Perception of Preservice Teachers towards ICT Integration in Teacher Education in India

Abstract

The changing educational landscape in the global context and the evolution of digital natives has placed the unprecedented demands on teacher education in preparing to educate for 21st century. In this technological infusion era, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) integration in teacher education program and teaching practices of teachers in the making, is a complicated and challenging issue. As far as pre-service teachers are concerned, they need to be e-teachers. This means not only they should be able to use digital technologies, tools and resources, but also to change the pedagogy, to integrate ICT as tool for pedagogic enrichment [UNESCO]. Keeping in view the ever emerging and increasing demands of the present day need the researcher has initiated to study perception of pre-service teachers towards this pertinent issue. The objective of this study is hence, to study preservice teachers' perceptions of ICT integration in teacher education program and its association with their teaching practices. For collection of data, the students of Aligarh Muslim University were chosen. The sample was a purposive one, consisting of one hundred (100) pre-service teachers from the subject domains of languages, social sciences, mathematics and science. A close ended questionnaire was used as a tool for data collection. The obtained Quantitative data was analyzed by calculating simple frequencies and percentage. The results showed that pre-service teachers perceived lack of infrastructural facilities in terms of ICT integration in teacher education program in the country. Furthermore, integration of ICT in teacher education program in India is insufficient with respect to internet access and its use during training period as well as during course work and teaching practices.