go From Here? Educational Administration Quarterly, 49(2), 310–347. doi:10.1177/0013161X12456700.
Peeraer, J., & Van Petegem, P. (2012). The limits of programmed professional development on integration of information and communication technology in education. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 28(6), 1039–1056.
Resnick, L. B. (2010). 2009 Wallace Foundation Distinguished Lecture: Nested learning systems for the thinking curriculum. Educational Researcher, 39(3), 183–197. doi:10.2307/27764582.
Romeo, G., Lloyd, M., & Downes, T. (2012). Teaching Teachers for the Future (TTF): Building the ICT in education capacity of the next generation of teachers in Australia. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 28(6), 949–964.
Sherer, J., & Spillane, J. P. (2011). Constancy and change in work practice in schools: The role of organizational routines. Teachers College Record, 113(3), 611–657.
Spector, J. M., Johnson, T., & Young, P. (2014). An editorial on research and development in and with educational technology. Educational Technology Research and Development, 62(1), 1–12. doi:10.1007/s11423-014-9331-z.
Spillane, J. P., Parise, L. M., & Sherer, J. Z. (2011). Organizational routines as coupling mechanisms: Policy, school administration, and the technical core. American Educational Research Journal, 48(3), 586–619. doi:10.2307/27975303.
Stake, R. E. (1995). The art of case study research. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Starkey, L. (2010). Supporting the digitally able beginning teacher. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26(7), 1429–1438. doi:10.1016/j.tate.2010.05.002.
Stein, M. K., & Coburn, C. E. (2008). Architectures for learning: A comparative analysis of two urban school districts. American Journal of Education, 114, 583–626.
Yin, R. K. (2003). Case study research: design and methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Woo, D.J. Structural barriers and organizational mechanisms for training and deploying ICT champions in a school. Education Tech Research Dev 64, 839–855 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-016-9440-y
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-016-9440-y