The Impacts of Workplace Advantage, Learning Intentions, and Technology Skills on the Use of Information Technology-Assisted Instruction by Early Childhood Pre-Service Teachers

ABSTRACT

The practical value and usefulness of IT-assisted instruction for Taiwanese preschool children are popular topics in academic and practical settings. The purpose of this study was to survey early childhood pre-service teachers’ attitudes regarding the workplace advantage of IT-related pedagogy and their learning intentions regarding IT-based applications for teacher education in Taiwan. The researcher used a survey to collect data, and analyzed the data through structural equation modeling. The value obtained for the model fitness indices using the confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the measurement model demonstrated an acceptable level of fitness. The results demonstrate positive relationships among the hypotheses for pre-service teachers' attitudes regarding preschool infrastructure, workplace advantage, and utility value. The findings revealed that pre-service teachers consider IT-assisted instruction to be a useful tool for enhancing their teaching knowledge and abilities. Their perceptions of IT-related applications as useful positively influenced their learning intentions in IT-related courses in teacher education and their perception of the importance of advancing their technology skills to assist young children in preschool learning. The implications of the findings are also discussed.