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Exploring Kuwaiti Preservice Early Childhood Teachers’ Beliefs About Using Web 2.0 Technologies

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Abstract

Today’s children are born immersed in a digital informational age, creating increased pressure on preservice teachers to prepare children to become digital citizens. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore Kuwaiti early childhood preservice teachers’ intentions to use Web 2.0 technologies in their future Kuwaiti classrooms. Findings were evaluated using the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior to examine factors that potentially influence the use of Web 2.0 technologies. The preservice teachers’ attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control positively and significantly affected the preservice teachers’ intentions to use Web 2.0 technologies. This study found teachers had intentions to use tools like YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Twitter in their future kindergarten classroom to improve student learning, communicate with parents, and share classrooms activities. Teachers believed that Web 2.0 technologies could improve kindergarten students’ learning, but they had concerns regarding inappropriate content.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Education, Foundation of Education, Kuwait University, Kuwait City, Kuwait

    Laila Alkhayat

  2. School of Education, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA

    James Ernest

  3. Department of Human Studies, Educational Psychology and Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA

    Jenna LaChenaye

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  1. Laila Alkhayat
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  2. James Ernest
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  3. Jenna LaChenaye
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Correspondence to Laila Alkhayat.

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Alkhayat, L., Ernest, J. & LaChenaye, J. Exploring Kuwaiti Preservice Early Childhood Teachers’ Beliefs About Using Web 2.0 Technologies. Early Childhood Educ J 48, 715–725 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-020-01036-6

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