The conceptualization of instructional technology by teacher educators in Zimbabwe
This study examined how university lecturers in pre-service secondary school teacher education programs in Zimbabwe conceptualize instructional technology (IT) integration. Twenty-one lecturers in the colleges of education at three universities participated. Interviews were used for collecting data, and analysis was done using Miles and Hubermans (1994) interactive data analysis model. Findings show that the conceptualization of IT and its integration by the majority of the lecturers was largely hardware in nature, with focus put on viewing technological tools as audiovisual tools or aids. Lecturers with qualifications in IT viewed IT and its integration from what Schiffman (1995) calls a narrow systems view. Most of the lecturers used technological tools for illustrating key points in their lecture delivery, and lecturers who used computers used these for lecture preparation. This is a preliminary study to understand the basis on which the broader integration of technology may be explored in the Zimbabwean context.
instructional technology teacher education educational technology technology integration instructional design professional development developing countries