Impact of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) on Teachers ’ Beliefs Regarding Technology Use Sung Hee Park

Although computers are now commonplace within our lives, integration within schools is much less ordinary. While access and training are no longer considered significant barriers, attention has turned to the potential influence of teachers ’ beliefs. In response, problem-based learning (PBL) has been proposed as an effective approach for changing beliefs. This study investigated the impact of PBL on preservice teachers ’ beliefs regarding technology use and on their intended teaching practices. Participants included 48 preservice teachers enrolled in a one-credit educational technology course. Results showed that beliefs regarding technology use did not change significantly. However, participants significantly shifted their intended teach-ing practices from teacher-directed to student-centered learning. Implications for practice are discussed. (Keywords: teachers ’ beliefs, problem-based learning, technology integration.) Although digital technologies have become common tools within our lives, teachers have yet to embed them within their daily teaching practices (Cuban, 2001). For example, after studying the technology uses of 78 K–12 teachers, Cuban reported that 80 % of teachers used computers primarily for e-mail. Ad-ditionally, 65 % never used computers for individual enrichment for advanced students, and 95 % never used computers to facilitate student-to-student interaction. There are many reasons why teachers do not use technology to its full poten-tial including limited classroom space, unwillingness to take students to labs, and lack of access at teachers ’ and students ’ homes. Other barriers include find-ing the time and resources to implement classroom technologies (Ertmer, Ad