Abstract:

A review of the research (Kay, 2006) suggests that limited evaluation has been conducted on how pre-service teachers learn how to use technology. The purpose of this study was to examine and compare four learning strategies used by these teachers to acquire technology-related skills within an eight-month teacher education program. One hundred forty-three (female = 127, male = 16) elementary school pre-service teachers participated in the study. Based on responses from a Likert-scale survey, participants rated authentic and collaborative learning strategies the highest and formal instruction and experiential learning strategies the lowest. Specific strategies rated highest in terms of usefulness included completing real-world assignments that required technology, using technology for planning, asking questions face-to-face, working with peers, and attending formal workshops. Future research needs to focus on helping elementary school pre-service teachers move from acquiring technology-based skills to using technology in pedagogically meaningful ways that support student learning goals.

Keywords:

Learning, technology, pre-service teachers, strategies.