Transformative Technology Integration: A Quantitative Study of the Effects of Observed Modeling of Mentor Teachers and Teacher Educators on Elementary Preservice Teacher Technology Integration Efficacy

In a technology-driven era marked by the widespread use of computers, mobile devices, software, and apps, stakeholders in both government and academia have been formulating strategies, frameworks, and models to integrate technology into the educational landscape seamlessly. Despite these efforts, a critique of preservice teacher preparation is its lack of focus on equipping educators with the necessary skills for effective technology integration in K-12 settings. Grounded in Bandura's social cognitive theory, TPACK and Kimmons' PICRAT Model, this study was guided by overarching questions: What are the reported observations preservice teachers make of technology modeling practices in their teacher preparation coursework and field placements? Is there a relationship between the modeling observations of Teacher educators/mentor teachers and preservice teachers' reported technology integration efficacy? Is there a relationship between the observations of modeling of teacher educators/mentor teachers and preservice teacher lesson plan technology integration? To explore these questions, preservice teachers in elementary education completed a survey recording their technology integration efficacy, observations of technology modeling by their teacher educators, and observations of technology modeling by their mentor teachers. Additionally, preservice teachers submitted lesson plans to investigate the application of observed modeling in their teaching practice. Results of this study indicated that teacher educator modeling and mentor teacher modeling are significant predictors of preservice technology integration efficacy.