Turkish and Singaporean Pre-service Physics Teachers’ Beliefsabout Teaching and Use of Technology

Deniz Gurcay • Benjamin Wong • Ching Sing Chai

Published online: 6 September 2012

� De La Salle University 2012

Abstract Beliefs about pedagogy and the use of technol-

ogy affect the integration ICT in classrooms. This compar-

ative study explores the pedagogical beliefs of pre-service

physics teachers from two different cultures and examines

the relationship between teachers’ beliefs about construc-

tivist and traditional teaching and their related beliefs about

the use of technology. This study was conducted with 115

Turkish and 90 Singaporean pre-service physics teachers.

The results indicate that both Turkish and Singaporean pre-

service physics teachers tend to believe in constructivist

teaching which are aligned with their respective countries

reform efforts. However, there is a significant difference

between Turkish and Singaporean pre-service physics

teachers in terms of constructivist use of technology beliefs.

According to the results of this study more efforts are needed

to insure that ICT is used more productively to support the

teaching of physics in a constructivist manner and to create

more effective physics classes.

Keywords Teachers’ beliefs � Constructivism �ICT � Physics education

In keeping with the growing use of Information and Com-

munications Technology (ICT) in daily life, education

systems around the world are increasingly focusing on the

integration of ICT in teaching and learning. Research has

shown that ICT can facilitate higher order thinking skills in

students and enhance interaction between teachers and

students as well as among students themselves (Lim and

Hang 2003). However, these positive outcomes in ICT

integration depends largely on teachers’ appropriate use of

ICT. For this reason, efforts to promote ICT use in educa-

tion must address factors related to teacher’s adoption of the

technology (Becker 2001). These factors includes teachers’

attitudes and judgments toward ICT (Galanouli et al. 2004;

Jedeskog and Nissen 2004; Mumtaz 2000); teachers’

knowledge, skills, and training (Pelgrum 2001); and

teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning (Ertmer 2005).

Among the teacher’s related factors, teacher’s peda-

gogical beliefs play a key role in teacher’s decision on how

ICT are use in classrooms (Chai 2010). Jimoyiannis and

Komis (2007) have shown that ICT could transform of

teaching and learning from being teacher-centered to one

that is student-centered. On the other hand, some studies

show that teachers are more inclined to use technology to

support their existing practices in teacher-centered learning

environments. These teachers do not adequately exploit the

opportunity to use ICT to develop their students’ higher

order thinking skills or to create student-centered learning

environments (Fox and Henri 2005). Currently there are

many researchers in Asia investigating how teachers’

epistemological and pedagogical beliefs affect educational

reforms that are based on the use of ICT and the application

of constructivist modes of teaching (Leung 2008; Lim and

Chai 2008). These studies reflect the importance that

teachers beliefs have on the effectiveness of education

innovation and reform.

The importance of teachers’ beliefs naturally leads to

issues about measuring the beliefs. Beliefs about knowl-

edge, teaching and learning are social culturally shaped

(Hofer 2010). For this reason, survey instruments devel-

oped in one context usually do not yield equally valid

D. Gurcay (&)

Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey

e-mail: denizg@hacettepe.edu.tr

B. Wong � C. S. Chai

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore

123

Asia-Pacific Edu Res (2013) 22(2):155–162

DOI 10.1007/s40299-012-0008-2

responses when they are applied in another context and

repeated tests are required to validate survey instruments

when cross culture study is involved. For example, Chan

and Elliott’s (2004) survey on teachers’ pedagogical beliefs

based on Hong Kong pre-service teachers was re-analyzed

with Singaporean pre-service teachers (Teo and Chai 2008)

and the latter study yielded a different factor structure. This

constitutes a main problem in cross culture study and it

explains the scarcity of cross culture study to a certain

extent. In this study, we attempt to use the same survey

instrument to survey pre-service teachers from two differ-

ent social cultural contexts (Turkey and Singapore). Such

attempt may help to surface instrument that could be valid

in cross cultural context, thereby enabling more equal

comparison of teachers’ perception across social cultural

context and provides valid data for study international

trend study.

