A case study in integrating ICT into early childhood teacher education

Hu Xinyun
Hong Kong Institute of Education
Hong Kong SAR, China

It is important to promote the use of ICT, used in a broad sense, by teachers in the field of early childhood education. This paper discusses a case study of a pre-service kindergarten teacher in Hong Kong Institute of Education who enrolled on a course in Computer Applications in Early Childhood Education Curriculum in 2006. The research methodologies used were in-depth interview and content analysis.

The case study aims to explore this pre-service student's conception of ICT and understanding of the strategies to integrate it into a one-day teaching plan. The research data showed that a range of technologies were used and identified the reasons for their use. It was found that the following factors influenced the student's decisions: experience of using technologies; beliefs about using technologies; the organizational environment; the acceptance of ICT use by kindergarten teachers; and the technical support and professional training available.

The case study gave insights into the views of pre-service kindergarten teachers on preparing and implementing technologies in the classroom and should assist teacher educators to develop powerful training strategies for integrating ICT into early childhood education.