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ETEC 510
Literature Review
Teacher Beliefs Towards Technology Integration
Maria Celis
Decemeber 7, 2013

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Introduction
This literature review will discuss my findings on the most current research on teacher
beliefs and attitudes towards technology integration. In order to guide my research into the
literature, I posed this question: What beliefs or attitudes toward technology motivates teachers
to use technology in the classroom? Researchers, Cuban (2001), Ertmer (2005, 2010),
Funkhouser (2013), Kim (2013), Ottenbreit-Leftwich, Sadaf (2012), and Wozney (2006) have all
conducted research that helped address this question. Their findings and conclusions have been
organized into two distinctive themes which are discussed in their appropriate headings below.

Importance of Issue
Before identifying the studies that addressed my question, I feel it is necessary to explain the
current status of my topic. Referring to a a statement made by Bausell, Robert Reiser explains
that students of all economic levels have greater access to high-speed Internet-connected
computers with the ratio being about one computer per every four students. All states have
adopted curriculum standards that integrate student use of technology (Bausell, 2008).
Continuing, Reiser refers to another statement made by Hightower, [Yet] overall, when each
state was rated according to their capacity to use technology, 52% of received a grade below "B",
with twelve states rated at "D" or "F" (Hightower, 2009). Given these conflicting pieces of
information about technology and its use in schools, Reiser asks what is keeping technology
integration from being the norm and proposes that inhibitors may exist, including barriers
[like]...teachers' beliefs and attitudes (Reiser, 2012). Well-known researcher Peggy Ertmer was
able to reiterate a similar observation, noting several studies and summarizing,While the
foundations for successful technology integration finally appear to be in place (US DOE, 2003),

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high-level technology use is still surprisingly low (Barron et al., 2003, Newman, 2002, Zhao et
al. 2002), suggesting that additional barriers, specifically related to teachers pedagogical beliefs
may be at work (Ertmer, 2005). Both Reiser and Ertmer agree that beliefs, specifically teachers
beliefs, may be the barrier that prevents technology integration in schools. A very recent study
proved the possibility of this relationship stating that there was a positive correlation between
teacher beliefs about the nature of knowledge and learning, beliefs about effective ways of
teaching, and technology integration (Kim, 2013). The following two themes that I found in the
literature suggest that Kims findings of a positive correlation are involved with specifically
beliefs about technology expectations and pedagogical comfort.

Technology Integration: Expectant Value of Innovations

The following researchers, Ottenbreit-Leftwich, Sadaf, and Wozney produced findings in
their studies that revealed that technology integration is motivated by a teachers belief or
expectation that the technology they are to use in the classroom will improve themselves and
their students, serving as a means to the end of addressing student needs and reflecting that the
teacher values it to be integral to the learning process (Ottenbreit-Leftwich, 2010). Moreover,
technology or innovation is tied to an expectancy of success and is more likely to be valued or
held as a positive belief based on its perceived outcomes, such as to improve practice, student
learning, and engagement (Sadaf , 2012; Wozney, 2006).

Technology Integration: Pedagogical Sufficiency

The following researchers, Cuban, Ertmer, and Ottenbreit-Leftwich produced findings in
their studies that considered personal pedagogical beliefs resistant or slow to change based on

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self-efficacy issues. I termed this theme pedagogical sufficiency because of the common idea
in their findings that teachers level of comfort with their current practices and the confidence in
being sufficient in that practice influence the likelihood of adopting an innovation. Of the many
variables of beliefs that can affect teachers to change and use technology, pedagogical beliefs, or
personal beliefs about curriculum and instructional practice, exist as a culmination of prior
constructs that define what is proper and possible in the classroom; for a tool to be valued in
those current constructs, constructs need to be formed with experiences where the use of
technology is proved valuable in promoting what the teacher believes is proper and possible
(Ertmer, 2010). Cubans study found that pedagogical beliefs are deeply tied with self-efficacy,
or the feeling of comfort and confidence to achieve. These values are aligned with customary
practice the teacher has developed over time. Customary practice only involves technology if
that technology fits those pedagogical beliefs where the teacher has proven over time it is
effective and has become comfortable with it (Cuban, 2001). Essentially, technology must work
with current abilities and environments that the teacher is comfortable with in order to be
adopted into the pedagogy and made into a construct that is valued (Ottenbreit-Leftwich, 2010).

Conclusion
This issue relates to my professional development as teacher because I have experienced
several situations where technology use has been labeled negatively as a hindrance to instruction.
As a graduate student aiming to receive a degree in educational technology, knowing more about
the factors that influence technology integration in schools will allow me to be more prepared if I
am asked to address this issue at my work site. Even more, based on the current history of
technology integration I provided, technology implementation is not a norm in schools although

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schools themselves have been wired with sufficient technology resources and enough computers
for at least every four students. As well, adoption of Common Core standards, with a total of
forty-five out of fifty states on board, include technology use standards and teaching of
technology skills as it was mandated in the previous national initiative of NCLB (Reiser, 2012).
Based on the literature I had reviewed, teacher beliefs are related to technology integration
in the classroom. Technology integration is more likely to occur based on teachers beliefs of
both expectancy outcomes of the innovation and pedagogical sufficiency. If I were to conduct my
own research, having found a viable answer to my question, these motivators for technology
integration need to be observed in class and through a self-report survey of teachers so as to
confirm that they are still influential factors. Taking note from the literature, the research
suggests that technology integration can be aided through professional development where the
teacher can see successful demonstrations of models that prove outcomes that promote student
learning. Yet due to teachers prior constructs and sufficiency with current practices, professional
development must also show technology that is applicable to and promotes their pedagogy. If my
study of these motivational factors were confirmed, these suggestions for professional
development seem like great starting point. I would then consider doing a post-study or
longitudinal study to test if the professional developments were effective over time.

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References

1.

Cuban, L. (2001). Oversold and Underused : Computers in the Classroom. Cambridge,

Mass.: Harvard University Press.

2.

Ertmer, P. (2005). Teacher pedagogical beliefs: The final frontier in our quest for technology
integration?. Educational Technology Research and Development, 53(4), 25-39.

3.

Ertmer, P. , & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A. (2010). Teacher technology change: How knowledge,

confidence, beliefs, and culture intersect. Journal of Research on Technology in Education,
42(3), 255-284.

4.

Kim, C. , Kim, M. , Lee, C. , Spector, J. , & DeMeester, K. (2013). Teacher beliefs and
technology integration. Teaching and Teacher Education: An International Journal of
Research and Studies, 29, 76-85.

5.

Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A. , Glazewski, K. , Newby, T. , & Ertmer, P. (2010). Teacher value

beliefs associated with using technology: Addressing professional and student needs.
Computers & Education, 55(3), 1321-1335.

6.

Sadaf, A. , Newby, T. , & Ertmer, P. (2012). Exploring pre-service teachers' beliefs about
using web 2.0 technologies in k-12 classroom. Computers & Education, 59(3), 937-945.

7.

Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology / Edited by Robert A. Reiser, John
V. Dempsey. (2012). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.

8.

Wozney, L. , Venkatesh, V. , & Abrami, P. (2006). Implementing computer technologies:

Teachers' perceptions and practices. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 14(1),
173-207.