In the case of the physics education, studies have shown

that pupils in school often find the subject difficult, abstract,

work-intensive, and formalistic in nature (Angell et al.

2004; Ornek et al. 2008). Moreover, pupils would prefer a

stronger emphasis on student-centered approaches in the

teaching of physics (Angell et al. 2004). In this regard, the

use of ICT in physics education could well satisfy the need

of pupils for a more student-centered teaching and learning

environment. However, the use of ICT in the class will be

affected both by the teaching and learning conceptions of

the teacher and by his/her ICT knowledge and skills. Our

search in June 2012 on multiple electronic databases

(Academic Search Premier, Education Research Complete,

ERIC) using the key words ‘‘Physics and ICT and teacher’s

beliefs’’ did not identify any journal paper. This indicates

that research on ICT integration and teachers’ beliefs has

adopted a domain general approach rather than a domain-

specific approach. Teacher’s beliefs could be domain-spe-

cific rather than domain general and domain-specific

investigations are important (Wong and Chai 2010).

Researchers in ICT integration have criticized the lack of

focus toward content knowledge, especially those who

advocate the recently emerged theoretical framework of

technological pedagogical content knowledge (Mishra and

Koehler 2006). Similar criticism could be applied for study

about teacher’s beliefs and ICT integration. In any case,

effort to study teacher’s beliefs and ICT integration could

benefit from a domain-specific perspective because the

results could be more directly applicable to the specific

group of teachers. It is therefore important to establish the

beliefs of pre-service physics teachers toward ICT use, as

this would provide some indications of how well and

extensively ICT may be implemented in physics education.

Both Singapore and Turkey are strategically located at

the crossroads between the East and the West. As major

trading and commercial centers both countries are similarly

concerned to insure that their economies will continue to

thrive in a competitive global environment and ICT has

been identified as a key area for education reform. While

education is key to sustained economic and social devel-

opment, historical and cultural factors inform and shape

their respective approaches to education reform. Both

countries, however, have been greatly influenced by their

interaction with the West. Turkish culture has been greatly

influenced by centuries of interaction with Europeans and

European culture. Singapore was a former British colony,

and many of its existing institutions, including education,

have been shaped by this colonial legacy. Both countries

are modern, secular, democratic republics. Turkey has a

rich and ancient cultural heritage, while Singapore is young

country with a multicultural society. The working language

in Turkey is Turkish, whereas the working language in

Singapore is English. These similarities and differences

should be adequate to warrant a comparative study to be

conducted.

Literature Review

Teachers’ Use of ICT

While the provisions of hardware and software to schools

in developed countries have increase in the past decade, the

use of ICT for classroom teaching has barely catch up

(Bain and Weston 2012). As such, research focusing on the

efficient use of ICT by pre-service teachers continues to be

an area of concern (Chai et al. 2009).

Teachers play a crucial role in educational change (Van

Driel et al. 1997). However, research shows that they tend

to use technology as a word processor or to search the

internet rather than using it for developing students’

problem-solving and critical thinking skills (Ertmer 2005;

Gao et al. 2009; Sang et al. 2010). In other words, the

general vision of education reform that advocates con-

structivist-oriented student-centered learning supported by

ICT is yet to be actualized.

Teachers’ use of technology is influenced by many

factors (Pelgrum 2001). Fullan (1991) has argued that an

important factor in the adoption and implementation of ICT

in education depends on how ICT is integrated into staff

development programs. Francis (1994) believes that

teachers’ attitude is the most influential factor determining

the effectiveness of the use of ICT in teaching and learning.

However, there are many studies emphasizing factors like

teachers’ perceptions, personal and psychological factors,

as well as time management problems that inhibit the use

ICT in teaching (Mumtaz 2000; Chai et al. 2009).

