Preservice Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Adopting Learning Management Systems

Abstract

With the rapid arrival of COVID-19, the global education community was forced to move from traditional face-to-face instruction to online instructional formats. The global pandemic drew attention to the insufficient training of many teachers in the field. This mixed-methods study aimed to determine preservice teachers’ (PSTs) attitudes toward using a learning management system (LMS) after exposure in their technology course at a southeast Texas university. This study utilized a retrospective survey design, allowing participants in the technology course to answer pre- and post-survey questions simultaneously. Additionally, PSTs were asked to consent to continue to an open-ended questionnaire section of the survey to discuss their opinions and opportunities provided to them during the instruction on an LMS. This study utilized data from the 2023 summer and fall semesters with a sample of 197 PSTs who responded. This study’s quantitative results indicated a significant difference between PSTs’ perceived usefulness of, perceived ease of use of, attitude toward using, intent to use, and perceived competency before and after exposure to an LMS in their Teacher Education Program (TEP) required technology course. However, no significant difference was found between the same factors based on PSTs’ certification levels before or after exposure to an LMS. The qualitative data revealed six themes related to both research questions. The themes were familiarity with an LMS, experience with an LMS, understanding an LMS as a teaching tool, challenges in learning and implementing an LMS, concerns and questions about LMS use, satisfaction with training and course structure, and positive changes in attitudes. The research concludes with implications for course professors, course design, TEPs, and advancement and use of technology and recommendations for future research