Acceptance and Readiness to Use M-Learning among Primary School Science Teachers

Abstract

Consolidating and implementing educational strategies using 21 st century methods in the country’s present education system ha ve changed the landscape of education in Malaysia. The educator’s role becomes easier when the conventional style of teaching and learning shifts to learning and facilitating. The Ministry of Education, in the implementation of the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025, has targeted for all children in Malaysia to be equipped with six main attributes to meet the skill requirements by 2025. These six main attributes are: 1) knowledge; 2) thinking skills; 3) leadership skills; 4) bi-linguistic proficiency; 5) ethics and spirituality; and 6) national identity. Among the skills needed in 21st century learning are creative thinking skills, critical thinking skills, communication skills, and collaboration skills (Partnership for 21st century skills/P21). Among the initiatives taken is the application of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in education. This step is taken to pioneer the way towards achieving learning by using ICT innovation. The objective of this paper is to determine the level of acceptance and readiness of science teachers to use mobile learning (M-Learning) as well as the suitability of using M-Learning among primary school science teachers. A total of 125 primary school science teachers from the state of Johor were involved in this study. A questionnaire containing 10 items was used as an instrument, and the data obtained were analy z ed using the SPPS version 22 software. The reliability value of the instrument according to Cronbach’s Alpha for all variables fall s between 0.922 and 0.943. Hence, the findings show a high level of acceptance and readiness to use M-Learning among primary school science teachers .