An exploratory study of pre-service teachers’ features related to their online behaviors and Problematic Internet Use in the United States

Abstract

This quantitative survey study was designed to investigate the features related to pre-service teachers’ online behavior and their Problematic Internet Use (PIU). One hundred and fifty-five undergraduate pre-service teachers were recruited to participate in the study at a midwestern public university in the United States in 2013–2014. Data were collected from one self-developed questionnaire and the Online Cognition Scale (OCS). The OCS was used to assess an individual’s PIU in four categories: social comfort, loneliness/depression, impulsivity, and distraction. It was found out that overall pre-service teachers’ online behaviors and PIU do not seem to be a major concern at the moment. But it is predicted that those online features may become significant concerns in a few years. International implications for college students, pre-service teacher training, and pre-employment screening result from this study.