Abstract:

For the last two decades, there has been a significant increase in the use of information technology in all aspects of life. That trend is still going on, with new technological artifacts reaching out more people everyday. For this reason, this study tries to compare perspectives and attitudes toward technology among teacher candidates and college professors in the Teachers Education Program at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. This research employs a quantitative methodology, in which teacher candidates and college professors answered a questionnaire, which was later analyzed by using a SPSS program, presenting descriptive of difference between there groups.

The purpose of this study is to compare the knowledge and attitudes regarding the use of educational technology among teacher candidates and college professors in the Teachers Education Program at the University of Puerto Rico. The objectives are: 1) Describe the attitudes among teacher candidates and college professors toward technology (technology in general terms, knowledge and the use of technology, technology and education, and ethics and technology). 2) Determine the difference between the attitudes of teacher candidates and their professors about the use of technology (if any) and 3) Determine if there is a technological knowledge gap between teacher candidates and their professors.

Two random samples were selected, using a probabilistic sampling, specifically, a systematic sampling by list. The first sample was selected of the students who were registered in the course of Growth and Human Development I, basic course of the setup program of teachers, and the second sample was selected of the total of professors of the Setup program of Teachers of the Education College of the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus.
The questionnaire was divided in four sections:
1. General view about technology
2. Knowledge and usage of technology
3. View about technology and education:
4. The ethics of technology

In conclusion, the majority of the students and professors that participated in the study expressed that they own a personal computer, have Internet access at home, and use Internet at the university. They also expressed that they know how to use a variety of technological equipment, computer software programs, and technology. However, most of them expressed that they did not know how to use technology to communicate research results. This is worrying since in today’s world technology is considered as an essential tool to communicate and disseminate research results, since it can easily reach any part of the world. Not using technology for these purposes reflects a lack of knowledge from professors on how to use and integrate technology to the research process.
In terms of the general perspective on the technology and the use of the technology in the education as much the students as the professors tend to have a favorable attitude towards it. It is important to indicate that the students, as well as the professors, indicated that the computers do not make them feel tense and nor frustrate them. In relation to the ethics and technology, both students and professors showed a positive attitude toward the need of using and including the ethical aspects in the curriculum.
Finally, one may conclude that there is no existing gap between teachers candidates technology knowledge and the professors that teach at the Teacher Preparation Program, UPR-RP.

Keywords:

Teacher preparation program, educational technology.