A simulation study of preservice STM teachers’ technostress as related to supposed utility, attitudes towards portable technolo-gy and continuance intents to use portable technology

Abstract

The speedy advancement of evolving technologies has made the integration of portable technology into preservice science, technology and mathematics (STM) teachers’ teaching practices a must to enhance learning goals and improve their professional development. However, preservice STM teachers are unenthusiastic in incorporating portable technology into instruction when they go out on practicum as a result of stress associated with technology called technostress. While numerous investigations have been carried out on the motives and imports of stress associated with technology in diverse milieus, no study has been carried out on technostress, supposed utility and dispositions towards portable technology as predictors of continuance intentions to use portable technology in Nigeria. In this study, three research questions were answered through the implementation of a correlational research design. 480 preservice STM teachers from 4 universities in southwest Nigeria formed the sample. A reliable and valid survey of 13 items was deployed for the collection of the study data. The data were coded and its analysis done via SPSS version 20 involving standard deviation, mean, Pearson product-moment correlation and multiple regression analysis at 5% level of significance. The study established that the preservice STM teachers recorded low technostress, high attitudes towards portable technology, high supposed utility and high continuance intents to utilize portable technology. Also, the study affirmed the numerically momentous associations amid technostress, attitudes towards portable technology, supposed utility and continuance intents to deploying portable technology among preservice STM teachers. The construct of technostress, attitudes towards portable technology and supposed utility made numerically weighty contributions of 85.7% to the forecast of continuance intents to use portable technology. In line with the study findings, it was supported that the STM teacher educators should integrate portable technology into the teacher training programmes of preservice STM teachers to stimulate the use of portable technology in their studies. Preservice STM teachers and teacher educators could benefit from the results of this study.