Information and Communications Technology in Pre-Service Science Teacher Preparation: Gaps:- Akanwa, Ursula N

ABSTRACT

21 century learners are digitally literate, have uninhibited access to Information Communications Technology (ICT), and come to school with their own shared experiences. Thus, 21st century teachers are required to adapt to new teaching approaches that incorporate ICT in order to help their students become creative learners. This study sought to investigate the extent to which teacher education institutions incorporate ICT in pre-service science teachers’ preparation. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. Three hundred final year pre-service science teachers drawn by clusters from 3 Universities in South-East Nigeria were used for the study. Four research questions guided the study. A modified Likert-type rating scale titled “Science Teachers’ Preparation Scale” (STPS) which had a Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficient of 0.86, was used for data collection. Data were analysed using mean and standard deviation. Results showed that pre-service teacher programmes in Universities in South-East Nigeria have not provided adequate support for pre-service science teachers to become competent in using ICT for teaching. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that education institutions update their curriculum to include activities that will ensure their graduates are properly equipped with ICT competencies needed for success in 21st century classrooms.