Using a Learner-Centered Approach to Teach ICT in Secondary Schools: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Despite the importance of ICT (Information and Communication T echnology) as a school subject in secondary education, there is a lack of an integrated ICT pedagogy that is elucidated within a broad framework of educational practice. T he focus is still on technicalities and reproduction of knowledge rather than conceptual understanding of ICT . To realize the potential inherent in ICT , there is a need for innovative ICT pedagogies in secondary education. T he purpose of this work is to involve student teachers in applying and evaluating a learner-centered ICT teaching method in their teaching practice at the secondary school level. The goal is to explore student teachers' learning processes when practicing the method and critical factors of success.

Didactics of ICT in Secondary Education: Conceptual Issues and Practical Perspectives

“…In line with a number of researchers in ICT education (Brodahl, Fagernes, & Hadjerrouit, 2007;Hadjerrouit 2008;Herskin 2004;Mayes & Fowler, 1999), teaching approaches that are based on the understanding of software principles for problem solving involve three major components:…”

ICT Student Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A Case Study

“…In a study evaluating student teachers as they designed student-centered activities, none of the student teachers applied the underlying principles of the recommended ICT teaching method completely during the study. The student teachers regarded such planning activities as challenging tasks that took a great deal of effort and time (Hadjerrouit, 2008).…”

Exploring the Effect of Teaching Methods on Students’ Learning of School Informatics

“…In addition, teachers are often reluctant to abandon their own pedagogy. As a result, teaching methods based on conventional teacher-directed epistemologies are still dominant despite the potentialities of innovative pedagogies based on constructivism and situated learning (Avidov-Ungar & Iluz, 2014;Ben-Ari, 2001Brodahl, Fagernes, & Hadjerrouit, 2007;Hadjerrouit, 2008Hadjerrouit, , 2009aFee, & Holland-Minkley, 2010;Kolikant, 2010). Furthermore, teachers lack specific training and qualifications in teaching informatics (Schulte et al, 2012).…”

“…Basically, informatics as a school subject is confronted with a number of closely related problems, which makes the teaching of informatics more difficult than traditional subjects, such as the complexity of the software being used, lack of training and qualifications in informatics, existing teaching resources and textbooks, nature of informatics subject, etc. School informatics is a relatively new subject, and it is rapidly evolving, but it lacks an extensive research base of materials like the one published in mathematics education (Cápay, Magdin, & Tomanová, 2012;Dagdilelis et al, 2004;Dagdilelis, & Xinogalos, 2012;Hammond, 2004;Hadjerrouit, 2008Hadjerrouit, , 2009aHadjerrouit, , 2009bKumar, 2006;Minaidi & Hlapanis, 2005;Schubert & Swill, 2004;Schulte, 2002;Webb, 2002). While some progress has been made in teaching digital literacy, informatics education "lags sorely behind" (JIE & ACM WGIE,p.…”

“…It lacks an extensive research base of materials like the one published for mathematics education, a discipline that is well established at the university level in Norway. According to the research literature (Dagdilelis et al, 2004;Hadjerrouit, 2008;Hammond, 2004;Hubwieser, 2004;Minaidi & Hlapanis, 2005;Webb, 2002), informatics as a school subject is confronted with a number of closely related problems that need innovative solutions. First, schools adapt slowly to technological and pedagogical changes despite the fact that many attempts at implementing informatics have been initiated since 1980 in many countries.…”