Learning through informal spaces for technology integration: unpacking the nature of teachers’ learning and its implications for classroom pedagogy

Abstract

The effectiveness and adequacy of formal professional development in equipping teachers with competencies required to transform pedagogy and improve student learning using technologies is often questioned globally, including in Ghana. Many teachers now learn informally to complement formal professional development; however, further research is needed to understand how they learn and what knowledge they actively seek to support technology integration. To that end, this qualitative study used open-ended questionnaires and interviewed 20 Ghanaian teachers to investigate their informal learning activities and knowledge acquisition preferences for teaching with technology. The findings revealed that teachers learn from both school and non-school activities to mainly acquire technical skills, leading to the predominant use of technology as a productivity tool to supplement routine teacher-centred, traditional teaching tasks. We suggest the need for professional development that reshapes teachers’ beliefs and interests towards learning activities that additionally develop their pedagogical knowledge and enable technology use in a more constructivist approach.