Preservice early childhood teachers' self-efficacy and outcome expectancy for ICT integration in science instruction

Although research on the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) with science instruction has identified significant benefits to students and teachers, K-12 teachers tend to underutilise ICT in their science instruction. This study used a quasi-experimental design to measure preservice early childhood teachers' attitudes (self-efficacy and outcome expectancy) toward the integration of technology into their science instruction before and after curricular intervention during their science methods course. Participants were enrolled in one of two sections of a science methods course for early childhood teachers at a medium-sized, Midwestern university in the United States. Both the treatment and control groups showed significant positive change in their self-efficacy scores at the end of the course. Only the treatment group, however, showed a significant positive change in outcome expectancy. Previous research has shown that outcome expectancy is resistant to change as a result of instruction. In light of the results of this study, implications for the instruction of preservice teachers in the use of educational technology to teach science are discussed, as are considerations for future research. [Author abstract, ed]