ICT Training of Pre-service Bilingual Teachers: Present, Past, and Future Needs

Abstract

Twenty-first century skills were part of the ATC21S (University of Melbourne 2012) international research project entitled Assessmentand Teaching of twenty-first Century Skills (Dudeney et al. 2014) which further specify as creativity and innovation, collaboration and teamwork, critical thinking, problem-solving, autonomy, flexibility, and lifelong learning. Bilingualpre-service teachers are entitled to develop technology-related skills for both their own education and that of their future students (Savage and Barnett 2015). This research analyzed the perceived ICTcompetence and needs of 34 pre-service bilingual teachers from the University of Córdoba (Spain) based on their opinions on their attitudes, skill, tools, and pedagogy on what they think they will need in the future, what they need to fulfil their Undergraduate training as teachers, and what they have needed so far in their school placements. Quantitative and qualitative data were scrutinized under a mixed-methods research design. Findings showed that pre-service students viewed their technology training positively in the four categories analyzed (i.e., Will, Skill, Tools, and Pedagogy). The conclusions indicate that twenty-first century teachers are entitled to be ‘digital citizens’, who have a digital identity which, for more than sure, will instil in future generations.KeywordsLiteracyTwenty-first century skillsPre-service bilingual teachersTechnologyTeacher education