Erika Lakatosné Török and Andrea Kárpáti: Relations of ICT competence, educational practice and innovational success in the hungarian test group of learning resource exchange

Information and communication technology (ICT) devices are considered worldwide to have been a major factor in the renewal of education for decades. Their widespread application raises the question of what effects they exert on the processes of learning and instruction and what kind of knowledge, skills and competences teachers need for the educational adaptation of ICT to become successful in teaching in the altered learning environment. Our research focused on the effect of the growing use of ICT supported teaching environment on educational practice. On the one hand, we intended to explore of the repertoire of teaching methods teachers use in ICT supported instruction. On the other hand, we investigated what competences are needed for success in teaching in a modern educational environment. The theoretical framework of the study was provided by Korthagen`s (2004) onion model, József Nagy`s (2002) system of competences, and trialogic learning theory (Paavola & Hakkarainen, 2005). The research presented here was conducted within the Learning Resource Exchange (LRE, www.lre.eun.org). The sample (N=21) was constituted of Hungarian teachers actively involved in the CALIBRATE project (http://calibrate.eun.org). We attempted to describe teachers` teaching methods and competences of ICT application by administering a questionnaire and analysing their lesson plans. It was concluded that the appropriate utilisation of ICT devices and methodology in education requires ICT competence. Although innovative techniques appeared in teachers` methods, which were generally varied, their teaching practice was still dominated by traditional methodology. The application of digital devices did not necessarily result in the reformation of their methodological culture. Moreover, those teachers were also characterised by the use of traditional resources who displayed wide methodological variety and a high-level of ICT competence. Our data suggested three major factors in determining the teaching methods applied when working with ICT: a) the individual teacher`s level of ICT competence, b) educational strategy, and only at the third place c) the ICT infrastructure of the institution where they were teaching.

MAGYAR PEDAGÓGIA 109. Number 3. 227-259. (2009)

Address for correspondence: Lakatosné Török Erika, Kecskeméti Főiskola, GAMF, Mérnök Pedagógiai és Médiatechnikai Szakcsoport, H–6000 Kecskemét, Izsáki út 10.
Kárpáti Andrea, ELTE-TTK Multimédiapedagógiai és Oktatástechnológiai Központ, H–1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/a.

 
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