Integrating technology into the foreign language teacher education curriculum: A phenomenological study

Maria Marcela Carmen Rodriguez-van Olphen, Purdue University

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore and document the process pre-service foreign language teachers pass through as they learn to integrate new technologies into the foreign languages curriculum. This study, grounded within the phenomenological tradition, aimed to learn from participants' perspectives what is it like to learn to integrate new technologies as well as the effect of using WebCT as complementary learning environment while taking their foreign language methods course. The data collection was conducted during the Fall 2001 semester in Major Midwestern University. Data collection sources included (a) interviews with participants and their cooperating teachers, (b) class observations, (c) questionnaires and inventories, and (d) course assignments. Data analysis was an ongoing process that occurred during and after the data collection phase of this study. The most important patterns found in this study were the interface among issues such as (a) reasons to become a foreign language teacher, (b) belief pertaining foreign language teaching and pedagogical applications of new technologies, and (c) pedagogical and subject matter knowledge. Both participants exhibited substantial differences in the way they made decisions to integrate new technologies in their developing teaching practices. These decisions were the result of the interactions of participants' belief systems, previous experiences, and subject matter and pedagogical knowledge. The findings also point to participants' reasons to become foreign language teachers as important factors in the learning process to integrate new technologies into the foreign language curriculum. In addition, according to participants' perspectives, WebCT provided them with a structured and efficient supplementary learning environment while learning how to be foreign language teachers and to integrate new technologies into their developing professional practice.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Garfinkel, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Language|Educational software|Teacher education|Language arts

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