This article looks at the introduction of a new learning app for iPads with first-grade pupils in two Norwegian primary schools. Both schools were engaged in digital literacy initiatives at the time of this study, which in one case included an 1:1 iPad initiative. While one school achieved almost seamless integration of iPad practices, the other…

This study examines university teachers' beliefs about the role of technology in achieving the pedagogical aims of learning within teaching development initiatives at a Finnish university. The initiatives targeted technology adoption in teaching and learning and were enhanced within teacher groups, with support from a university-level network…

Measuring the impact of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is a contemporary question of interest. Despite the general acceptance that ICTs are changing ways of learning, empirical research conducted to date does not consistently verify the efficacy of such changes. Several studies supporting positive impacts of ICTs on achievement…

This study reports on a district-wide research-based professional development (PD) that included 207 teachers and administrators. Data were collected from pre/post surveys, content analysis of the participants' wiki pages, and a follow-up questionnaire. Findings indicate that participants significantly improved their foundational and technical…

The current orthodoxy regarding computer use in schools appears to be that one-to-one (1:1) computing, wherein each child owns or has sole access to a computing device, is the most efficacious way to achieve a range of desirable educational outcomes, including individualised learning, collaborative environments, or constructivist pedagogies. This…

This study compares teacher candidates' initial and changed beliefs, dispositions, and uses of technology in two credential program models: a one-to-one laptop program with ubiquitous technology use and a traditional credential program in which students are expected to have specific technology experiences and requirements in each course (a model…

Technology implementation research indicates that teachers' beliefs and knowledge, as well as a host of institutional factors, can influence technology integration. Drawing on third-generation activity theory, this article conceptualizes technology implementation as a network of planning and integration activities carried out by technology…

Increments in educational budgets have been devoted to professional development for teachers to help them accommodate their practices to the realities of their classrooms. Previous research has suggested that despite this significant investment, there has been little, if any, positive change. This begs the question of what else might be done to…

This article reports the results of a systematic and comprehensive evaluation of the suitability of 13 commercially available, authorized software programs for teaching reading and writing in the primary grades. These programs were assessed on interface design, content, instructional design, whether manufacturers' educational claims were supported…

Portfolio authoring tools within teacher preparation institutions have changed dramatically as portfolios have moved from paper to electronic formats and now to the Web. This study used Engestrom's Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (1987) to examine how portfolio tools, along with external influences and institutional contexts, mediate the…