The purpose of this study is to examine the realities of middle school teachers and preparatory teachers' understanding, preparation and utilization of ICT education in social studies classes. This study also aims to identify the obstacles and satisfaction that teachers face and feel, and to propose some improvement measures for vitalization of ICT education.
For this purpose, middle school teachers who are teaching social studies in metropolitan area were asked to respond to the questionnaire prepared for this study. The understanding of preparatory teachers was analyzed based on the journals written by trainee teachers from Ewha Womens University who majored in social studies and attended the school during the period of the year 2000-2004. Some key findings are as follows.
The purpose of ICT education in social studies is to improve the ability to think, learn and communicate, to attract students' interest in learning, and to provide opportunities to experience more self-motivated learning so that students can play the role as future citizens better. In this respect, the role and possibility of ICT education are considered to be indispensable in future education.
According to the result of the survey and the analysis of the journals, teachers were in fact applying ICT education to social studies classes in various ways, and ICT applied classes have become more general at present.
The level of teachers' recognition and utilization of ICT was found to be rather high due to the characteristics of the social studies subject, and to be yielding positive outcomes that can maximize the learning effects. Therefore, it is concluded that applying ICT to social studies is appropriate and practicat, and teachers are asked to take an active attitude in recomposing and applying ICT to the subject.
Many problems remain unsolved in utilizing ICT more effectively in social studies education. Constant efforts to change teachers' awareness, extend training opportunities, repair hardware, provide step-by-step teaching-learning process, and increase provision of ICT materials are requested, as teachers attempt to make the most of ICT in middle school geography class.