The Integration of Digital Technologies into Practicum Classrooms by Smartphone-Savvy Pre-Service Teachers in Indonesia

Abstract

<p style="text-align: justify;">The Indonesian government has declared a strong commitment to information and communication technology (ICT) education reform but has made meager progress due to inconsistent education policies, fragmentary technological infrastructure, and ill-prepared teachers. Despite these obstacles, young people in Indonesia have embraced smartphones and related technologies as important means of maintaining their socially integrated lifestyles. This project sought to measure the adoption of smartphone technologies among pre-service teachers as part of their broader ICT consciousness and teaching. We examined the ICT competencies of 220 pre-service teachers at two state universities in western Indonesia. A questionnaire was distributed to the participants toward the end of the students' final practicum during the COVID-19 closure of the schools. Results showed very high use of smartphones in private contexts, infrequent use of laptops and desktop computers, a strong rejection of institutionally available (or often unavailable) devices and services, and a skewing of ICT skills toward tools available on smartphones, especially those accessible through social media platforms.</p>