A Study of Effective Professional Development: Achieving Technology Integration in the Classroom

A study of improving the integration of technology in education shows that effective professional development should a primary focus. It is essential to integrate technology into classroom instruction in to adequately prepare the 21st century learner for a global society and a workforce that relies on technology.

Technology integration will not happen unless teachers facilitate instructional change and create learner-centered, tech-infused learning environments. There are a variety of barriers that prevent teachers from achieving this goal, most noticeably teachers beliefs and attitudes towards technology.

The primary solution to overcoming those barriers is through professional development that emphasizes the relationship between content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and technological knowledge. However, this framework itself does not maximize the effectiveness and impact of professional development.

Key components must be present in any training program that hopes to impact classroom instruction:

Professional development must be ongoing, offer choice, provide an authentic experience, be collaborative in nature, and encourage self-reflection. While districts may invest their time and money into many different things, it is the primary investment in teachers that will continue to move education forward in this era of innovation.

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Effective Professional Development: Achieving Technology Integration in the Classroom