A case study exploring Bangladeshi teacher educators' perspectives of information and communication technology (ICT) in education.

摘要

This study explores teacher educators’ perceptions of information andcommunication technology (ICT) within teacher education programs in Bangladesh.The study is set within the context of a nationwide focus on ICT shaped by theBangladesh Government’s National Information and Communication Technology(ICT) Policy – 2009. The intention of this policy is to increase the use andunderstanding of ICT by introducing specific courses in primary, secondary andtertiary education, technical and vocational education, and teacher educationprograms. Aligned with this overarching ICT policy, the National Education Policy,2010, places special emphasis on the integration of ICT in education byrecommending that ICT is taught as a separate learning area, and that it is used as atool across all curriculum areas. Consequently the National Education Policyrecommends that all teachers receive training to make the best use of ICT foreducational purposes. Given the critical role of teachers in implementing thesepolicies, this study explores teacher educators’ perceptions of ICT within the teachereducation programs in Bangladesh. Ten educators from four different teachers’training colleges (TTC) were interviewed to explore their experiences andunderstandings of ICT. This study found that the teacher educators believe ICT ismore than a simple teaching-learning tool because it has potential for constructingknowledge and enhancing the quality of education. They also recognized that ICTprovides relative advantages over traditional teaching tools, and that it facilitatesprofessional learning via access to current knowledge from national and internationalsources. However, the educators also understood that the mere provision ofcomputers or ICT in institutions does not ensure quality education. Teachers need todevelop technological knowledge about how ICTs work; an understanding ofpedagogical strategies that utilize ICT; and the capability to design learningexperiences that appropriately integrate technology in relation to learning content. Inaddition, teacher educators should also be prepared with both pedagogical andandragogical knowledge of teaching about and with ICT. The teacher educationprograms should integrate ICT in cross-curricular activities so that the trainee teachers can experience how to use ICT in different subject areas. Therefore, ICTcourses in the B.Ed. curriculum in Bangladesh should be enriched not only withcomputer operational skills but also with features of social communication,knowledge construction and dissemination. It is also understood that the successfulintegration of ICT in Bangladeshi education requires a supportive professionalculture and appropriate support from different educational administrative layersincluding the government sector.