The paper reports the findings of a small scale study into the experiences, feelings and preconceptions that student Geography and History teachers bring to a one year secondary teacher training course.

A notable finding was the significantly greater importance attributed to the use of computers in subject teaching by geography students compared to the use of computers in history. Analysis of the data showed that there was a marked difference between the two groups not only in their feelings about IT but in the degree of sophistication with which they articulated IT issues. The geographers were more positive and were able to support their views with specific examples of software and applications. Their level of knowledge and understanding was often well developed. The historians, in contrast, rarely exhibited the same level of knowledge. They viewed IT in a more generalised way. It was often assumed to be a good thing and something that might be useful, but there was a marked degree of uncertainty. There was however a distinct group within the historians who exhibited a high degree of anxiety about IT and their views were expressed in very emotive terms.

Graeme Easdown
University of Oxford Department of Educational Studies
July 1996

Reflections of a group of school mentors and university curriculum tutors on the findings are also described, and a number of issues and dilemmas for initial teacher education partnerships are identified.