Research Article
Omaymah E. AlSuwaihel
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 16, Issue 4, Article No: ep534
ABSTRACT
Background: Augmented reality is among the emerging technologies that hold greater potential in the context of foreign language learning. No research has been done to date to investigate pre-service teachers’ competencies in augmented reality and their association with quality of teaching English and technological and pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) model components in the state of Kuwait.
Aim: This study aimed to assess the utility of using augmented reality competencies and English as a foreign language (EFL) TPACK model components to predict the quality of English language teaching of pre-service undergraduates.
Method: A total of 317 students enrolled in college of education at Kuwait university were recruited and responded to three online questionnaires measuring EFL TPACK, teachers’ augmented reality competencies, and quality of teaching English skills (QELT).
Results: Results indicated a significant positive association among all variables at 0.01 level. Teacher’s augmented reality competencies (TARC), TPACK, technological knowledge (TK), and technological content knowledge (TCK) were significant predictors of QELT. One-way ANOVA revealed that there was no significant effect of gender on the TARC, TPACK, TK, TCK, and QELT. The cut-off-criteria of the mean scores indicated that all participants strongly believe that they acquire the essential competencies of augmented reality in EFL classrooms and possess a high level of proficiency in TPACK. Descriptive statistics showed that more than (70%) of pre-service teachers selected “strongly agree” and “agree”, 13% or less selected “strongly disagree” and “disagree” while 26% or less selected “neutral” response. Linear regression analysis revealed that TARC, TPACK, TK, and TCK were significant predictors of QELT.
Keywords: augmented reality, quality of English language teaching, TPACK model, Kuwaiti students, pre-service teachers
Research Article
Olga V. Sergeeva, Marina R. Zheltukhina, Zhanna M. Sizova, Alfia M. Ishmuradova, Oleg V. Khlusyanov, Elena P. Kalashnikova
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 16, Issue 2, Article No: ep500
ABSTRACT
It is essential for pre-service teachers to hold positive beliefs about information and communication technology (ICT) and possess digital skills to integrate digital technology successfully into the teaching and learning environments. Although numerous studies have examined teachers’ attitudes toward ICT, little research has examined teachers’ ICT competency beliefs. This research aimed to explore pre-service teachers’ ICT competence beliefs. We used an instrument developed by previous researchers for data collection. The results showed that the pre-service teachers had good ICT competence beliefs. A few gender differences were found between participants’ mean scores on six dimensions of the data collection instrument. No gender differences were found for many items. It was found that there were no significant differences in the years of study of participants across five different grade levels. However, the lowest mean scores were found in analyzing and reflecting, problem-solving, and information and data literacy. Conversely, the highest mean scores were detected in communication and collaboration, digital content creation, and safety and security. Based on these findings, recommendations have been made for practice and future research.
Keywords: ICT competence beliefs, digital skills, pre-service teachers, information and communication technology, ICT
Research Article
Atipat Boonmoh, Intrira Kulavichian
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 15, Issue 4, Article No: ep457
ABSTRACT
This study investigated how Thai EFL pre-service teachers (PSTs) use technology in their classrooms and the level of substitution, augmentation, modification, and redefinition (SAMR) they implement. Seven English education majors enrolled in the course “teaching internship 2” in their fourth year at a Thai university participated in the study. Due to COVID-19, the participants were trained to teach online, but during their teaching practicum, they were required to teach in a traditional on-site setting. Because of this novel arrangement, it was essential to investigate how these PSTs incorporate technology into the classroom. For the purpose of analyzing the process of educational technology integration, this study employed SAMR model. Observations and semi-structured interviews were used as data collection methods. Throughout the semester, observations were conducted twice. SAMR observation form was used to investigate how PSTs used technology in their teaching. Participants were asked to participate in an interview after each observation. The interviews included open-ended questions based on the conceptual framework of SAMR. Observation results show that technological tools were used to engage students, check comprehension, create teaching content, and evaluate students’ understanding. For the study, the participants were divided into three groups based on the extent of technological tools used. One participant was deemed to be in the substitution stage, five participants in the augmentation stage, and only one participant in the modification stage. The results of the interviews indicated that teacher motivation and the availability of ICT equipment, as well as familiarity with technological tools, played a significant role in PSTs’ integration of technology into the classroom. The study’s conclusions are helpful in developing PSTs’ technology integration in EFL classrooms. SAMR model should be introduced to PSTs to let them critically reflect on and develop their own technology integration.
