“Digital tools will never take the place of a good teacher” : Understanding teachers' resistance to using technology through Glasser's Choice Theory

The development of adaptive technologies presents new challenges regarding teachers' resistance to the use of technology and questions their role and autonomy. This paper presents findings from a qualitative case study with a group of Australian teachers who trialled a new reading comprehension tool developed by the Centre for Educational Technology, Israel. Drawing on notions from Glasser's Choice Theory, findings emerged to be aligned with five basic needs: 1) a need for survival in a changing workplace; 2) a need to be free from disturbances and free to make one's own choices; 3) needing to feel a sense of professional belonging; 4) a need for power over what students do and over how learning is experienced; 5) and, the need for enjoying work and fun in learning. The paper puts forward a call to further explore teacher-training through a Choice Theory framework.