A Model of Constructivist Learning in Practice

Effective use of technology in the classroom has received much attention in education, and teacher training programs are expected to produce computer literate teachers. The purpose of this study was to compare two technology integration models. Pre- and postcourse questionnaires were administered to 73 preservice teachers completing an elementary methods course. The precourse questionnaire assessed preservice teachers’ computer skills prior to entering the methods course. A follow-up questionnaire administered at the end of their first year of teaching assessed how frequently they were using technology as an instructional tool and for what purposes. The results of this study indicated that integration of technology with integrated methods courses increased the probability that teachers transferred the computer skills into their classroom as compared to preservice teachers who learned computer skills in an isolated manner.