Abstract:

The integration of digital technologies into teaching is considered a key competence for teachers in today's education system and is systematically supported by both curricular documents and research focused on developing teachers' digital literacy. Nevertheless, there remains a gap between future teachers' declared readiness to use educational applications and their actual use in teaching practice. Previous studies suggest that a one-time introduction to tools in a lecture may not be sufficient to create stable professional competence or a positive attitude towards their use.

The aim of this research was to verify whether a three-perspective experience with educational applications:
(1) indirect experience of the student as a listener, when the teacher uses the application to teach other content,
(2) direct familiarization with the functions of the applications and their didactic potential, and
(3) the actual use of the tools by teacher training students in their teaching – leads to higher motivation, i.e., the willingness of future teachers to use these tools in their future teaching practice and their conviction of their benefits, compared to the traditional model of a one-time presentation of applications within a single lecture.

The research was conducted as an pedagogical experiment at the University of Ostrava with teacher training students (N = 38). The experimental group (N = 20) underwent training based on a three-perspective model of working with various teaching applications (interactive, quiz, explanatory, organizational, creative, etc.), while the control group (N = 18) was introduced to the same tools only in the form of a one-time lecture. Data were collected through pre-tests and post-tests in the form of a self-evaluation questionnaire.

The results did not confirm the assumption that a three-perspective experience with teaching applications leads to higher declared motivation among future teachers to use these tools. The results suggest that a more intensive and comprehensive experience with technologies does not automatically increase the willingness to implement them in the future and that the relationship between the form of training and professional motivation is more complex than originally assumed. The study thus contributes to the discussion on innovating the preparation of future teachers in the pedagogical use of digital technologies and suggests the need to seek other forms of intervention, such as longer-term and more contextually embedded activities.

Keywords:

Educational applications, pedagogical experiment, teacher education students, teachers' digital competences, three-perspective experience.