Title: Behavioural intention of Pacific Island pre-service teachers to use digital portfolios

Authors: C.A. DeCoursey

Addresses: English Division, Innopolis University, Innopolis, Kazan, Tatarstan, Russian Federation

Abstract: The behavioural intention (BI) to use a new digital affordance remains a challenge in 21st century life. As teachers introduce youth to new technologies, their attitudes are significant. The theories and instruments for assessing intention reflect western contexts. Pre-service teachers in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) face developing world challenges when learning to use conventional digital tools such as portfolios. This study used content and appraisal analysis to identify frequently-realised themes and attitudes in the writing of pre-service teachers across one semester. Results show that attitudes were increasingly positive, but the portfolio task was still perceived as complex at the end of the semester. Frequently-realised themes, and positive co-frequencies between subunits and attitudes, showed that participants found performance expectancy high. But they felt the effort required also remained high, indicating that one semester's use is not sufficient to achieve BI, for portfolios, in developing world contexts.

Keywords: Republic of the Marshall Islands; Pacific Islands; teacher education; portfolio; computer self-efficacy; behavioural intention; content analysis; appraisal analysis; developing world education; colonialism.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTEL.2020.106284

International Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, 2020 Vol.12 No.2, pp.161 - 179

Received: 07 Apr 2018
Accepted: 18 Oct 2018
Published online: 02 Apr 2020 *

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