Exploring technology lecturers’ instructional strategies to prepare basic technology pre-service teachers for twenty-first century teaching.

Abstract

The Nigerian National Policy on Education emphasizes the importance of quality teachers and technology integration in classrooms. However, studies show that Nigerian lecturers are not adequately equipping pre-service teachers with essential twenty-first-century skills. There is a need for further research on how lecturers prepare pre-service teachers with these skills to ensure they are ready for twenty-first century teaching. This study explored Technology lecturers’ instructional strategies to prepare basic technology pre-service teachers for twentyfirst- century teaching. The study was conducted at AB University, Lagos. Nigeria. The qualitative research approach was used with the case study as the research design. A purposive sampling technique was used to select seven (7) Basic Technology lecturers in the Department of Technology Education at AB University, the Basic Technology curriculum for the Basic Technology teacher education programme and Basic Technology teaching portfolios were used as secondary data sources for the study. The instruments used for the study included individual semi-structured Interviews, document analysis, observation, post-observation interviews and focus group interviews. The data was then analysed using thematic analysis. The study's findings revealed that lecturers employ technology-enhanced instructional strategies such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and graphic communication in teaching pre-service teachers; the lecturers also use brainstorming, demonstrations, discussions and project-based learning in preparing the pre-service teachers. The findings also revealed that lecturers employ these strategies because of the design process which undergirds technology teaching and assessment. The researcher recommends that university management prioritize providing relevant digital technologies and resources for teaching and learning technical subjects within teacher training programmes. Additionally, regular in-service training, seminars, and workshops should be organized for lecturers, to keep them updated on teaching and learning innovations. Furthermore, the study suggests conducting similar research in different locations or institutions within the Nigerian context to create a comprehensive, technology-infused curriculum for training pre-service teachers.