The effect of technology use for data collection on stages of concern of middle school science and mathematics teachers

This investigation explores the practices of middle school teachers involved in a technology-based professional development program. The subjects were 104 middle school teachers assigned to teach mathematics and science in predominantly rural counties in North Carolina. Participants completed surveys to determine areas of licensure and frequencies of instructional activities. They also provided essays on metaphor of teaching and copies of their favorite classroom activity. They completed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to determine learning style and the Stages of Concern (SOC) questionnaire. Data collection occurred prior to 90 hours of instruction in CD-ROM, calculator-based laboratory (CBL), and microcomputer-based laboratory (MBL) in a summer institute, at the beginning of the school year, and at the end of the school year after receiving equipment kits for 24 days. Elements of inquiry were not present to a high degree in teachers favorite activities. Only a fifth of teachers used a facilitator metaphor. Prior to the professional development computers and graphing calculators were not being used by teachers to collect or analyze data. Teachers' concerns did not differ among the 3 technologies each time the SOC was administered. Management concerns decreased for teachers in the second year of equipment use, while Awareness concerns decreased for first year teachers. Teachers with ST learning style function combination on the MBTI had peak concerns in the Management area while those with NF learning style remained in the Awareness area.