Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to describe what teachers know and are able to do with technology. It also sought to describe teachers' perceptions regarding the effectiveness of technology training and barriers to technology integration. Methodology. The researcher used descriptive research. The population sample consisted of seventy-one high school teachers in the state of Oregon. A questionnaire was utilized to collect data to answer five research questions. For each item on the questionnaire descriptive statistics, specifically frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviation scores were determined. Findings. The findings suggest that (a) technology integration in core subjects at the secondary level is at basic levels; (b) teachers prefer independent learning and peer tutoring to build their technology skills; (c) the greatest impediments to technology integration are insufficient time to practice and insufficient modern equipment. It was found that teachers' computer skills include word processing, e-mail, and Internet skills, and that there is some relationship between teacher Internet research skills and the frequency of students' use of technology in a computer lab during class time. It was also found that teachers consider "independent learning" as the most effective approach to acquiring technology skills, followed by tutoring from colleagues to learn how to transfer these skills into instructional practices. The results indicate that not enough computers, lack of release time to learn and practice, and outdated equipment are the main barriers to technology integration. Conclusions. It is concluded that there is a readiness factor in place for teachers to integrate technology provided that the appropriate conditions are created. While technology related training has helped teachers acquire basic computer literacy levels, it needs to continue to evolve into practical instructional applications. Teachers need time and sufficient state-of-the art equipment to practice ways on how-to enhance, enrich, and extend their curriculum with technology. Recommendations. Technology-related professional development needs to shift from learning about technology to learning with technology. It is recommended that activities to build teacher capacity to integrate technology in teaching and learning be teacher-driven. Activities could include peer observation, team teaching, mentoring, creating student assignments, developing curriculum, all of which are practical activities and immediately relevant to what teachers do in the classroom.