Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) and Pre-Service Education Professionals: A Case Study of Motivation and Knowledge

TL;DR

This study assesses ICT knowledge and motivation among first-year education students, revealing they are motivated and possess basic skills but lack deeper pedagogical understanding and awareness of social implications.

Contribution

It provides empirical data on ICT skills and motivation in future teachers, highlighting gaps in pedagogical and social understanding that need to be addressed in teacher training.

Findings

Students have basic ICT skills and high motivation.

They lack pedagogical and social implications knowledge.

Need for enhanced university training in ethical and social aspects.

Abstract

The importance of knowing ICT training and motivation -so relevant in today's society- which currently offers the first year college students, mostly in degrees in Education, focuses the object of interest in this study. The following targets have been proposed: [1] knowing what basic skills regarding initial instrumental knowledge presents the prospective teacher (aptitudes) and [2] knowing their motivation for the educational use of ICT in the classroom (attitudes). For this purpose a non-experimental descriptive quantitative methodology has been used, with a sample of subjects (N=282) of the Autonomous Region of Extremadura (Spain). The results show that new degree college students possess a basic knowledge of ICT alongside a highly positive motivation towards the use of these. However, it is worrying that they only show an instrumental and technical knowledge of computing and telematic tools implied in social environments, but not pedagogical ones. Also they are unfamiliar with the true power of social, economic, political, ethical, influence as well as the effects and problems that their misuse can generate in their future students (addictions, manipulation, consumerism, etc.). Dimensions therefore for which they are urged to be trained at University for a proper performance as future professionals in education.