Pre-Service TVET Teachers’ Perceptions of their Readiness to Integrate ICT In the Curriculum
Junior Martin, Ed. D.
Abstract
The Jamaican Government with support from UNESCO have begun the implementation of the Information and Communications Technology Competency Framework for Teachers (ICT-CFT). A new ICT-CFT Curriculum has been developed from this framework and is currently being piloted at the University of Technology, Jamaica. This study was conducted among the pilot group of pre-service teachers to determine their perceptions of the impact of this new course of study on their abilities to integrate ICT in their specialist areas. Two research questions guided the study. A total of 30 pre-service TVET teacher, two lecturers and the educational technologist were purposefully selected for the study. The sample size was (n =33). A questionnaire and interviews were used to collect data. The findings showed that gender matters as it relates to the perceptions of pre-service TVET teachers and their readiness to integrate ICT in the curriculum. Males demonstrated a higher level of perceptions than their females. There was no difference in the perceptions of males and females towards their preparation to integrate ICT in the curriculum. Factors such as age group, prior exposure to ICT, and previous teaching experience, were not significant. The interview findings suggested that peer support and adequate technical support were among the factors that can impact the pre-service TVET teachers’ mastery of integration of ICT in the curriculum. Recommendations were made on supporting the pre-service TVET teachers, modeling effective technology integration, promoting self-efficacy, and observing the pre-service TVET teachers during the practicum.