Examination of Preservice Information Technology Teachers' Technorealism in Terms of Different Variables

Technology is a clear and undeniable transformation tool, which has been effective in human life throughout history. In general, technology is the knowledge of methods for tools, machinery, technical, art and systems in order to solve a problem or perform a specific functions. The rapid development of information technology is moving humanity to the post-modernity society. But technology also causes the new tensions that threaten the balance of community, business, family, and economic life. This situation has led to the emergence of two opposing opinions about technology. One side of this dialectic consists of technological optimism, the other side consists of technological pessimism.

Technorealism requires evaluation of all positive or negative effects of technology in accordance with social value and ways of life. The essence of technorealism requires constant criticizing about the individual, social, cultural, economic and political effects of technology. Basic principles of technorealism can be listed as follows; technology is not a neutral phenomenon, internet, is not a utopia, but a revolution, governments have rights and responsibilities to limit the size of electronics, information is not knowledge, connecting education institutions to the Internet network will not solve the problems education completely, information must be protected, the air belongs to the public and frequency spectrum should be used for public benefit, understand the technology is an important component of global citizenship.

21. century human profile required technorealistic features. Teachers are responsible for for training these human profiles. Thus, a balanced technology sense can be placed. Information Technology (IT) teachers deal extensively with technology in their jobs: computers, smart boards, projection equipment, educational CDs, DVDs, printers and educational software, and so forth. The use of technology in education and making educational applications more by productive technological opportunities are within the area of IT teachers' responsibility and duty. In this context, IT teachers should approach technology in a sober and realistic perspective and should lead the students in this regard.

It is important to determine how much future IT teachers are technorealist. Because in this way, the current situation of preservice IT teachers can be identified and training programs of preservice IT teachers may be reviewed in aspects of technorealism. A tech realistic IT teacher also will positively affect students' approaches to technology. Thus, future IT teachers could contribute to the training of the required 21-century human profile.

The main purpose of this study was to determine the status of preservice IT teachers' technorealism in terms of class, gender and the adequacy of technology usage.

For the purpose of the study, researchers developed a questionnaire consisting of three sections and 23 items. The first section of survey consist of three items for the grade, gender, and technology usage competence of preservice TI teachers. Second section of survey consist the technological optimism-pessimism scale. And finaly the third part of the survey consists of 19 items related to being technorealistic.

The questionnaire was developed at Anadolu University, Faculty of Education, Computer Education and Instructional Technology with 120 IT preservice teachers at 2010-2011 academic year. 58.3 % of participants are male, 41.7 % of participants are female. Additionally, 42.5% of participants are second-grade students.

Frequency (f) and percentage (%) and descriptive statistics was used for technological optimism-pessimism scale scores of preservice IT teachers. One- way ANOVA, independent sample t-test and descriptive statistics were used in the analysis of the data obtained from the third section of the survey used in this study.

As a result of normality test data were normally distributed with 2.30 mean and .51 standard deviation [D(120) = .804, p = .403> .05]. To the result of the independent sample t-test there is a significant difference between technorealism scores of preservice IT teachers according to their genders [t(118)=2.10, p<.05]. But, no significant difference found between technorealism scores of preservice IT teachers according to their technology usage competence [t(118) =1.26, p>.05].

Research results show that preservice IT teachers have high levels of optimism against technology. But, it was revealed from the results of the study that preservice IT teachers have low levels of technorealism. However, it has been found that male preservice IT teachers are more technorealist than female preservice IT teachers. As a result, based on preservice teachers' levels of technorealism, some practical implications and recommendations for future research are presented below:

• Activities can be performed in order to easier the understanding of the nature of the technology by ensuring the active involvement of students.

• It can be explained through simple examples that all technologies formed from systems and sub-systems. And students can be reinforced by their own examples.

• Real-life examples of films and slide shows can be presented to show that technological systems utilize a wide variety of people, knowledge, experience, materials and energy sources and so technological systems can have both positive and negative results.