Preferred Abstract (Original):
This study tried to investigate two aims: 1) The extent that Palestinian government teachers in northern districts practice their role under the Internet age, and 2) the needs that would help teachers enhance their role and increase their qualifications form their points of view.
To actualize the aims of the study, a sample of 653: (357) male and ( 296) female Palestinian government schoolteachers was taken randomly from the northern districts of Palestine. Teachers were asked to respond to a questionnaire measured the teacher’s role in four domains: 1) designing instruction, 2) using technology and instructional aids, 3) encouraging students’ interaction, and 4) promoting self- regulation of students. They were also asked to write any suggestions that would help them to enhance their role and increase their qualifications from their points of view.
Descriptive and analytic statistics have revealed the following results:
1- Palestinian teachers practice their role quite good. The percentage of their practices was (77%). The highest percentage was in designing instructional domain (85.4%), followed by promoting self- regulation of students (83.6%), and encouraging students’ interaction (77.8%) domains. The lowest practice was in using technology and instructional media domain (61.6%).
2- The post-hoc analysis of variance by using “Scheffe” test showed at (p> .05) of significant that teachers who hold BA degree practice their role better than who hold either community college or general secondary certificate. It also showed that teachers who had subjected to more than one training programs either in computer or methods of teaching or instructional media did practice their role better than teachers who subjected to less number of training programs. Whereas, teachers’ practice did not differ significantly with respect to their gender, general specialization, educational stage they teach in, or the years of teaching experience.
3- Regarding the second aim of this study, teachers suggested the following needs for enhancing their performance: 1) securing enough number of computer apparatus, 2) connecting them with the Internet, 3) conducting enough number of training programs on how to use computers and the Internet, 4) conducting enough number of training programs on how to use modern instructional media, 5) securing the democracy climate in school, 6) hiring qualified persons, either teachers, principals or supervisors, 7) increasing teachers’ salaries, 8) securing the social securities, 9) building compounds for teachers at special rate, 10) teaching their children in the universities with fair tuitions, 11) lowering teachers’ load of teaching, 12) reducing the number of students in classrooms.