What do Science Teachers Expect from a Technology-Based Professional Development Program?: Reflections from a Pilot Study

Abstract

This study aimed to reveal science teachers’ expectations from a technology-based professional development program and designate the said program accordingly. The case study was carried out with 12 science teachers of gifted students. In order to identify the needs of the teachers for effective technology integration in the classes, interviews were conducted. The interviews unearthed that the use of technology in classes was mainly at a basic level, and resorted to with a view to providing visualization, make presentations, or web-search. The teachers declared that they would like to attend technology-based training programs to improve their technology competencies. After determing the teachers’ needs, the researchers developed a technology-based professional development program based on the ASSURE model and implemented the pilot study. After the pilot study, the participants put forth that the program was beneficial for enriching classes with technology in various ways. It is thought that the dissemination of this training by making extensive applications to teachers in different fields will contribute to the development of their technological competencies and help overcome the difficulties in the use of technology. In order to enhance the technological competence of teachers, technology-based trainings need to be designed and thereupon overcoming the barriers to technology usage can be made possible. It is recommended to carry out studies to evaluate teachers' technological abilities and efficiencies in other ways and pursue them according to their developmental characteristics.