The integration of ICT into the curriculum and use of

ICT in the class necessitates some fundamental changes in

156 D. Gurcay et al.

123

the profession of teaching. That is, teachers should not only

have the requisite qualifications in using technology, but

they should also be able to use technology in a construc-

tivist way. But as studies have shown one of the most

significant barriers to effective ICT use is based on

teachers’ epistemological beliefs about the subject matter

and their related educational and pedagogical beliefs

(Ertmer 2005; Lim and Chai 2008; Veen 1993).

Teachers’ Pedagogical Beliefs and Use of Technology

Teachers’ conceptions about teaching and learning can be

defined as ‘‘beliefs held by teachers about their preferred

ways of teaching and learning’’ (Chan and Elliott 2004,

p. 819). The literature on the teachers’ teaching and

learning conceptions has revealed two major categories: (1)

teaching as a process of knowledge transmission, and (2)

teaching as facilitating students’ knowledge construction

(Chan and Elliott 2004; Teo et al. 2008). Teachers holding

on to the first category tend to be more traditional in their

approach to teaching and learning; that is, they believe that

teaching should be teacher-centered and content oriented

and they tend to regard learning as passive reception of

knowledge transmitted through the teacher (Chai 2010;

Dwyer et al. 1991). Traditional use of ICT includes using

ICT to aide content delivery such as using Powerpoint

slides to support lectures and the use of drill-and-practice

software to enhance students’ retention of knowledge. On

the other hand, teachers belonging to the second category

tend to be more constructivists in their pedagogical

approach; that is, they believe in cultivating a student-

centered teaching and learning environment where students

are actively involved, with the help of teachers as guide or

facilitators, in knowledge construction. Teachers in this

category become learning environment designers (Chai

2010). The use of ICT for constructivist teaching (CT)

involves engaging students in active and iterative con-

struction of digital artifacts to represent their understand-

ing. Teachers with traditional teaching (TT) beliefs tend to

use didactic teaching methods, whereas teachers with CT

beliefs tend to use student-centered methods (Dwyer et al.

1991). Research also suggests that most of the teachers

possess both traditional and constructivist belief (Minor

et al. 2002; Van Driel et al. 2005). Ertmer et al. (2001)

have observed that teachers’ beliefs about the use of

technology did not always accord with their classroom

practices. For example, teachers with constructivist views

sometimes adopted a mixed pedagogical approach in their

use of ICT. These teachers rationalized the discrepancy

between their beliefs and their practice in terms of con-

textual limitations. In keeping with this observation, recent

research shows that pre-service teachers’ beliefs are con-

text sensitive and that teaching approaches vary according

to teachers’ perceptions of constraints imposed by the

teaching environment (Lim and Chai 2008).

In the case of ICT, research has shown that it can be

adopted for use in a traditional educational setting (Teo

et al. 2008). This, however, under-utilized its education

impact. When teachers want to use ICT effectively in

teaching and learning they should change their teaching

styles. Teachers who believe that knowing is a process of

meaning construction and knowledge as an evolving con-

cept tend to prepare meaningful activities to facilitate

students learning. In this connection, research has shown

that teachers with constructivist beliefs tend to use ICT as a

tool for CT (Ravitz and Becker 2000).

Teachers’ beliefs have been a major source of concern

in teacher education for the teaching and learning of sci-

ence (Duit and Treagust 2003). Physics, by its very nature,

generates more abstract concepts than the other sciences.

Moreover, students and teachers of physics believe that the

subject cannot be taught by rote-learning. Understanding of

concepts is more fundamental in the teaching and learning

of physics (Angell et al. 2004). As learning in physics

appear to be more than a simple process of knowledge

transfer, the constructivist approach appears to be more

suited to the complex process underlying the learning of

concepts in physics (Osborne and Wittrock 1985). Appro-

priate and skillful use of ICT in a constructivist learning

environment would enable students to enjoy student-cen-

tered physics courses and should pave the way for

restructuring their knowledge.

