Teachers' Beliefs about Computers: Report of a Case Study

Abstract

Much of the research on the use of computers in education either looks at the computer as a cognitive tool or as a catalyst for change aimed at fostering students' learning and changing teachers' actual routines. However, neither of these perspectives gives much consideration to the teaching framework in which the computer is actually used. In order to address this issue, a case study was designed to explore teachers' concepts and beliefs about computers. In this case study two teachers were involved in a software development process, and observation of their discussions during this process was used as a technique to uncover the teachers' beliefs about using computers. The case study led to a model of how teachers use computers in classroom teaching. This model conceptualizes the computer as a teaching resource that helps teachers to develop their teaching strategy, replacing the teachers in their role of managing students' rehearsal of materials and serving as a classroom management tool. This model of using computers demonstrates significant links between teachers' teaching strategies and the use of computers in education and thereby provides a support for a view of computers as professional tools for educators.