FACTORS AFFECTING DEVELOPMENT OF IT USE ON A PARTNERSHIP PGCE COURSE

The study examines the development of information technology capabilit y by teacher-trainees on a postgraduate certificate of education cours e. The course involves the promotion of information technology use dur ing classroom placements by teacher-mentors. Data for the study were c ollected by a survey of mentors, three surveys of teacher-trainees, an d by collating the 'profiles' of trainees. The data concerns classroom usage of information technology by trainees and mentors. The study co nsiders the effects of the course upon the trainees' perceived compete nce and confidence in the use of information technology in the classro om and reports trainees' use of information technology on school place ments. The results of the survey indicate that, for certain trainees, the development of IT skills was regarded as being synonymous with the development of word processing skills. Prior competence with database s was poorer, consistent with earlier studies, but trebled between pla cements. Trainees ascribed the aquisition of competence with databases to experience gained in the classroom or on the course despite the lo w usage of spreadsheets on the course, coupled with low observed usage of spreadsheets by mentors.