Moreover, appropriate use of ICT in physics courses

could well have a positive effect on students’ achievement.

On the basis of their investigation of the relation between

students’ achievement and use of ICT in courses such as

science, math, and English, Harrison et al. (2004) reported

that higher levels of ICT experience are strongly associated

with higher levels of school achievement. In an experi-

mental study, Chandra and Watters (2012) designed a

website to investigate if the use of ICT would enhance

students’ knowledge of concepts in physics. The study

revealed that ICT has a positive effect on students’ learning.

Students’ feedback also indicates the use of ICT also has a

positive impact on their attitudes toward studying physics.

There is significant evidence showing that teachers’

beliefs about teaching and learning shapes their approach

toward the use of ICT in education (Teo et al. 2008; Sang

et al. 2010). This study aims to explore the pedagogical

beliefs of pre-service physics teachers from two cultures

and seeks to examine the relationship between teachers’

beliefs about constructivist and TT as well as the rela-

tionship between their beliefs about teaching and their

beliefs about the use of technology. This present study

seeks to provide insights into the following research

questions:

Preservice Physics Teachers’ Beliefs 157

123

1. What are the Turkish and Singaporean pre-service

physics teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and their beliefs

about the use of technology?

2. Are there significant differences between Turkish and

Singaporean pre-service physics teachers with respect

to pedagogical beliefs and their beliefs about the use of

technology?

3. Is there a significant relationship between Turkish and

Singaporean pre-service physics teachers with respect

to their pedagogical beliefs and their beliefs about

technology?

Method

Participants

A total of 205 pre-service physics teachers—119 from

Turkey and 90 from Singapore—volunteered as partici-

pants for this study. The method of sampling is conve-

nience sampling. Both samples were selected from the

teacher preparation classes that were taught in Singapore

and Turkey. In Turkey, students must graduate from the

education faculty to qualify as secondary physics teachers.

Moreover, students could only enter 5 year graduate pro-

grams of education faculty after a Student Selection

Examination, conducted by Student Selection and Place-

ment Center. Pre-service physics teachers have to complete

both pedagogical courses and physics courses (e.g.,

mechanics, electric and magnetism, vibration and waves,

electronics, optics and modern physics and elective physics

courses). In Singapore, pre-service physics teachers have to

go through general pedagogical courses and content related

pedagogical course to become a teacher. Pre-service

physics teachers are graduates from universities majoring

in physics or engineering. In other words, the participants

from both countries have essential content knowledge

about physics and they are going through pedagogical

training.

Procedure

The quantitative survey research method was used in this

study. All participants were informed that their participa-

tion was voluntary. Each participant spent approximately

15 min to complete the questionnaire.

Research Instruments

The study employed two sets of survey instruments: the

Teaching and Learning Conceptions Questionnaire (Chan

and Elliott 2004) and the Use of Technology Questionnaire

(Teo et al. 2008). The Singapore sample completed all of

the research instruments in English. The Turkish sample

worked on a translated version of the questionnaires. The

translation was done by the Turkish researcher in this study

and the translated version was scrutinized by two univer-

sity lecturers from the department of translation and

interpretation. The Turkish versions of the scales were

further checked by a professor from the Department of

Turkish Language and Literature. The agreement rate for

the scale items was .90.

The pedagogical beliefs of physics teachers’ were

measured using the Teaching and Learning Conceptions

Questionnaire developed by Chan and Elliot (Chan and

Elliott 2004). This questionnaire has two scales: TT and

CT. Pre-service teachers respond to each statement on a

five-point Likert scale with 1 = ‘‘strongly disagree’’ and

5 = ‘‘strongly agree’’. High score indicates a favorable

response toward the measured construct.

The other measure of this study is the use of technology

instrument adopted from a recent survey by Teo et al.

