The paper addresses how the construct of zone of proximal development was used as an analytical lens to examine teachers' integration of computer technology for teaching. The research question 'What are the teachers' psychological insights that serve to mediate student learning?' was the focus of the study. Six secondary school science teachers took part in the 5-month study. Data were collected using qualitative methods. Analysis of participants' natural metaphoric language revealed four themes that framed participants' psychological insights: mediation as a journey; mediation as adopting roles; mediation as mutual investment; and, mediation as liberating and/or domesticating. Collectively, these psychological insights mediated learning actions within the zone of proximal development.
IntroductionIn many countries, recent reforms in teaching and professional education have put great emphasis on the use of computer technology for teaching. For anyone concerned with this area of educational computing, a better understanding of teaching with the use of computer technology is now urgently needed. Current research from educational computing literature emphasises that computer use and student-learning outcomes are closely linked to the teachers' use of computer technology in the classroom (Becker,
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