Analysis of faculty use and perceptions of ICT: planning for effective professional development at a Japanese HEI

For more than 20 years, Japanese HEIs have focused on ICT integration as a means to help students develop twenty-first century skills. However, effective ICT integration is only possible if faculty have an awareness of the possibilities of technology and see the value of a student-centered approach to teaching. This study was conducted to assess the current state of these qualities at a specific Japanese HEI for the purpose of facilitating meaningful professional development. A survey covering ICT usage, barriers to its use, and reasons for ICT integration was distributed to all full-time faculty at this institution. Results showed that ICT integration was superficial and indicative of teacher-centered pedagogy. Another key finding was identifying the perception that ICT is seen as more of a tool to increase teacher productivity than to improve student learning outcomes. Major obstacles to ICT integration were identified as a lack of technical support and a lack of professional development. Results indicate that planning for professional development that will lead to meaningful change in practice requires more than just providing support for how and what faculty can do with ICT. Faculty need to see the value of reclassifying their views regarding their role in higher education.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43545-022-00454-0.