(2008). This instrument was used to measure pre-service

physics teachers’ beliefs about the use of technology. It has

also two dimensions: traditional use of technology (TU)

and constructivist use of technology (CU). Items on this

instrument were presented in a five-point Likert scale with

1 = ‘‘strongly disagree’’ and 5 = ‘‘strongly agree’’.

Reliabilities of the instruments were determined by

computation of Cronbach’s alpha. Table 1 shows the

beliefs and constructs that were measured in this study with

sample items, Cronbach alpha coefficients. Internal reli-

abilities were calculated between .64 and .78 indicating

acceptable reliabilities as compared to the recent literature

(Teo et al. 2008).

For the construct validity, exploratory factor analysis

with principal component extraction was performed to

establish four factor structures of the instruments. Initial

principle component analysis with varimax rotation yielded

a four factor solution with eigen values greater than one. In

this four factor structure, items with loadings greater than

.50 were retained. The four factors accounted for 51 % of

the variance in the respondents’ scores.

In the second step, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA)

was performed to investigate construct validity of the

instruments. Root-mean-squared error of approximation

(RMSEA), comparative fit index (CFI), Chi-squared, and

change in Chi-squared given the change in degrees of

freedom between models were selected to test if CFA

model best represents the present data set. Fit indices are

given in Table 2. Best fitting models have RMSEA values

that are at or less than .08 (Hu and Bentler 1999). More-

over, CFI values greater than .90 indicate acceptable fit has

been achieved (Hu and Bentler 1999). When comparing

models, a lower Chi-squared value indicates a better fit,

158 D. Gurcay et al.

123

given an equal number of degrees of freedom (Hu and

Bentler 1999). According to the results, this model fits the

data.

Results

Descriptive statistics related to the beliefs about teaching

and use of technology and independent samples t test

provide the answers for research question 1 and 2, and the

results are given in Table 3. According to the Table 3, pre-

service physics teachers reflect low level TT beliefs but

they reflect high level CT beliefs. Furthermore, both TU

and CU mean scores for the pre-service physics teachers

were also high.

An independent-sample t test was performed to clarify

differences between Turkish and Singaporean pre-service

physics teachers regarding pedagogical beliefs and use of

technology beliefs. A significant difference was only found

between Turkish and Singaporean pre-service physics

teachers scores regarding CU [t(202) = 5.63, p \ .001).

These results indicate that Singaporean pre-service physics

teachers’ Constructivist Use of Technology were signifi-

cantly higher than Turkish pre-service physics teachers’.

There were no significant differences between Turkish and

Singaporean pre-service physics teachers regarding CT,

TT, and TU beliefs.

To answer research question 3, we determine the rela-

tion between pedagogical beliefs and the use of technology

beliefs through Pearson correlation. Pearson Correlation

analyses are given in Table 4. According to this analysis,

CT for both samples was significantly correlated with CU

and TU. Moreover, there is a significant negative correla-

tion between CT and TT for Turkey sample. There was no

relation between TT and CU and TU for both samples. CU

was significantly correlated with TU in both samples.

Discussion

The results of this research indicate that both Turkish and

Singaporean pre-service physics teachers are more inclined

toward CT rather than TT. Both groups of teachers tend to

Table 1 Dimensions of the

constructs with sample itemsBelief Construct Number

of items

Cronbach alpha

reliabilities

Sample items

Pedagogical Traditional

teaching

7 .78 Teaching is simply telling, presenting or

explaining the subject matter

Constructivist

teaching

5 .75 Effective teaching encourages more discussion

and hands-on activities for students

Use of

technology

Traditional

use

4 .68 Master skills just taught

Constructivist

use

3 .64 Learn to work independently

Table 2 Fit indices for confirmatory factor model

RMSEA CFI df v2 v2/df P

.040 .945 145 192.525 1.328 .005

Table 3 Mean, standard deviation and t test results

Country N Mean SD t test

Constructivist teaching (CT)

