Enhancing mathematics teacher educators' technological pedagogical content knowledge through collaborative professional development : Ethiopia

摘要

This study documented the design, development and refinement of a professionaluddevelopment program, which improved teacher educators’ knowledge, to facilitate their effectiveuduse of technology in teaching mathematics. The study was conducted in two Ethiopian Collegesudof Teacher Education. It involved 16 mathematics teacher educators, four InformationudCommunication Technology coordinators, and 247 elementary pre-service mathematics teachers.udThe study was undertaken across three phases. The first phase comprised a contextual andudproblem analysis and development of a conceptual framework based on a literature review thatudprovided the basis to design the first professional development program prototype. The secondudphase involved setting out design guidelines and optimising the professional developmentudprogram prototype through two cycles of design, formative refinement and revision. The lastudphase of the study was an evaluation of the extent to which the professional developmentudprogram that took place over 5 months had met its objectives. The study used a mixed methodsudapproach, which involved the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data informed by anudeducational design research methodology. Data were collected using questionnaires, observationudchecklists, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and professional learningudworkshops.udOne of the findings of the study in the first phase showed that the teacher educatorsudbelieved they had little knowledge of technology and its effective use in their teaching ofudmathematics, and that this was a major barrier resulting in limited technology use in theirudteaching. The first phase of the study informed the design of the professional developmentudprogram in the second phase of the study. The designed professional development program was characterised by its focus on theudpedagogical use of technology, provision of exemplar material, the use of available and webbasedudtechnologies, the formation of teams, support from Information CommunicationudTechnology (ICT) coordinators, and an emphasis on informality in the professional developmentudarrangements. The results in the third phase of the study showed that the professionaluddevelopment program contributed to increased use of technology by the mathematics teacherudeducators and their pre-service teachers. The teacher educators’ perceived knowledge of how touduse and integrate technology teaching practices in their teaching of mathematics was improvedudand this was associated with positive changes in their effective technology integratedudmathematics teaching as evidenced by the classroom observations.