One+Pager+No.+1

**Chaos is a name for any order that produces confusion in our minds. ~George Santayana ** = ICT, Teachers, and Self-Efficacy =

In the article “Self-Efficacy Beliefs as an Indicator of Teachers’ Preparedness for Teaching in Technology” Albion posits that teacher graduates should have adequate training in information and communications technology (ICT) and self-efficacy in regards to ICT in order to incorporate it into their teaching mediums. Although Albion conducted his study based on the educational system in Queensland Australia, many of his observations are still valid in the education system in British Columbia. Albion (1999) examines how the implementation of information technology to “prepare students with the skills for participation in an increasingly technological workplace” (p. 1) yet not providing the teachers with adequate training to both teach and utilize said technologies can be problematic. Albion also explores the correlation between self-efficacy, particularly in pre-service and new teachers, and the integration of ICT into their classrooms.

Albion makes a valid argument in that teachers, particularly pre-service teachers, need to have exposure to and training on various information technologies in order to develop sufficient self-efficacy with said technologies. Moreover, Albion (1999) does an excellent job in correlating self-efficacy with its importance in that it plays an important role in determining behaviour (p. 4). In “Self-Efficacy Beliefs as an Indicator of Teachers’ Preparedness for Teaching in Technology” Albion (1999) argues that “teachers’ beliefs are a significant factor in their success at integrating technology, that self-efficacy beliefs are an important, and measurable, compound of the beliefs that technology integration” (p. 2). To simplify, if someone is confident with a technology, it will translate into increased use, increased efficiency, and increased incorporation. Albion (1999) points out the lack of research into the specific link between teachers’ self-efficacy and computers as a teaching medium; however, he does discuss studies that identify that a lack of confidence in teaching with ICT influences the levels of technology use by pre-service and new teachers.

What Albion neglected to consider was the effect of teaching experience on self-efficacy. Both pre-service teachers and new teachers have not had adequate experience in teaching and managing a classroom and, therefore, are not necessarily confident in themselves and their abilities as educators. Couple the insecurity (no matter how small or large) with the struggle of familiarizing one’s self with a new technology, lowered self-efficacy is almost inevitable. Although supported with research and studies, Albion’s correlations between self-efficacy, pre-service/new teachers, and ICT as a teaching medium seem to be quite obvious - one with little experience will have lowered self-efficacy. He does, however, identify the need and call for all teachers to be adequately prepared for such technologies in order to increase self-efficacy and the incorporation of ICT in our teaching.

The teaching of ICT to teacher candidates seems to have improved since the publication of this article and more effort is being made to integrate ICT into the curriculum. Focus is also being made on how to use ITC as a teaching tool rather than as a personal tool to aid teacher candidates in incorporating the technologies into their classrooms. I do, however, see the need to include more diverse types of ICT being introduced in teacher education programs to provide teacher candidates with as many types of technologies as possible. I also see the need to have more exposure to the various technologies to enable teacher candidates to familiarize themselves with ICT to increase their self-efficacy prior to stepping in the classroom. The hard part is finding the balance... and the time.

As a teacher candidate in Technology Education, I see the importance and benefit of using ICT as a teaching medium in both a classroom and workshop setting. ICT can aid instructors in demonstrating small procedures that would regularly be hard to show a large class and make teaching more efficient a nd fun for both teachers and students. It is particularly important to lead by example and, contrary to what some may think, youth are smarter and more intuitive than they make out to be. If you have self-efficacy towards ICT, so will your students, in fact, they may even appreciate the chance to help out!