SG 90 4.18 2.08 .660

TR 115 4.14 2.73

Traditional teaching (TT)

SG 90 2.27 3.87 .058

TR 115 2.27 4.42

Constructivist use (CU)

SG 90 4.18 1.79 5.63*

TR 115 3.80 2.17

Traditional use (TU)

SG 90 3.92 1.62 1.58

TR 115 4.04 1.56

* p \ .005

Table 4 Correlations between pedagogical beliefs and the use of

technology beliefs

Country CT TT CU

SG

TT -.137

CU .500** -.086

TU .420** .103 .600**

T

TT -.281**

CU .357** -.050

TU .415** .063 .437**

** Correlation is significant at the .01 level (2-tailed)

Preservice Physics Teachers’ Beliefs 159

123

believe that the best teaching and learning process occur if

students are actively involved during instruction. They also

believe that the teachers should facilitate learning rather

than transmit knowledge. These results are consistent with

earlier studies regarding teachers’ beliefs about CT (Chai

and Khine 2008; Teo et al. 2008; Eren 2009). In the cited

studies, the Teaching and Learning Conceptions Ques-

tionnaire developed by Chan and Elliot (2004) was used.

Chai and Khine (2008) reported that Singaporean pre-ser-

vice teachers (N = 877) were inclined to believe in CC

rather than TT. Interestingly, Eren (2009) also found a

similar inclination among Turkish pre-service elementary

teachers. In general, the results indicate that there is no

cultural difference in terms of pedagogical beliefs between

Turkey and Singaporean pre-service teachers. This could

be due to the emphasis of both countries ministry of edu-

cation emphasis on constructivist-oriented education

reform. The results also imply the general categories of TT

and CT could be established in cross-cultural context.

As the samples for this study comprise pre-service

physics teachers, it may be inferred that pre-service physics

teachers tend to believe in CT approach. Pre-service teach-

ers may not always believe in the constructivist approach as

indicated in earlier studies by Chan and Elliott (2004) and

Teo et al. (2008). Previous studies have shown that teachers’

beliefs affect implementation of the curriculum reforms

(Day et al. 2005). The present study indicates that both

Turkish and Singaporean pre-service physics teachers hold

constructivist pedagogical beliefs, which is generally

desirable and it does not contradict the reform efforts in their

respective countries. It may imply that the pre-service

physics teachers are not against the idea of CT. However, as

Lim and Chai (2008) research indicates, deeper probing

about teacher’s beliefs and practice may reveal more com-

plex relationship between beliefs and practice. Further

qualitative research should be conducted to further under-

stand the dynamics between beliefs and practice especially

in terms of how contextual factors shape teachers’ instruc-

tional decision. Such work may also reveal the need to foster

deeper understanding among pre-service teachers about CT

and the need for teacher educators to model CT to build up

the pre-service teaching repertoire. While espoused beliefs

may indicate favorable condition for education reform, the

difference between beliefs and practice has to be further

examined to avoid overlooking possible gaps. CT is an

ambitious form of teaching that may pose great challenges to

beginning teacher (Windschitl 2002).

No statistical differences were detected between the

Singaporean and Turkish pre-service physics teachers’

pedagogical beliefs. However, a statistically significant

difference was detected between Turkish and Singaporean

pre-service physics teachers’ constructivist use of tech-

nology beliefs. While Singaporean pre-service physics

teachers expressed a stronger tendency toward the con-

structivist use of technology, the mean score (m = 3.92)

for TU indicates that they are also likely to engage in the

traditional use of technology. Interestingly, while the

Turkish pre-service physics teachers are positive about the

use of ICT for both constructivist teaching (CU, m = 3.80)

and traditional teaching (TU, m = 4.04), it seems that they

may have a stronger inclination to use ICT for TT. Dif-

ferences between Singapore and Turkey teacher training

may help to explain this phenomenon. In Turkey, pre-ser-

vice physics teachers take obligatory ICT related courses;

however, they only learn how to use computers. Unfortu-

nately most of the universities in Turkey do not offer any

courses on the use of computers in implementing a con-

structivist curriculum. Singapore pre-service education on

the other hand emphasizes much on the pedagogical use of

ICT rather than computer skills, for example the use of

problem-based learning supported by ICT, which is clearly

constructivist oriented (see So and Kim 2009).

