A1 Journal article (refereed)
Early childhood pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards digital technologies and their relation to digital competence (2024)

Merjovaara, O., Eklund, K., Nousiainen, T., Karjalainen, S., Koivula, M., Mykkänen, A., & Hämäläinen, R. (2024). Early childhood pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards digital technologies and their relation to digital competence. Education and Information Technologies, Early online. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-12237-y

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Merjovaara, Olli; Eklund, Kenneth; Nousiainen, Tuula; Karjalainen, Satu; Koivula, Merja; Mykkänen, Arttu; Hämäläinen, Raija

Journal or series: Education and Information Technologies

ISSN: 1360-2357

eISSN: 1573-7608

Publication year: 2024

Publication date: 10/01/2024

Volume: Early online

Publisher: Springer

Publication country: United States

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-12237-y

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/92945

Abstract

This study examines early childhood pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards digital technologies and their relations to their self-perceived digital competence. Attitudes towards digital technologies were divided into core attitudes: general attitudes towards digital technologies; attitudes towards educational use of digital technologies; and perceived ease of digital technology use. Technological knowledge [TK] and technological content knowledge [TCK] dimensions of the TPACK framework were used to assess pre-service teachers’ self-perceived digital competence. Two structural equation models, a correlated-traits model and a second-order factor model, were used to analyse the relations between attitudes and digital competence. Based on the results, the early childhood pre-service teachers held positive attitudes towards digital technologies. Both models ft the data well, but the correlated-traits model explained a larger portion of variance in competence measures. Moreover, this model provided a more fne-grained picture of the associations between attitudes and competence. The general attitudes towards digital technologies and perceived ease of digital technology use were related to both TK and TCK, whereas attitudes towards educational use of digital technologies were not. Therefore, the correlated-traits model was viewed as better at describing the relations between attitudes towards digital technologies and digital competence. The study contributes to the development of teacher education. Instead of considering the current generation of pre-service teachers as a homogeneous group, this study aims to understand how they difer in their attitudes and how they perceive their own competence to use digital technologies.

Keywords: attitudes; early childhood education and care; teacher training; digital competence; digitalisation

Free keywords: early childhood education; teacher education programs; digital competence; attitude towards technology

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

Preliminary JUFO rating: 1