Teacher participation and empowerment: A critical process in developing ICT curriculum materials and classroom practice

Simply introducing any technology to teachers is insufficient to bring about the expected change and impact that the technology seems to promise. More important is that teachers have to feel empowered with the use of the technology during the process of implementation. This paper is our reflection on how we worked closely with 15 primary schools in Hong Kong, introducing the Dragonwise software to teachers for the teaching and learning of Chinese characters. We hope to develop a working model showing how we can collaborate with schools, taking into consideration the existing practice and concerns of the teachers. We explored how the software could fit into their school-based curriculum and hopefully make improvement in their day-to-day teaching. Interviews were then conducted to evaluate this working model in further details. The interview data were analysed in relation to the concept of teacher empowerment: (a) the concept of “power with”, (b) the sense of owner-ship, and (c) the feeling of control over teaching. We believe that the project has thrown light on how to work together with schoolteachers to support new educational changes. The findings confirmed the usefulness of model in empowering teachers. Copyright © 2003 James Nicholas Publishers.