The role of Pre-Service Teacher Training on the Integration of ICT in pedagogy by trainees of National Teachers College - Kaliro

Abstract

This study examined the role of pre-service teacher training on the integration of ICT in pedagogy by trainees of National Teachers’ College-Kaliro. The interest to undertake this study emerged from the scholarly reporting of low integration skills of ICT in pedagogy by teacher trainees. Two theoretical models were used; Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). The attributes of UTAUT (Performance Expectations (PE), Ease of Effort (EE), Social Influence (SI) & Facilitating Conditions (FC) guided the formulation of study objectives namely; to examine how pre-service teacher training in NTC-Kaliro met trainees’ expectations to use ICT in pedagogy, assessment of trainees’ ability to use ICT tools and services in pedagogy with ease, to find out how social influence enhanced trainees’ ability to use ICT in pedagogy and to establish whether schools provided facilitating conditions for the use of ICT in pedagogy. The study adopted both a positivist and interpretivist research paradigm which dictated the use of mixed research methods, i.e. involving both quantitative and qualitative approaches. A Self-Administered Questionnaire (SAQ) was the main data collection instrument for trainees while focused interview, observation checklist, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and documentary analysis excavated data from college and school administrators. The study drew a sample of 181 respondents from a population of 340 trainees of NTC-Kaliro. Analyzed quantitative data using descriptive and inferential statistics (Ordinary Linear Square (OLS) regression), while I analyzed qualitative data using content analysis in themes and subthemes. The study findings revealed that pre-service teacher training in ICT significantly met trainees’ expectations (p =.0000 < 0.05). It was also found out that training eased trainees’ effort to use ICT in pedagogy (p=.0000<0.05). Findings further revealed that social influence from mentor teachers had a significantly positive bearing on trainees’ use of ICT in pedagogy (p=.0000 < 0.05). However, findings nonetheless also revealed that the unfavorable ICT conditions in schools compromised trainees’ meaningful integration of ICT in pedagogy (p =0.127 > 0.05). Henceforth, it is vital to conclude that pre-service teacher training in NTC-Kaliro positively and significantly improved trainees’ knowledge and skills to use ICT in pedagogy, but constrained by the unfavorable ICT environment in schools. The study thus, recommends adoption of Bringing Your Own Device (BYOD) to improve ICT access environments in schools for trainees to scaffold and integrate trained ICT skills into meaningful classroom pedagogy.