| This interpretive research study examined the decision-making process used by secondary pre-service science teachers in implementing ICT (Information and Communication Technology) into science instruction. The context of the study is science teacher education, with the ICT Program of Study (Alberta Learning, 2000) providing a specific set of learning objectives to address the mandates for ICT integration. Through studying aspects of learning among pre-service teachers, the study sought to understand pre-service teachers' conceptual development and its impact on their new understanding of teaching and decision-making.;One outcome of the study is a model of teacher decision-making of computer integration which uses the concept of a practical theory as a central construct. The model is used to explain the decision-making processes of the pre-service teachers in the study sample and the factors underlying these processes. The model reflects the complex nature of the decision-making process and shows the interrelation of temporal, relational, and situational factors that have significant effects on the conceptual development of pre-service teachers while learning to teach through computer integration. The findings suggest a pivotal influence of teacher educators, cooperating teachers, and peer teaching on the development of practical theories, and subsequently the practice of pre-service teachers with computers. Participants highlighted that two most beneficial aspects that computers have as a pedagogical tool are helping and enhancing more student-centred learning and providing complex and sometimes interactive visual aids to help students understand concepts better.;The implications of this study are pertinent for five groups: teacher educators, teacher education programs, secondary school teachers, administrators, and curriculum developers and developers of educational policy and practice.;The data were collected through open- and closed-ended surveys, interviews, classroom observations, and a review of documents. In-depth interviews with six pre-service teachers added a rich and more textured understanding to the relationships that was evident from the survey data. |
