Teachers are increasingly expected to integrate technology in their teaching practice – and to do so in innovative ways. This leaves teacher training institutions with the responsibility of preparing future teachers for this. However, despite the various approaches that are currently being explored and implemented by teacher training institutes around the world, research findings still suggest that beginning teachers typically make little or no use of technology in their instructional practice (e.g., Russell et al., 2003; Gao, Wong, Choy & Wu, 2011). There is a growing body of research that attempts to understand and explain this limited use by identifying the factors that support and/or hinder technology integration by beginning teachers (Bullock, 2004; Slaoui & Barton, 2007; Dawson, 2008; Starkey, 2010). Besides factors like, for example, access to technology (Dexter & Riedel, 2003) and teachers’ attitudes towards technology (Bate & Maor, 2008), one major factor that has been identified concerns the amount and adequacy of beginning teachers’ pre-service training (Drent & Meelissen, 2008), and more specifically the opportunities it provides them to gain experience with the use of technologies to enhance student learning in a particular subject domain (Dawson, 2008; Starkey, 2010). Recent studies have tried to understand whether or not beginning teachers feel prepared to integrate technology in their teaching practices (e.g. Slaouti & Barton, 2007; Dawson, 2008). However, less attention has been given to the purposes and the quality of beginning teachers’ use of technology (Dexter & Riedel, 2003), and to how these relate to their prior learning experiences. The ultimate goal of the current study is to address this lacuna by analysing the connections between Flemish beginning teachers’ pre-service learning experiences (both formal and informal) and the ways in which they use technology to support instruction during their early career. Specific research questions guiding the current study are: (1) What (formal and informal) pre-service learning experiences are regarded by beginning teachers as meaningful for supporting the integration of technology in their instructional practice?, and (2) in what ways are beginning teachers using technology, and how is this shaped by their prior (formal and informal) learning experiences? As mentioned above, pre-service training is only one of many factors involved in the uptake of technology by beginning teachers. Moreover, from literature it is known that various factors interact with each other (Slaouti & Barton, 2007). Therefore, besides identifying the specific connections between pre-service learning experiences and technology integration, we believe that we should not close our eyes for such other factors – and especially for how they affect the connections under study here. Hence, a third research question concerns: (3) What (other) factors influence the ways in which beginning teachers inte

1. The journey from pre-service to practice
Exploring the connections between beginning teachers’ uses of
technology and their pre-service education
Natalie Pareja Roblin, Jo Tondeur, Johan van Braak
Ghent University
Joke Voogt , Petra Fisser
University of Twente
ECER, Cádiz, 2012

2. Introduction
• Increasing efforts to prepare (future) teachers for technology
integration (Haydn & Barton, 2007; Kirschner & Selinger, 2003; Rizza,
2011).
• Adoption of novel strategies to develop (future) teachers’
abilities to use technology in the classroom (Kay, 2007; Polly, Mims,
Shepard & Inan, 2010, Tondeur et al., 2012).
• Little is known about whether and how these novel strategies
are leading to innovative uses of technology in schools by
beginning teachers (BT) (Clausen, 2007; Roblyer & Knezek, 2003).

3. Research on beginning teachers’ uses of technology

4. Aims of the study
• Understand how and what for primary school BT use
technology in their teaching practice.
• Identify the factors (e.g. access, support, school structure,
experience) that primary school BT regard as most
influential on the ways they use technology in their
teaching practice.
• Examine the extent to which primary school BT feel that
their pre-service education has contributed to shape how
they use technology in their teaching practice.

5. Theoretical Foundations - Uses of technology
Inan & Lowther (2010), Russell et al. (2003), Tondeur et al. (2008); van Braak, Tondeur & Valcke (2004)

6. Theoretical Foundations - Factors
(Bate, 2010; Clausen, 2007; Dawson, 2008 ; Russell et al., 2003; Slaouti & Barton, 2007; Starkey, 2010)

7. Research approach
• Multiple case study (Yin, 2003)
4 primary school teachers (< 3 years experience)
Graduated from teacher education programs in Flanders advocated to
prepare for technology integration
• Selection criteria
Reported (regular) use of technology to support instruction
Reported influence of pre-service education
Diversity in teaching experience, educational level, gender, and ICT
profile
Willingness to participate in the study

8. Procedure, data sources & analyses

10. Findings: Overview of technology uses

11. Findings: Ways and purposes of technology use (RQ1)
“With that large (digital) board
they immediatly have a visual
image, is also faster, you can use
films, it speaks much more to
their imagination” (Julia)
“When you need to draw a large
diamond shape, it takes you a
long time. If you just say: Look,
Power Point, make a diamond
shape, project it, and you are on Teachers display pictures, maps
your way” (Bart) and/or films on the (digital) board to
explain and/or clarify concepts.

