B mariam attia_euro_call_presentation_260510[1]

Situated Teacher Cognition and ICT

Mariam AttiaUniversity of Manchester

EuroCALL Teacher Education Workshop May 26th, 2010

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Purpose of Study

• Explore Arabic language teachers’ beliefs about the use ICT (as a precondition for effective technology integration)

• “.. if our efforts to extend the educational applications of technology are to be successful, it is important to understand how such visions and beliefs are both formed and transformed” (Albion & Ertmer, 2002)

How & Why?

• The research is situated in the Arabic Language Institute (ALI) at the American University in Cairo, Egypt

• Funding was largely allocated to installing the latest technologies

• However, ICT adoption remained minimal

Factors for Adoption

The literature on ICT and teaching identifies various factors associated with teachers’ adoption of technology. They are as follows:

Factor ReferenceTeachers’ Beliefs and Attitudes

e.g. Gobbo & Girardi 2001; Baylor & Ritchie, 2002; Mumtaz, 2002; Cox, 2004

Confidence Demetriadis, 2003; Scrimshaw, 2004

Computer Competence Gobbo & Girardi 2001; Baylor & Ritchie, 2002; Granger et al., 2002

ICT Training Baylor & Ritchie 2002; Egbert et al., 2002; Granger et al., 2002; Scrimshaw, 2004, Galanouli et al., 2004


Factor Reference

Teacher Collaboration e.g. Smerdon et al., 2000; Fisher, 1999 cited in Egbert et al, 2002

Technical Support Scrimshaw, 2004

School Culture Olson, 2000; Demetriadis et al., 2003

Availability of Resources e.g. Pelgrum, 2001; Baylor & Ritchie, 2002

Time Vrasidas & McIsaac, 2001; Scrimshaw, 2004


• Certain studies (e.g. Veen, 1993; Lam, 2000; Mumtaz, 2000; Ertmer, 2005, Guven et al, 2009) have identified teachers’ beliefs and attitudes as central to ICT integration.

• My study focuses specifically on this factor for technology adoption.

Definition of Terms

Teacher Cognition:

• Different terms have been used to explain aspects of teachers’ mental lives, such as beliefs (Pajares, 1992), maxims (Richards, 1996), personal practical knowledge (Golombek, 1998) and conceptions of practice (Freeman 2003).

• Due to the difficulty of drawing clear lines between such concepts, the term “teacher cognition” will follow the work of Woods (1996), Johnson (2006) and Borg (2003; 2006), referring to teachers’ knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs as interwoven concepts.

Theoretical Framework

Professional CourseworkSchooling

Language Teacher

Cognition

Classroom Practice

Contextual Factors

About teaching, teachers, learners, learning, subject matter, activities, curriculum, etc

Elements and processes in language teacher cognition - Borg (2006)

Research Questions

RQ1: What are teachers’ assumptions, attitudes and beliefs about using ICT in teaching Arabic as a foreign language?

RQ2: How do teachers make use of ICT in teaching Arabic as a foreign language?

RQ3: What is the relationship between their cognition and practice?

Methods of Data Collection

Interviews

Observations

Stimulated Recalls

Technological

Reflections

ICT Questionna

ire

Data Analysis - Maxqda


Professional CourseworkSchooling

Language Teacher

Cognition

Classroom Practice

Contextual Factors

About teaching, teachers, learners, learning, subject matter, activities, curriculum, etc



Professional CourseworkEarly Experiences

Language Teacher

Cognition

Classroom Practice

Contextual Factors

About teaching, teachers, learners, learning, subject matter, activities, curriculum, etcICT


Meet My Teachers!

Dalal

• 22 years of experience in teaching Arabic as a foreign language

• MA in TAFL• PhD in Teaching

Methodology

Meet My Teachers!

Heba


• MA in TAFL

Meet My Teachers!

Laila


• MA in TAFL

Teacher Cognition & Practice

• Cognitions about ICT integration

• How these cognitions are reflected or not reflected in practice – Match or mismatch between espoused theory and theory-in-action (Argyris & Schön, 1974)

Dalal

Understanding Cognitions in Context

Imagine, the very beeeautiful poems of the past, that we might not fully understand because of their difficult words.. If you see them as images, it will make a huge difference, and you will learn them fast. This might actually help Egyptian youth appreciate the own language

(Technological Reflections, 23.04.2008)


I feel that I should be versed in so many things related to technology, which would assist me in my teaching,

facilitate things for me and for the students.. However, I feel impotent in the face of this. The problem is that I am busy with many other things and don’t have the

time to learn or practice



.. and my fear that things will go wrong.. This is the thing that influences me the most.. Though we always joke about it [technical failure] and I ask them: “Who is the engineer here? Would you please come forward and fix this for us?” and so. But, of course, I feel very embarrassed



Colleagues are of major importance because I always resort to them when I want to learn something, and they ask me too. Everyone knows bits and pieces that we assist each other with..


Dalal’s Cognitions at a Glance

Reveals the beauty of

Arabic Colleagues

Better safe than sorry!

Fear of failure

Time

Bigger institutional

role

Situated learning

Image

A Visit to Dalal’s Classroom




Heba


There is no way for teaching the Arabic language except moving in this direction.. that we teach with the use of

technology



It’s a matter of somebody being a bit adventurous. Somebody sitting in front of a machine, a computer for example, for a long time, playing with it, trying this and tying that



This is one of the areas where Waheed [one of her colleagues] always gave me support. I used to have fears. Honestly, I am much better now. He used to

encourage me a lot [by saying]: “We make it. It does not make us.. We operate it. It does not operate us”.

With time, the fears I had for the machines disappeared

(Interview, 25.02.2008)


This idea that I always want to treat it [Arabic] in a special way, to develop special criteria for it, to treat it as if I was treating persons with special needs. I don’t want this. No, what applies there [to other languages]

will apply here. We are no different.


Heba’s Cognitions at a Glance

Responsibility

ColleaguesExperimentation

determination Time

ResourcefulnessAutonomy

A Visit to Heba’s Classroom




Laila


Regardless of any technology-related frustrations that take place due to many factors, I don’t think I can do without its tools now, after arriving at them, and experiencing their benefits and the pleasure of using them. Clock hands never move backwards and neither will my journey

(Technological Reflections)


Students are more enthusiastic about the subject matter.” We will watch a movie” [they say referring to her PowerPoint Presentations]. We switch off the lights. I feel happy when I see grammar becoming

something attractive..[It] has always been something boring and monotonous.. So, when it

becomes a source of motivation for students, that is really beautiful

(Interview, 24.01.08)


There is a beautiful spirit and great closeness on a personal level. This is reflected professionally as well.



I used to teach using audio tapes. [At the beginning of the semester] I told the students, as I have always done for the past twenty years: “Please bring in four empty audio-tapes each, so I can record the homework for you”. They responded: “We don’t have tape recorders”. I asked: “Why not?”. [They told me] “.. No one uses these things..”I asked: “You don’t use them?”. They said:”Never.. We are a generation that does not use tapes”(laugh). I wondered what to do. I was puzzled.


Laila’s Cognitions at a Glance

DeterminationColleagues

Motivation

Time

Positive pressure

Responsiveness

Image

A Visit to Laila’s Classroom




..So, how does all this add to our understanding of teacher cognition and ICT?

.. to be shared at the next EuroCALL Teacher Education workshop

..Stay tuned!

.. Coming Next

Thank you

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