Keywords: EFL, pre-service teachers, SAMR model, Thai students, technology integration
Research Article
Norma Torres-Hernández, María-Jesús Gallego-Arrufat
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 15, Issue 1, Article No: ep399
ABSTRACT
The protection of personal data and privacy are important issues closely related to use of social media, information and communication technologies, and the Internet in the area of education. The treatment of academic information and use of tools and programs for instruction, communication, and learning have revealed the handling of a significant volume of personal data from different sources. It is essential to protect this information from possible privacy violations. This descriptive study, which is of transversal nonexperimental design, focuses on how 384 pre-service teachers’ enrolled in educational technology courses in their education programs view the protection of personal data. The goals are to describe and analyze how these teachers perceive the risks associated with protection of data on the Internet and what they know about protection of data in primary education. We administered a questionnaire within the framework of an educational activity that focused on digital competence in data protection in education. The results show a high perception of risk in topics such as accepting cookies when surfing the Internet or transferring banking information. The knowledge the students claim to have shown a lack of information on the protection of minors’ data in issues related to the development and schooling of primary school students, as well as their health, background, and family environment. Curricular treatment of these areas that includes content, practices on regulations, and adopts a situated, critical, and responsible approach in pre-service teacher education is recommended.
Keywords: data protection, pre-service teacher education, pre-service teachers, primary education, privacy
Research Article
Alfiya R. Masalimova, Klavdiya G. Erdyneeva, Anatoly S. Kislyakov, Zhanna M. Sizova, Elena Kalashnikova, Elmira R. Khairullina
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 14, Issue 4, Article No: ep382
ABSTRACT
One of the objectives of education is to provide diverse pupils with proper educational opportunities. It is anticipated that the night instructors will have this equipment. In this study, validity, and reliability evaluations of the scale to be used to identify digital competence in prospective instructors to support children with functional diversity were conducted. To conduct the research, education faculty students were selected as the target audience. The data gathered were subjected to exploratory factor analysis. A confirmatory factor analysis was used to validate the obtained results. According to the findings of the investigation, thirty components and five contributing variables were found. It has been proposed that future academics do studies on the validity and reliability of the instruments with a number of different populations.
Keywords: pre-service teachers, digital competence, assist students
Research Article
Alfiya R. Masalimova, Elmira R. Khairullina, Natalya I. Lapidus, Natalia A. Orekhovskaya, Marina R. Zheltukhina, Ekaterina A. Baranova
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 14, Issue 3, Article No: ep371
ABSTRACT
Smartphones are mobile technology cutting-edge. Daily, the amount of time spent on a phone increases. Excessive smartphone use and addiction have developed into big social issues. Addiction to smartphones is a negative and pathological concept that is assessed by a set of subjective and behavioral symptoms including fixation, loss of control, and withdrawal symptoms. Teachers in STEM fields have a higher degree of involvement with their students in the use of digital tools. STEM teacher candidates must demonstrate an understanding of how to incorporate technology successfully into classroom activities. Determine the incidence of smartphone addiction among prospective STEM educators to justify future awareness training. The association between pre-service STEM instructors’ smartphone addiction was studied. The research included 242 persons, 180 of whom were females and 62 males. The SAI is self-administered and scored independently for each dimension. Data is analyzed using machine learning techniques. Cluster analysis is used to analyze the inventory’s dimensions. The k-means technique is used for cluster analysis. The library’s SHAP (SHapley additive explanations) approach was used to evaluate the classification result and assess the impact of attributes on the classification result. According to the findings, the highest level was judged to be 30 participants. Approximately 3%4 participants are deemed moderate (high and very high). Also, 48 people are at a low level. In terms of the overall group, it is modest. Being in the lowest cluster is linked to 100+ uses, whereas being in the highest cluster is linked to 6-10 uses. The exact degree of smartphone use linked to smartphone addiction is unknown. Females inversely correlate with the highest and lowest clusters.
Keywords: smartphone addiction, pre-service teachers, machine learning algorithm, cluster analysis
Research Article
Trang Phan, Earl Aguilera, Susan Tracz
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 14, Issue 1, Article No: ep337
ABSTRACT
Teachers are increasingly expected to demonstrate frequent use of and proficiency with educational technologies in the classroom. Meanwhile, teacher experiences with new technologies prior to their entry into the classroom do not always match these expectations. For many teacher education programs, the solution to this challenge lies in the incorporation of educational technologies into coursework for pre-service teachers (PSTs). This study examines PST reported uses and proficiency with educational technologies before and after taking introductory educational coursework. Based on surveys administered at the beginning and end of introductory education courses, the study found that PSTs reported consistent improvement in their technological skills. There were also positive relationships among skills competence and PST outcomes of satisfaction, effectiveness, and usefulness. These findings support existing efforts to incorporate educational technology into teacher certification coursework, while also suggesting ways to expand on these approaches to better support PSTs experience with educational technologies.
