Developing pre-service teacher competencies for ICT integration through design teams

With the steady increase of computers in schools and the opportunities that this brings for education, there is an increasing need to understand the competencies (knowledge, skills and attitudes) that are required by teachers for successful ICT integration in education. Teacher preparation programs are now providing their students with a variety of ICT tools and opportunities to learn and practice ICTrelated skills; however, many studies report that graduates from teacher preparation programs are unable to integrate ICT into their teaching practices. This is most apparent in programs that focus on the acquisition of basic ICT skills through stand-alone courses. Meaningful use of ICT in education requires that teachers develop the knowledge that enables them to integrate ICT with a suitable pedagogical approach for teaching specific subject matter in a certain context. This integrated knowledge is referred to as ‘Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge’(TPACK).