12. Findings: Ways and purposes of technology use (RQ1)
“[With that program] I can
see what they can do and
what they cannot do, so
next time they can start
again with that exercise.
This way you can
differentiate […] I notice
Students who do not speak Dutch as that they can also do it
a first language work on language better than if they have a
and mathematics exercises available book” (Eline)
at an online learning environment
that is linked to the school’s
textbook.

13. Findings: Ways and purposes of technology use (RQ1)
“[The goal is] that they learn
to use a computer, and to
browse through Internet in
a safe way […] I find
important that they learn
which sites are safe and which
are not […] I think they have
enjoyed doing it, because they Students work in pairs on a
knew more, in their way, Webquest about the solar
additional information about system.
all planets” (Bart)

14. Findings: Ways and purposes of technology use (RQ1)
“Our theme was about TV
and advertisement. [I
believe] they also have to
see how that [an
advirtisement] is made,
and how much work gets
into it [...] that they see that
it is not just about sticking
pictures on a piece of paper,
but actually realize the
Students design and develop an composition behind it”
advertisement. After thinking of a (Julia)
product, a price and a slogan, they go to
the computer room to work out their
ideas.

15. Findings: Factors shaping technology use (RQ2)
“It is not possible to
sit behind 1
computer with 19
children” (Eline)
“I think that when
you have a beamer
or a smart board in
your classroom, then
you are more
motivated to use it”
(Bart)

16. Findings: Factors shaping technology use (RQ2)
“Everybody has one
hour in the computer
room. It is not
obliged, but the
school principal has
recommended it to
us” (Bart)
“He [the school
principal] wants us
to provide the
children with ICT
experience as much
as possible” (Julia)

17. Findings: Factors shaping technology use (RQ2)
“I think that, as a
beginning teacher,
as a young teacher,
you are somehow
expected to have
gained more
experience with
computers during
your education”
(Bart)

18. Findings: Factors shaping technology use (RQ2)
“I want to have
control over my
classroom and stay
close to all my
children, and honestly,
when you have an ICT
corner then you leave
these children with
more freedom”
(Valerie)

19. Findings: Factors shaping technology use (RQ2)
“Making and trying
new things is
difficult, especially at
the start [of your
career] because you
are busy with
preparing your
lessons” (Bart)

20. Findings: Perceived influence of pre-service education (RQ3)
“The basic skills we did learn them” (Julia)
“We did have that quite a lot [courses on basic ICT skills]. A lot of
text processing, also how to put pictures, there was also a lot of
Excell” (Eline)

21. Findings: Perceived influence of pre-service education (RQ3)
“We received tips, for example that Webquest [about the solar
system], you can use that [...] it is an added value” (Bart)
“[To learn about things] such as Klascement or Hot Potatoes was
useful” (Valerie)

22. Findings: Perceived influence of pre-service education (RQ3)
“If I had not learned it in my pre-service education, I think I would have never
used it here” (Bart)
“I think they give us a push, and maybe that was their intention: We oblige
you to use technology, and this way we know that you will use it. And I use it
now, without that [push]...” (Julia)

23. Findings: Perceived influence of pre-service education (RQ3)
“[We should learn] not only the application itself, but [also] how to use it and
how to integrate it [in your teaching]” (Julia)
“I thought: ICT, that I should be able to use. It turns out I can’t [...] I did not
really learn how I now can use ICT to teach my students “ (Eline)

24. Conclusions & Discussion
• Pre-service education influences BT decisions regarding technology use, but
(the extent of) this influence is largely determined by school characteristics.
• Clear ICT policies, infrastructure and internal support (CPD, mentoring) are
critical institutional factors facilitating (and shaping) BT uses of technology.
• Attention to how to teach with technology in teacher education is needed, not
just knowing about technology.
• How to bridge the gap between …
• … learning about technology and learning to teach with technology?
• … what BT learn in their pre-service education and the specific
characteristics of the school context?
• … expectations toward technology use and school support?

25. THANK YOU!
GRACIAS!
Natalie Pareja Roblin: natalie.parejaroblin@ugent.be
JoTondeur: jo.tondeur@ugent.be
Johan van Braak: Johan.vanBraak@UGent.be
Joke Voogt: J.M.Voogt@utwente.nl
Petra Fisser: P.H.G.Fisser@utwente.nl