Keywords: pre-service teachers, technologies, proficiency, coursework, experience
Research Article
Salih Birisci, Emin Kul
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 10, Issue 1, pp. 75-93
ABSTRACT
This correlational study aimed to investigate the prediction levels of technopedagogical education competency for technology integration self-efficacy beliefs of pre-service teachers. The study group comprised 174 pre-service teachers at the Faculty of Education of a university located in the Eastern Black Sea region of Turkey. Both “Technopedagogical Education Competency Scale” and “Technology Integration Self-Efficacy Perception Scale” were administered as data collection tools. The results of the study showed that pre-service teachers had high levels of technology integration self-efficacy beliefs, with a high-level positive correlation with technopedagogical education competency. In addition, the dimensions of technopedagogical education competency such as ethics, design, exertion and proficiency were revealed as the predictors of technology integration self-efficacy; moreover, predictive effects of exertion and proficiency dimensions are insignificant. The findings obtained from the present study are thought to be helpful for the development of pre-service teachers' technology integration self-efficacy beliefs.
Keywords: Technopedagogical education competency, Technology integration, Self-efficacy belief, Pre-service teachers
Research Article
Ahmed Tajudeen Shittu, Bamidele Wahab Kareem, Omotayo Olabo Obielodan, Michael Ayodele Fakomogbon
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 8, Issue 2, pp. 142-157
ABSTRACT
This study examined predictors of pre-service science teachers’ behavioral intention toward eresources use for teaching in Nigeria. The study used cross-sectional survey research method and a questionnaire with a set of items that measure technology preparedness, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and behavioral intention to gather the data of the study. The sample of the study is comprised of 124 pre-service science teachers graduating from a teacher education program in a Nigerian university. The research instrument of the study was subjected to validity and reliability check. Structural Equation modeling and t-test analysis was used to test the hypotheses of the study and the data collected were used to fit the specified model of the study. The findings of the study showed that technology preparedness does not statistically influence students’ behavioral intention towards e-resources use for teaching, but perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use does. The study also revealed that significant difference exists between male and female pre-service teachers behavioral intention towards e-resources use for teaching. Thus, the findings of the study confirm the validity of technology acceptance model construct and provide evidence that technology preparedness of pre-service teacher is inadequate to induce their behavioral beliefs toward future use of e-resources for classroom practice.
Keywords: pre-service teachers, e-resources, perceived usefulness, ease of use, behavioral intention
Research Article
Yalin Kilic Turel, Filiz Varol
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 3, Issue 1, pp. 17-35
ABSTRACT
The main goal of the current study was to analyze early childhood and elementary pre-service teachers’ choices of participant-designed materials and the reasons for their selection. To this end, 57 elementary and 39 early childhood teacher candidates were asked to design one physical material and one electronic material for instruction. Then, they were asked which type of material they would prefer if they were teaching and what their rationale was for this selection. The results revealed several dissimilarities between early childhood and elementary teacher candidates in terms of their choices and the reasons for their choices. In their rationale, elementary pre-service teachers more referred their limited technological knowledge while early childhood pre-service teachers took attention to the need for hands-on activities for their instruction. In general, participants raised critical questions related to teachers’ technological knowledge, and teacher preparation programs as well as professional development programs regarding how to integrate such instructional technologies effectively into course activities to enhance learning.
Keywords: Instructional material, Instructional material design, Pre-service teachers, Early childhood education, Elementary education, Teacher education programs
Research Article
Hatice Sancar Tokmak, Turkan Karakus
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 2, Issue 4, pp. 319-332
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate how well initial teacher training in ICT prepare pre-service teachers to teaching profession. Eight pre-service teachers attending to the “School Experience” course from the Computer Education and Instructional Technology Department at the Middle East Technical University took part in this case study. Observation and interview methods were employed to gather data. Moreover, pre-service teachers’ lesson plans prepared for teaching activity were analyzed. The results showed that initial teacher training courses provided several affective teaching skills such as developing awareness about the importance of being well-prepared for each class, being calm for unexpected situations, and understanding the reasons of students’ misbehaviors in the class. However, according to ICT pre-service teachers, practical aspect of these courses was not enough. Most of them stated that they could not apply different strategies in different contexts. In addition, due to the lack of experience on classroom management they had difficulty in completing subjects although they left extra time for each activity in their lesson plans.
Keywords: Teaching practice, Initial teacher training, Case study, ICT pre-service teachers.