Investigating the factors influencing Maldivian public schools teachers' readiness to use m-learning in teaching

Abstract

Teacher readiness has been proven to be a critical prerequisite for the successful implementation of m-learning initiatives in education. In the context of Maldives, the uptake of m-learning integration efforts with the government’s one-to-one tablet initiative has drastically increased the need for assessing Maldivian teachers’ readiness to incorporate m-learning in teaching. Hence, this study first aimed to profile the extent of Maldivian teachers’ readiness to facilitate the use of distinctive pedagogical features of tablet computers to enhance student learning. Secondly, due to the absence of an integrated model in the literature that can be used to assess the key factors influencing teachers’ pedagogical readiness to implement m-learning, this study sought to propose and validate a theoretical model called M-Learning Teacher Readiness Model (MTRM) that hypothesises the influence of perceived school readiness (SR), content readiness (CR), and psychological readiness (PSR) on teachers’ pedagogical readiness (PER) to incorporate m-learning. Finally, the study aimed to test the measurement invariance to determine whether the scale items function equivalently for primary and secondary teacher groups. The study used a quantitative cross-sectional survey method. A total of 551 teachers employed in the government schools of Maldives participated in this study. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, pooled Confirmatory Factor Analysis (Pooled-CFA), full-fledged Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), and Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analyses (MGCFA) The descriptive analyses revealed that teachers were somewhat prepared to facilitate their students to use the collaborative, authentic, and personalized features of tablet devices to enhance their learning. The pooled CFA provided evidence that the proposed three factor pedagogical readiness construct, comprising collaboration, authenticity, and personalization, constitute a valid and reliable underlying structure. The assessment of structural model revealed that the hypothesised MTRM model fits the data well; school readiness and content readiness exerted a significant and positive influence on teachers’ pedagogical readiness; and teachers’ psychological readiness mediated the relationship between school readiness and pedagogical readiness. In addition, the results of MGCFA revealed that the measures of m-learning teacher readiness constructs are invariant across primary and secondary teacher groups. The findings of this study have made both theoretical and practical contributions towards the implementation of m-learning in teaching, particularly with respect to teachers’ readiness to implement m-learning in the context of Maldives.