Are Computer Teachers Trained for the Teaching Profession? An Assessment of aComputer Teacher Training Program

Abstract

This paper presents perceptions about the teaching profession and the characteristics of prospective computer teachers. This study investigated the pedagogical and subject matter domain competencies of preservice computer teachers. Moreover, this paper presents the views of prospective computer teachers with regard to successful technology integration. Three questionnaires were administered to 2nd 3rd and 4th year computer teachers enrolled at the Middle East Technical University (METU) in Turkey, in order to examine their perceptions of teaching as a profession and their progress in competencies in the domain of pedagogy and subject matter. The results revealed that prospective computer teachers’ perceptions regarding the teaching of Computer as a profession were not high and their perceptions decreased more and more over time. Moreover, the results additionally showed that prospective computer teachers at METU feel fully competent within the subject matter domain and their pedagogic competencies increased as time passed.