Essential Characteristics of Teachers in Improving Teaching- Learning Process at Smart Schools

This study aimed to identify the characteristics, abilities and duties of teachers in improving the teaching – learning process at smart schools in Semnan province. The method used for this study was exploratory mixed method in which the first part was qualitative and the second part was quantitative. In the qualitative research, 6 ICT experts were interviewed who were selected through a purposive, snowball method. The results of the content analysis of the interviews and in-depth theoretical study were put into a researchers-made questionnaire with parts: a desired situation and an existing situation. The content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by the experts, and its reliability obtained through Cronbach`s alpha was 0.84 for the desired situation and 0.94 for the existing situation, which were both acceptable. In the quantitative part of the research, the questionnaire was completed by 310 teachers and principals who were sampled through stratified method. The results showed that strategies for "sustainable electronic communications with students to fix problems, guide and continue the process of virtual teaching – learning" ranked first, "reinforcing ICDL and Internet skills through attending in-service courses, using personal tutorials and exercises", second, "search and identify appropriate multimedia e-content on the Internet and in compliance with syllabus and curriculum and utilize them in teaching - learning process" third, "the ability to design a variety of online academic progress tests and put them on the website or send them to students` e-mails for their academic achievements" fourth, and "active participation on the school portal and learning management system for virtual management of student learning process through the Web", fifth in improving the teaching - learning process at smart schools by teachers.