Article Review

Title of Article :Teaching using information and communication technology : Do trainee teachers have the confidence?

Name of the journal:International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology(IJEDICT)

Issue : 1

Volume : 4

Page number : 5-12

Year Publish : 2008

1. Overview

This article is about a study on trainee teachers’ confidence in implementing ICT in their teaching. The concept of using ICT is seen to be as a system which enables information gathering, management, manipulation, access and communication in various forms (MOE,2003).

Based on the research, the researchers found that teachers have to be trained in the use of information and technology in education. It is advisable that the trainee teachers to take at least one ICT course. The study was conducted to gather information on the trainee teachers’ level of confidence when using ICT in their teaching. The study involved 675 trainee teachers in the Faculty of Educational Studies in UPM and all of them were final year students with different specialized fields. The study was done based on the gender, program of studies, academic performance and the teachers’ teaching experience.

In the article, teachers in present should prepare themselves with ICT suitable to the three main policies designed by the MOE. The MOE intends to have all 10,000 primary and secondary schools to be fully equipped with ICT. They provide a website known as MySchoolNet as a tool for the teachers and students to access the educational information readily. The ministry also introduces the ICT literacy to as many schools as possible and equipped them with computers and wireless internet in order to reduce the digital gaps among schools.

From the finding, the researchers found that the trainee teachers’ confidences were significantly differed. Trainee teachers in vocational education were more confident than the others. Experienced teachers also were more confident than those without prior teaching experience. It also showed that there were different level of confident between male and female. Male trainee teachers showed high confident than female trainee teachers. The researchers also stated that students who study in education field must be given the opportunities and experience to integrate ICT in teaching and they can do this during micro-teaching exercises. Building confidence in teachers would help to upgrade their level of competency in using ICT for teaching.

2. A description of the methodology

The study was done in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). A total of 675 trainee teachers in Faculty of Educational Studies were involved with different majors. All of them were final year students. They were given a set of questionnaire which took about 30 minutes to complete. The researchers used a Survey research methodology in this study.

To do the data analysis, the researchers used the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS version 11). The tools used for the research include frequencies, percentages, means, t-tests and ANOVA.

In the questionnaires, the trainee teachers were asked to make self-evaluation on their ability to use ICT in teaching. They have to rate themselves based on 12 statements given. Based from the data analysis, the researchers found that there was no significant correlation between academic performance and the level of confidence with the usage of ICT in teaching. 3. Evaluation

The latest study showed that, future teachers are quite confident to use ICT in teaching. The study was carried out among the respondents who were final year students in the Faculty of Educational Studies, UPM.

According to the data analysis, most of the students claimed that they were able to integrate the use of ICT in teaching and at the same time enhance their thinking skills. However, there was one thing lacking. The method used by the researchers was only based from the trainee teachers’ self-evaluations. They should conduct observation in school to see whether the trainee teachers were able to implement ICT in their teaching and able to guide the students in using computers. This can be done during the teaching practicum session.

In my opinion, the whole study is relevant to the need of MOE according to their 3 policies; ICT for all students and is used as a bridge to reduce the digital gap between the schools, ICT as an educational tools and is to be used to increase efficiency, productivity, and effectiveness of the management system. Future teachers should be knowledgeable and competent in technology in order to build a developed nation. Hence, I think the trainee teachers should be trained and well prepared with the necessary knowledge according to the needs in education.

4. Discussion of implication

From the articles, ICT will be the fundamental enabling tool to our country. We need to develop the human capital and the success is largely depends on education. Our government is committed in making ICT as a tool for education more pervasive.

I agree with the statement made by the author in this article, “If teachers are not confident using ICT in teaching, it would probably hamper the effort by the MOE to use ICT as an enabler in teaching and learning.” The government provided computer laboratories to school with the latest computers and internet for the educators and learners. If the educators are not confident in using it, this will be such a waste and the MOE vision could not be achieved.

The MOE outlined 11 shifts in the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2015. Leverage ICT to scale up quality learning across Malaysia was in the 7 th shift. The minister hopes students will be able to access a wider range of content that is more engaging and interactive. They will be able to learn some lessons at their own pace, and will have fewer limitations in what they choose to study through distance-learning program. Teachers and principals will have access to both national and international learning resources and communities to help them improve their practice. ICT will be part of schooling life, with no urban-rural divide, and with all teachers and students equipped with the skills necessary to use this technology meaningfully.

As for me, the researchers should extend their research not just in their institution but as well in schools. This is to prove that the trainee teachers do have confident and are able to implement the use of ICT in their classroom. In the real situation, even though ICT has become part of the curriculum in all teachers’ education, they still need to be trained so that the ICT can be integrated successfully in the teaching and learning process in this 21 st

century.