Information and Communication Technology Dispositional Factors and Relationship to Information and Communication Technology Practices

Abstract

Teacher dispositions reflect multiple internal factors that contribute to a teacher’s decisions/behaviors in any given situation. There have been many studies focused on which dispositional factors lead to teachers’ use of information and commu- nications technology (ICT). Teachers’ integration of ICT has been assessed in a variety of different ways – as a teacher’s intention to use ICT, as the frequency of ICT use in the classroom, and/or as student-centered teaching practices with ICT. If a teacher’s dispositions (i.e., attitudes, perceptions, values) are reflected through his or her behaviors, then we need to ask an important question about ICT practices: What specific dispositions do teachers need to use ICT in their classrooms? This chapter reviewed empirical studies that examined four primary dispositions associated with teachers’ uses of ICT: self-efficacy, attitudes, peda- gogical beliefs, and openness to change. This knowledge provides a robust starting point for answering more challenging and complex questions in the near future, such as: Why does a teacher hold certain dispositions, and how can we capitalize on that information to better support teachers in their actual use of ICT?.