Teacher Beliefs

Peggy Etmer's article provides a need to examine teacher pedagogical relationships with their technological practices. Though much research has been done on the attitudes and perceptions of teachers, there seems to be a link missing in the way some researchers define teacher beliefs. I found it "strange" for Pajares to define the term as a "messy construct".

Interestingly, I found skepticism in the way that some researchers labeled teacher beliefs. On the other hand, I found it relatively easy to confer with Calderhead (1996) in that teacher perception is not only based on the knowledge they may possess but also suppositions, commitments and ideologies. In essence, we do practice and teach from those practices. This provides a paradigm for us to base our premises on for theorectical research. And though true, I found it also alerting that teacher perception can (and mostly is) influenced by judgments and perceptions of their own, creating a more teacher-centered classroom.

It is evident that teacher beliefs are based on their personal experiences. Social and cultural ifluences are esential to pedagogy, however, becoming more diversified allows students to see from more than one angle and allow students show value to other cultures.

I do agree that is important not to change teache rbeliefs before introduing them to new technology. The most important thing to do (in my view is to alow teachers to use technology and incorporate learning from those processes. In return, it allow the teachers to implement technology as they wish.