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Teachers’ Change Readiness for the Adoption of Smartphone Technology: Personal Concerns and Technological Competency

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Abstract

The current study investigated change readiness for smartphone technology among 610 secondary school teachers in Kuwait. We assessed teachers’ readiness to adopt smartphones as instructional tools, with respect to their personal concerns, technological competency and personal characteristics. We implemented a quantitative survey design, administering two questionnaires to all participants: the Stages of Concern Questionnaire (SoCQ), based on the concerns-based adoption model, and a newly developed SmartPhone Competency Scale. The findings indicated that teachers’ perceptions of the adoption of smartphone technology were associated with their stages of concern and smartphone competency level. Scores on the six stages of concern were compared. Concerns were greatest at the personal stage and lowest at the management stage. In addition, teachers with moderate levels of teaching experience (5–10 years) and teachers who specialized in the sciences reported stronger management concerns than teachers specializing in the arts. The five stages of concern with the highest scores (informational, personal, consequences, collaboration, and refocusing) were positively and significantly correlated with the four smartphone competencies. These results suggest that the SoCQ is a practical tool with predictive value for assessing teachers’ change readiness for the adoption of smartphone technology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Education, Kuwait University, Kuwait, State of Kuwait

    Suad A. A. Al-Furaih & Hamed M. Al-Awidi

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  1. Suad A. A. Al-Furaih
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Correspondence to Suad A. A. Al-Furaih.

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Appendix

Appendix

The SmartPhone Competency Scale (SPCS)

Item

Description

Technical competency

1

Taking photos using the smartphone’s digital camera

2

Using free programs to follow praying time, weather conditions, etc.

3

Locating roads and places using maps and GPS programs

4

Uploading/downloading files such as documents, pictures, and videos

5

Using electronic games

Social competency

6

Using social media programs such as WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, etc.

7

Sharing files such as documents, pictures, and videos with others through the smartphone

8

Using email to communicate with others

9

Using free phone communication programs

10

Using forums to communicate with others

Informational competency

11

Searching the Internet for learning resources (articles, movies, pictures)

12

Viewing selected videos for self-learning

13

Storing files using the cloud (Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud)

14

Arranging various daily tasks, such as booking flights, hotels, etc.

15

Buying items for daily living, such as food, books, clothes, etc.

Computational competency

16

Writing articles and preparing presentations

17

Designing or editing photos and graphics

18

Producing or editing video clips

19

Recording sounds and editing them into video clips

20

Designing electronic mind maps

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Al-Furaih, S.A.A., Al-Awidi, H.M. Teachers’ Change Readiness for the Adoption of Smartphone Technology: Personal Concerns and Technological Competency. Tech Know Learn 25, 409–432 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-018-9396-6

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