Beliefs about Learning, Instruction, and Technology among Elementary School Teachers

Abstract

The current study investigated six teachers, three in second grade and three in fourth grade, and their beliefs about learning, instruction, and technology. The first significant finding was that the teachers who held objectivist notions about learning and instruction also held objectivist views concerning technology, and the teachers who possessed constructivist beliefs about learning and instruction also had constructivist beliefs about technology. The second major finding was that these second-grade and fourth-grade teachers differed in their beliefs about learning and instruction, as well as their beliefs concerning technology. The second-grade teachers placed greater emphasis on student-centered concerns while their fourth-grade colleagues were more teacher-centered. The difference in the beliefs and approaches to teaching at the primary and upper elementary grades may have implications for teacher preparation and inservice training efforts.