An analysis of teacher education faculty utilization of technology for effective learning environments

The problem addressed had two parts. The first was to investigate whether teacher education faculty have the knowledge levels and skills to infuse current technologies in their methods courses, and the second is to investigate whether they are using strategies that develop higher-order thinking for realistic problem-solving in teacher education.; Data were collected from faculty who taught methods courses in one of the following disciplines, math, science, social studies, reading, language arts, elementary/secondary classroom management, special education, or other pedagogical courses in teacher education. A survey was mailed to Arkansas faculty at colleges of education accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).; The data showed that reporting faculty from Arkansas are integrating computers in their instruction in three main areas, (1) use of email and the Internet, (2) use of WWW for problem-solving, and (3) use of word processing to generate booklets, reports, and newsletters. Faculty's reported use of database or spreadsheets was just above the median score of 2.0. Use of simulation software and spreadsheets for authentic problem-solving was seldom or never used. There was no significant correlation between the use of word processing and the spreadsheet application; therefore, there was little evidence to suggest frequent use of word processing for writing narrative results from problem-solving activities.; Personal use of listservs and newsgroups, presentation software, technology related journals and conferences were reported as moderate or more frequently used. Even though faculty reported frequent use of email and Internet, the data showed a low level of knowledge for the hardware and software and basic trouble shooting skills needed for use of these technologies.; Chi-square tests revealed several significant relationships between personal characteristics of the respondents and their reported use of technology. The data showed that tenured assistant professors between the age of 40 and 49, who are familiar with ISTE, would most likely have a higher knowledge level and use of computers in their methods instruction than other faculty from the Arkansas sample.; Several recommendations can be made based on the results of this study. First, it was recommended that older, tenured faculty keep an active interest and participation in professional organizations that will provide research and development pertinent to teacher education. Second, recognition should be given to faculty who develop teaching strategies that include innovative uses of technology for authentic problem-solving and higher level learning. Administrative support should provide the time and resources needed for developing instructional strategies that ensure this type of learning. Last, as the faculty and their supervising teachers model these strategies, teacher education students should develop these skills and be able to implement problem-solving in their own K--12 classrooms. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...