Home PublicationsJRTEPast IssuesVolume 36 Number 4

	Edited by Dr. Lynne Schrum, University of Utah
formerly Journal of Research on Computing in Education

Volume 36 Number 4 Summer 2004

Content-Focused Technology Inquiry Groups: Preparing Urban Teachers to Integrate Technology to Transform Student Learning
Joan E. Hughes
Ann Ooms
University of Minnesota

Abstract
This paper examines the process of establishing and sustaining content-focused technology inquiry groups, a teacher professional development model where groups of teachers with similar content and grade areas identify problems of practice and inquire into technology-supported solutions. Through a longitudinal case study of an urban arts-humanities technology inquiry group, this research reveals three phases of group development: (a) defining the group, (b) identifying content-focused technology inquiries, and (c) initiating content-focused technology inquiries. The main advantage of the first year of participation for teachers was their use of technology to solve content-related problems in their classrooms. Challenges included a shifting content focus for the inquiry group, time availability for participants’ inquiries, and the availability of technological innovations that matched the participants’ problems of practice.

Contributors
Joan E. Hughes is an assistant professor in the Instructional Systems and Technology program at the University of Minnesota. Her research focuses on teacher learning and technology integration within PK­12 and post-secondary education.

Ann Ooms is a PhD student in Educational Evaluation at the University of Minnesota. Her main area of interest is the evaluation of educational technology in PK­12 and post-secondary education.

Download this article in two parts (Hughes: PDF, 100 KB, Hughes 2: PDF, 100 KB, PDF Instructions)

Contact
Joan E. Hughes
159 Pillsbury Drive SE
130A Peik Hall
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN 55455
joanh@umn.edu

Ann Ooms
178 Pillsbury Drive SE
322 Burton Hall
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN 55455
ooms0001@umn.edu

Copyright © 2004, ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education). All rights reserved.