Teachers´ perspective towards professional development regarding the use of SCL approaches and ICT : A quantitative case study of Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique

Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM) has carried out a curricular reform since 2000 to introduce Student Centered Learning (SCL) as well as the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). To meet the demands of this reform, UEM has introduced professional development training for teachers. The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model was used as a theoretical framework to design the training and to evaluate how, if at all, professional development training has changed the pedagogical practice. This quantitative study has its focus on teachers who in a period of 3 years followed the training. 147 teachers returned a questionnaire, from which 92 who used SCL and ICT for teaching and learning purposes - were selected for this study. Results indicate that professional development has an impact on teachers' beliefs and practices. It supports the shift from traditional teacher-centered instruction to SCL. Teachers who attended the training are more likely to use ICT and SCL. They got a different perception of the impact of professional development on their day-to-day work and the lives of students. In addition, teachers who participated and used ICT believe that ICT contributes to changes in students’ learning outcomes and the quality of educational processes.