The Potentials of Information and Communication Technology in the Department of Teacher Development: Zimbabwe Open University's Post Graduate Diploma in Education Students' Perceptions

Teacher Development programmes seem not to be dealing with the challenges of integrating technology in their curricular. The issue of potentials of information and communication technology in teacher preparation needs to be debated, critiqued and examined. The paper surveys the potentials of ICT in teacher development with particular reference to 20 Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) Intakes 8 and 9 students at the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU). Questionnaires were administered on a convenience sample of 20 respondents. A mixed method up roach was employed to gather, analyse and interpret data. Findings highlighted great potentials of ICT in teacher development. Most respondents indicated that ICT helps them to research and become better students and practitioners. A general negative attitude, fear and anxiety among tutors and students was viewed as drawback to the potentials of ICT in the teacher development by some respondents. The study concluded that the module for teaching computers need to be complemented with a lot of practice. It recommended the need to thoroughly train tutors and student teachers in ICT for the benefit of learners in schools. ZOU needs to mobilize resources to build adequate ICT infrastructure and purchase enough hardware and software for use by PGDE students