Teacher professional development and their concerns about using computers: Do they match

In today's K--12 schools, teachers are expected to integrate technology into their classrooms and teaching. However, according to a survey conducted by the Indiana State Department of Education in 2000, 78 percent of educators received one day or less of professional development on use of computers in the past year. Moreover, 73 percent reported that their training ranged from "somewhat effective" to "not at all effective." In the same study, 82 percent rated themselves as entry level or at the basic adoption level in the area of technology-curriculum integration. Several decades of previous research by Hall and Hord has shown that the adoption of innovations is unlikely to occur unless participants' stages of concern are addressed adequately and sequentially.; The purpose of this study was to investigate the concerns of Indiana teachers regarding adoption of computers in their classrooms and whether their concerns were addressed by recent professional development opportunities. Four hundred teachers were randomly selected on a stratified basis throughout the state and mailed survey packets. One hundred and ten teachers completed the survey for a return rate of 28 percent. The respondents were representative of Indiana teachers, in general, according to statistically good fits with statewide statistics on school location and size of district, teaching experience, gender, and elementary/middle/high school settings. Teachers' concerns were measured by the Stages of Concern Questionnaire from the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM). Seventy-seven percent of the respondents had concerns that were at the beginning stages, indicating they are non-users or are in the process of learning about the innovation and how it will affect them personally. When also asked to describe their most recent professional development activities, 82 percent of the teachers were coded as receiving training at a level that provided general information concerning computers; however, only 24 percent of teachers had concerns at this level. Most importantly, 79 percent of teachers overall did not receive training that addressed their current level of concern. The major implication is that most Indiana teachers are unlikely to adopt computers and integrate them into their classrooms until their professional development activities match their levels of concern.