The role of early learning experience in shaping teacher cognition and technology use

This chapter explores the role of teachers' early learning experiences in shaping their pedagogical beliefs and practice specifically in relation to technology use. Following a case study approach, the accounts of three in-service Arabic language teachers from a private institution of higher education in Cairo, Egypt, were examined. Practitioners with years of professional experience are not expected to have encountered elements of technology as we know today in their schooling. Nevertheless, findings suggest that conceptions formed early in life of what constitutes “good” or “bad” teaching act as filters through which new experiences, including the use of digital media, are internalized. As imprints of early learning experiences are manifested in teaching, it is the responsibility of teachers to look back on them for possible influences on their pedagogical theories. In complementary fashion, the study foregrounds the role of teacher education in mediating initial conceptualizations of teaching and learning and accentuates the value of reflective practice for continuing teacher development.