Viewpoints of higher education teachers about technologies

Abstract

In the context of recent debates on technological literacy, a renewed research effort has focused on the nature of technologies. The aim of this work, which considers 'epistemological knowledge' as viewpoints which spring into gear in a given situation, is to use questionnaires and interviews to identify the opinions of teachers in a training institute for master technicians in Tunisia on technologies. The objective was to try and define how these teachers perceive the relations between sciences, technologies and societies and how social and cultural aspects affect their discourse on technologies. The results of the questionnaires and the analysis of their discourses indicate that teachers essentially perceive technology as an applied science for which the ultimate purpose is progress and consumption. The relations identified by teachers between technologies, sciences and societies, reveal dichotomies between science and technology both with respect to the status teachers attribute to knowledge and to their views on its teaching.

A case study for teaching information literacy skills

“…Without a doubt, in-depth knowledge about subject matter, theory, and pedagogy are vital components of contemporary college and university-level teaching. In order to ensure the effective integration of information and communications technologies (ICT) into teaching, faculty also need an adequate understanding of and proficiency with ICT [ 3 , 4 ]; however, this is not always the case. Researchers at the Pew Internet & American Life project noted a substantial generation gap between college professors and their students with regard to Internet usage, interests, and abilities [ 5 ].…”

Students’ perceptions of the nature of technology and its relationship with science following an integrated curriculum

“…In line with these beliefs, common misconceptions about the relationship between science and technology emerged, namely, that science is historically superior to technology, and that technology is merely applied science. Our findings contribute to the emerging field of student perceptions of technology, as these views have mostly been confirmed in studies with teachers, but not by studies on students (Almutairi, Everatt, Snape, & Fox-Turnbull, 2014;Bouras & Albe, 2008;Yalvac et al, 2012). Although these misconceptions were triangulated in the Likert scale items and the open-ended questions, the majority of the participants conceded that science and technology are different, but they support each other.…”

Professional Development in Science Summer Schools: How Science Motivation and Technology Interest Link in with Innovative Educational Pathways

“…The social aspects of technology describes that society is dependent on technology, because more and more new technologies come into the lives of teachers and students (Bouras & Albe, 2008). For that reason it is important that there is a continuous exchange between scientists and technology teachers` (Stein et al, 2006).…”

“…As the young generation grows up in a technology world, technology is commonplace like in social media and communication technology (O"Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011). The society is actually dependent on technology, because nearly nothing works without technology know-how (Bouras & Albe, 2008). However, the interest and attitudes towards technology apparently are decreasing within a school career associating technology with boredom and learning difficulties (Ardies, De Maeyer, & David Gijbels, 2013) and teachers are the major triggers to chance this.…”