Qualitative Analysis of Use of ICTs and Necessary Personal Competencies (Self-Efficacy, Creativity and Emotional Intelligence) of Future Teachers: Implications for Education

Abstract

(1) Background: The acquisition of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) skills and competencies has become enormously important in regard to the effective management of studies or schooling. The questions that guided this study were: What are future teachers’ perceptions regarding the use of new technologies in teaching/learning? What are their opinions of the personal competencies necessary to appropriately make use of ICTs? The purpose of this study was to discover the opinions of future teachers—current master’s degree students—regarding the use of ICTs in teaching/learning, as well as the personal competencies involved in their best use, such as self-efficacy, creative intelligence, and emotional intelligence. (2) Methods: Three focus groups were conducted, comprising 27 graduate students. The participants were asked about their knowledge of ICTs, how they had acquired this knowledge, their attitudes when faced with a new tool, whether they considered themselves to be creative, and whether they considered themselves to be emotionally competent. (3) Results: The data analyzed revealed different opinions on the use of new technologies for innovation, as well as other factors involved in academic or professional performance. Three themes were extracted: Training experiences and ICT skills; Feelings experienced when confronted with an ICT tool; and Task-oriented personal competencies. The identification of these three themes enabled us to extract eight sub-themes. (4) Conclusions: Professionals’ evident lack of knowledge and training regarding ICTs makes it necessary to promote ICTs’ importance and to propose training programs directed at future teachers so they can improve their competencies, and thus, become better able to prepare their students, which, in turn, would allow the students to master these new technologies and make adequate use of them.