Teachers' perceptions of the pedagogical use of information and communication technologies (ICTS) and principals' technology leadership.

摘要

The purpose of this research is to develop a better understanding to whyudSouth African educators embrace or resist Information and CommunicationudTechnologies (ICTs) in teaching and learning by exploring the complex interplayudbetween teachers’ pedagogical beliefs, their efficacy beliefs, their context beliefs andudtheir use of computers in the classroom. The study hypothesises that teachers’udbehavioural intention, whether and how to use ICTs in the classroom, is determinedudby a set of teacher-related variables, which include, their pedagogical beliefs, selfefficacyudbeliefs and context beliefs. The specific teacher-related variables that are ofudsignificance for this study include: teachers’ pedagogical beliefs, self-efficacyudbeliefs, computer self-efficacy beliefs and computer anxiety. A correlational analysisudwas performed to determine the complex relationships amongst these thinkingudprocesses and their effect on the utilisation of ICTs. In addition, teachers’ perceptionudof their principals’ technology leadership was investigated. Four interrelateduddimensions were investigated, that is: (a) vision, planning and management; (b)udstaff development and training; (c) technology and infrastructure support; and (d)udinterpersonal and communication skills.udA mixed method of quantitative and qualitative research was employed toudcollect data at a secondary and primary ex-model C school in the Southern Suburbsudof Cape Town. Convenience sampling was applied in this study. A total of 23udteachers participated voluntarily in the research project. The results of the studyudsuggest that teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs, computer self-efficacy beliefs andudcomputer anxiety directly affect their computer use, while the principal’s technologyudleadership only has an indirect effect on their computer use via the mediatingudvariables: self-efficacy beliefs and pedagogical beliefs.