Levels of ICT Integration among Teacher Educators in a Teacher Education Academic College.

Abstract

This article examines the perspective of teacher educators and academic officials in an academic teacher education program regarding the integration of ICT in the teacher education program. The study portrays the current state of the ICT integration process and the implementation of the program for “Adapting Teacher Training Colleges to 21st Century Education” in a specific academic college in one of Israel’s outlying areas. This mixed methods study combined quantitative and qualitative methods. Data was collected by means of a closed questionnaire, an open-ended questionnaire for the teacher educators (N = 68), and semi-structured interviews conducted with the academic officials (N = 12). Findings revealed a hierarchical range of ICT integration in teaching, which reflects different profiles of teacher educators who integrate innovative pedagogies. The three integration levels (the basic level, the focused level, and the creative level) reflect the scope of ICT integration in the context of teacher training creating a continuum of integration and implementation, which can serve as an infrastructure for the effective adoption and integration of this innovative pedagogy by teacher educators and academic officials in academic teacher training colleges.