Technology use by pre-service teachers during teaching practice: Are new teachers embracing technology right away in their first teaching experience?

Abstract

Equipping pre-service teachers with technology skills and knowledge is now regarded as a vital element of any teacher-training program so as to capacitate the new teachers to meet the educational demands of the twenty-first century. Therefore, it is important to establish whether these teachers do actually apply these skills when they first get to the field and if not, what could be the hindering factors. This study investigated technology use by pre-service teachers during teaching practice. The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) was used as an evaluative framework for the study. Observations, interviews, and document analysis were used to collect data. The results indicated that the majority of the participants did not use technology in the delivery of their lessons, even though they reported high competency levels in the use of technology resources. The underlying reasons for this lack of technology use were identified. The results point to a need to develop a systematic and comprehensive strategy toward technology implementation involving all stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition for pre-service teachers as they move from training to practice and to have technology use reinforced at all levels.