Will, skills, or conscientiousness: What predicts teachers' intentions to participate in technology-related professional development?

Abstract

To unfold the potential of learning with technology in classrooms, teachers must be prepared to integrate it meaningfully and with high instructional quality. Professional development (PD) is an important avenue for preparing in-service teachers to integrate technology into their teaching. Whereas existing research indicates that teachers’ motivation predicts classroom technology use and participation in PD, knowledge about other predictors (e.g., technology-related knowledge and personality) is scarce. This scarcity is surprising because technology-related prior knowledge and, for example, conscientiousness are especially important in systems in which teachers choose PD voluntarily. In this study, we analyzed unique data from 321 in-service teachers whose schools were randomized to receive one-to-one technology. Using sequential linear and nonlinear regression, we examined the extent to which teachers’ will, skills, and conscientiousness simultaneously (rather than separately) predicted their intentions to participate in technology-related PD. Controlling for important personal and contextual characteristics, we found robust evidence that the perceived utility of technology in classrooms was a stronger predictor of participation intentions than technology-related knowledge and conscientiousness. Contrary to existing assumptions, our findings illustrate that teachers should still be made aware of the utility of technology for instruction to strengthen their intentions to participate in technology-related PD.