Shifting teachers’ insights towards utilizing mobile based learning technologies in covid 19 pandemic situation

Abstract

It is very important to change the way of pursuing learning activities since the learning environment is changing every day due to various reasons such as advancement of the technology, health concerns such as present COVID pandemic situations, etc. For these reasons, one of the prevailing possibilities to change the method of academic service delivery is the use of mobile-based learning technologies. It is interesting to discuss that how teachers absorb mobile-based learning technologies when their academic services are disseminated. The main objective of this study is to identify the influencing factors for teachers to adopt mobile-based learning sources such as mobile learning applications, learning web portals, gamification, augmented reality, Learning tools (Chat, forums, assignments, quizzes, video, etc.), digital libraries, and learning management systems (LMS) in primary, secondary, and higher education. The study uses quantitative research methodology by utilizing data collected through an online survey questionnaire to understand the most significant factors for teachers’ perception to opt for mobile-based learning technologies. The sample of the study consists of 75 primary and secondary teaches who work in local schools and higher education institutes in Sri Lanka. The proposed impact model for teachers’ insight to utilize mobile-based technologies in education under COVID 19 pandemic situation, consists of six impact factors such as interactivity, usefulness, ease of use, facilitating conditions, ICT self-efficacy, and ICT Anxiety. The questionnaire includes six questions developed based on the proposed impact model. The five-point Likert scale values one to five for strongly disagree to strongly agree was used in the questionnaire to convert user responses and do statistical analysis. The statistical analysis was done using the Pearson correlation coefficient test to test the hypothesis and calculate the correlations among impact factors in the proposed model. The MINITAB computer application for windows was used to carry out the statistical calculations. According to the study results, correlations of each observed variable of the proposed impact models were greater than 0.5 and closer to 1. Therefore, each impact factor in the proposed model is strongly connected with the latent variable “teachers’ insight to utilize mobile-based technologies in education under COVID 19 pandemic situation”. This denotes that the teachers’ insight to utilize mobile-based technologies in education under the COVID 19 pandemic situation depends on mobile-based technologies’ integrated qualities such as interactivity, usefulness, ease of use, and facilities available, and also teachers’ ICT self-efficacy, and ICT Anxiety. However, according to the study results, the most significant factor for teachers’ mobile-based technology usage is ‘Facilitating Condition’. Finally, it can be concluded that the teachers are influenced by the facilities available in the mobile-based learning technologies. And they have realized the appropriateness of mobile-based learning technologies for learning in COVID pandemic situations especially in quarantined isolations and lockdown restrictions.