In-Service Teachers' ICT Use and Integration in the Secondary MSE Classroom: Applying the UTAUT Model

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Technological changes and innovations happen so quickly these days and being able to use technology and knowing how to teach it is fast becoming an expectation for all teachers. An evaluation of teachers' changing competence, beliefs, and attitude towards ICT use in classrooms is necessary to determine factors that affect classroom implementation. The Department of Education recognizes that monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of ICT-based programs is a necessity to gauge the influence of ICTs on the education system hence this situation underscores a need to examine the factors affecting teachers' ICT use and their implications to teachers' professional development (TPD) strategies.

METHODS

This descriptive study which used the purposive sampling method has looked into the extent of usage frequency of ICT tools, as well as existing differences if any, among Math-Science-English (MSE) teachers in the province of Nueva Ecija: 170 (71%) from public and 69 (29%) from private secondary schools. It also investigated the usage behavior (UB) and behavioral intention (BI) of teacher-respondents in using ICTs in the classroom setting in relation to five (5) key determinants namely Performance Expectancy, Effort Expectancy, Social Influence, Facilitating Conditions, and Habit adapted from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology models (UTAUT 1 and 2).

RESULTS

Based on the results of the t-test, it was revealed that the usage frequency of ICT tools by the two groups of MSE teachers from the sampled schools is similar. Through correlation analysis, all five UTAUT constructs were found to correlate positively with both UB and BI but more strongly with the latter. Regression analysis has shown that the UTAUT construct of habit (HT) is the most significant predictor of MSE teachers' usage behavior (UB) while the key construct of performance expectancy (PE) most significantly affects their behavioral intention (BI) to utilize ICT tools in classroom teaching.

DISCUSSIONS

In-service teachers need to be shown gradually, through continued training and close monitoring & evaluation, that it is possible for them to use ICT in their lessons without too much difficulty and believe that by doing so they attain gains in teaching performance (performance expectancy). They need to learn the basics of the technologies that will be most useful to them and their students and be shown effective and easy ways to use these in their future classrooms such that it eventually becomes a habit (HT).