In a study carried out in Turkey involving the deans of

51 faculties of education, it was discovered that 55 % of

the faculties did not have units that integrated ICT with the

curriculum and that 67 % did not provide in-service

training to academic staff regarding ICT (Goktas et al.

2008). The study showed that the most important problems

in the integration process are due to (1) inadequacy of in-

service training, (2) lack of relevant software and teaching

material, (3) low level of basic knowledge and skills of the

academic staff regarding ICT, (4) lack of equipment, and

(5) lack of knowledge and information of the academic

staff on how to integrate ICT into the curriculum (Goktas

et al. 2008). All of the above-mentioned problems may

have caused a statistically significant difference between

Turkish and Singaporean pre-service physics teachers’

beliefs regarding the constructivist use of technology.

Teacher educators in Turkey may need to reconsider their

approach toward enhancing the pre-service teachers’ ICT

competencies. They could perhaps make adapt the Singa-

pore or other countries pedagogical model, which are

available through published literature (e.g., So and Kim

2009; Mishra and Koehler 2006).

Further analysis of correlation showed that there is a

significant correlation between teaching beliefs and the

beliefs about the use of technology in both Turkish and

Singaporean pre-service physics teachers. CT beliefs is

positively correlated with constructivist use of technology,

as expected. However, CT beliefs is also positively corre-

lated with traditional use of technology. Studies on peda-

gogical beliefs indicate a significant relationship between

CT beliefs and the constructivist use of technology (Tubin

2006). However, Teo et al. (2008) have shown a significant

association between CT beliefs and traditional use of

technology for Singaporean teachers. Teachers, in the

160 D. Gurcay et al.

123

Singapore context, may make use of traditional use of

technology within a constructivist learning environment to

support learning (Teo et al. 2008). The study also pointed

out that it may be more important to reach learning

objectives than to decide either to use the technology in

constructivist or TT. Similarly, a research undertaken with

Taiwanese teachers showed that ‘‘constructivist teachers

implemented lectured-based teaching activities when using

technology, not constructivist-based teaching activities, to

save time and complete textbook lessons’’ (Liu 2011,

p. 1014).

Becker (2001) stated that teachers with CT beliefs are

more inclined to be users of ICT, and they also tend to use

ICT more in their teaching practices. However, recent

studies indicate that teachers with CT beliefs use technol-

ogy both in constructivist and TT modes. The similar

results obtained for the two countries in this study lend

further support for this thesis. This study affirms the

importance of focusing on addressing fundamental beliefs

about teaching and learning to implement critical reforms

in education, including those related to the constructivist

use of ICT in curriculum (Day et al. 2005; Fullan 1991). It

would be necessary to expose teachers to the use of ICT in

a student-centered learning environment to improve their

self-efficacy in CT (Inan et al. 2010; Yildirim and Goktas

2007).

Conclusion

This study investigated Singaporean and Turkish pre-ser-

vice physics teachers’ beliefs about teaching and their

beliefs about the use of ICT to support TT or CT. The

findings indicate that pre-service teachers from both

nations are relatively comparable, indicating possible

influences of constructivist-oriented education reforms in

the two countries. The significance difference between the

two samples of pre-service teachers is in their beliefs about

constructivist use of technology, which can be accounted

for by the pre-service teacher education programs for ICT.

Future research investigating the differences between the

beliefs and practice is of interest as this is still under-

researched.

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