Educational innovations

The focus of this study was to discover what impact a museum-based science
methods course would have on 14 early childhood/elementary pre-service teachers' selfefficacy
and ability to develop curriculum using a constructivist approach. Data were
gathered using the STEBI-B, modified by Bleicher (2004). A paired-samples t test
indicated there was significant change in the pre-service teachers ' self-efficacy pre-and
post-museum course participation.
The investigation also analyzed student-created learning centers intended for use
in the students' future classrooms. Students created two learning centers, one before
interaction with exhibits in the museum and one at the end of the course. At the
conclusion of the semester, both sets of learning centers were analyzed using the Framework for Assessing Excellence instrument (Serrell, 2006). A paired-samples t test
showed increased ability to create constructivist-based materials.
The third area of study involved a focus group comprised of the pre-service
teachers. Researcher-designed questions focused on the change in self-efficacy beliefs of
the pre-service teachers, from pre-to post-museum experience. Questions were designed
to add depth to information gained from the quantitative data gained from the STEBI-B
and the Framework for Assessing Excellence. Qualitative procedures were conducted to
determine common themes and beliefs derived from written reflections and audiotaped
focus group discussion. Students reported the museum context did increase their
confidence, excitement, and ability to develop and use resources for science instruction.

This mixed methods study examined secondary teachers’ technology selfefficacy,
their professional development activities regarding mobile handheld devices,
and how those activities affect their use of mobile devices as instructional tools.
Additionally, this study also explored teachers’ perceptions of other factors that act as
barriers or enablers to their use of such devices. The study included 104 middle and high
school teachers who taught in a large, urban public school district in the Southeastern
United States. Data were collected through the administration of an electronic survey and
semi-structured interviews. The researcher utilized multiple regression and moderator
analyses, as well as qualitative analysis of the interview data.
The results of the multiple regression analysis revealed teachers’ technologyrelated
self-efficacy to be a significant predictor of their instructional use of mobile
handheld devices. However, secondary teachers’ level of professional development was found not to contribute significantly to the model. The moderator analysis too revealed
professional development to be a nonsignificant factor. The findings of the qualitative
phase of the study revealed secondary teachers’ awareness of their varied and fluid
technology-related self-efficacy, as well as those factors that modify it. Qualitative data
also revealed four categories of essential elements that teachers must have in order to
most effectively implement mobile handheld devices within their pedagogy: intellectual
capital, emotional capital, social-cultural capital, and technological capital. When
lacking, these elements can represent barriers to teachers’ implementation of mobile
handheld devices. Targeted professional development and increased funding to minimize
the digital divide are recommended to reduce these barriers. The findings of the study
inform designers of professional development programs, school and district and
secondary teachers, as they are all stakeholders in the process of increasing the effective
implementation of mobile handheld devices as instructional tools.

This study described, analyzed, and compared the internal and external factors that prevented or fostered the implementation of a cognitive tool, GeoGebra, in the mathematics practices of 12 middle school teachers who had completed a master's degree program in mathematics successfully. Through the application of a case study approach as a systematic method for the analysis of qualitative data, and under a social constructivist framework, the study examined different factors such as concerns of teachers; their beliefs about technology, mathematics as a subject, math teaching, and learning; external factors such as resources and school support; their TPACK development; and their instrumental orchestration approach through classroom observations. Among the major findings, the study revealed that the personal concerns of the teacher users of GeoGebra included the desire to continue learning the new features of the software, as well as the desire to connect themselves with others in common endeavors for the benefit of other teachers and, ultimately, the students... There was a consensus among the teacher users that they had to strike a balance between their professional goals and the available resources.