Embracing the Digital Frontier: An Exploration of Readiness and Challenges in Educational Technology Implementation by Student Teachers in Lombok, Indonesia

Abstract

This importance of this study is to understand more about readiness and challenges in educational technology so that all university students, lecturers or stakeholders can deal with digitalization era in term of education precisely especially in rural area such as Lombok, Indonesia. This study therefore investigated student teachers in the Faculty of Education at the Islamic University of Mataram during their seventh semester after they experienced teaching training practices program. To accomplish the study's goals, the researcher utilised a mixed-method strategy to gather data. The researcher conducted a questionnaire survey to evaluate the level of readiness and perspectives regarding the utilisation of technology. In addition, the researcher conducted interview sessions with the university's faculty heads to obtain further information. The researcher employed SPSS software to evaluate the quantitative data, whereas the qualitative data were encoded using NVIVO version 14 to find patterns and sub-patterns, facilitating the development of manual coding. The obtained data unveiled multiple elements that impacted the participants' use of technology. The variables can be classified into the following categories: 1) necessity, 2) self-emotion, 3) active user, 4) accessibility, and 5) digital service. The study's findings revealed a connection between the above factors and digital literacy, which is linked to instructional technology. Related to student teachers survey, it is found that they had moderate manifestation of readiness (3.8) and perspectives (3.7) on using technology. The stakeholders also have participated in this process to optimise the utilisation of technology for educational objectives. Thus it is found that networking issue, accessibility, difficulties in utilizing facilitation, and lack of motivation to prepare materials prior to class were the issue shared based on his educational activity experience in this faculty.  Hence, it may be inferred that this university fulfils the requirements for education in the 21st century so the further research intends to explore the beneficial of enhancing technology skill for student teachers in their teaching training practices program.