Modelling the relationship between primary teachers’ cognitive characteristics and information and communicication technologies (ICT’S) in teaching-learning process

The main purpose of the present study was to determine the structural relationships between a number of primary teachers’ cognitive variables and ICT integration in teaching–learning process. These variables comprise “teachers’ constructivist teaching beliefs”, “teachers’ technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK)”, and “teachers’ attitudes towards ICT use in education”. The population in this study included all primary teachers in Abadan city (N=784). Using a simple random sampling technique 220 teachers were selected as research sample. A survey instrument, comprised of 4 scales related to four constructs of the study (TPACK scale 17 items, constructivist teaching beliefs 9 items, ICT attitude 8 items, and ICT use scale 9 items) was used to collect data for analysis. The data analyses used correlational analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the research hypotheses and hypothesized model. Path modeling was also used to explore the direct and indirect effects of the teacher’s cognitive variables on ICT integration in teaching- learning process. Results showed that ICT integration positively and significantly correlates with teacher’s cognitive variables. The results of a path analysis model showed that ICT integration could be directly and indirectly predicted by teacher’s cognitive variables (constructivist teaching beliefs, ICT attitudes in education, technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge).It was also revealed that attitude toward ICT use in education is the most powerful predictor of ICT integration in teaching–learning process. Additionally, the proposed model had an adequate fit to observed relationships between teacher’s cognitive variables and ICT use in teaching–learning process. The research model can serve as a base model for future studies. Finally, Implications for educational administrators, policy makers and further research were discussed.