Does Computer Coursework Transfer into Actual Teaching Practice?
This study examined the technology preparation component of two University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL) preservice teacher education programs: the traditional teacher education program and the Teacher Education Advancing Academic Achievement Model (TEAM) Collaborate teacher education program. Some characteristics of TEAM were: a year-long site based internship, university and site-based mentor teams, professional development of public school teachers and university faculty, higher education and public school collaboration in professional development schools, and infusion of technology into the public school and education curriculums. The traditional program and TEAM were compared by measuring the extent to which graduates transferred their newly acquired computer-technology skills and knowledge into their first-year of actual teaching practice. Responses to a technology use questionnaire indicated that a greater mean percentage of the 15 first-year TEAM graduates: (1) acquired greater
