Technology acceptance in context: preschool teachers’ integration of a technology-based early language and literacy curriculum

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examined how preschool teachers’ perception of technology usability and associated beliefs about technology integration influence the way they integrate a technology-based, early language and literacy curriculum, RIA-Mobile. Through multiple regression and path analysis, results showed that technology usability was a key variable that contextualizes how teachers view RIA-Mobile, and is a more proximal predictor of teachers’ perceptions of the technology’s usefulness and ease of use compared to teachers’ general technology preference. Perceptions of RIA-Mobile’s usefulness and ease of use in turn influence the way teachers integrate the tool in the classroom and their intention to use it in the future. Results from this study suggest that effective teacher technology learning programs should focus on improving teachers’ perceptions and involvement with specific technology tools they can use in their context-specific classrooms.