The Invisible Barrier to Integrating Computer Technology in Education

The article explores contradictions in teachers’ perceptions regarding the place of computer technologies ineducation. The research population included 47 teachers who have incorporated computers in the classroom forseveral years. The teachers expressed positive attitudes regarding the decisive importance of computertechnologies in furthering teaching, learning and their professional advance. However they mainly incorporatedbasic computer applications in their teaching, and hardly utilized computer mediated communication. It wasfurther found that most teachers are convinced that meaningful learning can be attained without the need forcomputer technology. This position, together with the partial use of these technologies, exposes a rooted attitudeaccording to which the teachers do not believe in the pedagogic advantages of computer technologies. Thecontradictions in their perceptions inhibit the process of change in attitude needed for the full assimilation ofcomputer technologies in education.