The impact of the internship experience on interns’ self-perceived preparedness to teach in a technology rich society : a mixed methods multiple case study.

Preservice teacher education programs are the foundation of the future generations of teachers, and the pinnacle of beginning teacher training is the internship experience. A gap in educational literature exists in relation to the role of the internship experience in the development of preservice teachers’ understanding of teaching students to be prepared for a technology rich society through the integration of technology, pedagogy, and content. Using a mixed methods approach 33 preservice teacher interns were surveyed to examine potential change in interns’ perceptions and actions regarding their preparedness to teach in a technology rich society. Six embedded cases were analyzed holistically to examine the factors that impacted the interns’ understanding and use of technology over the course of a one-semester internship. The results of this study indicated little change in interns’ self-perceived preparedness to teach in a technology rich society, however it was determined that the effects of the internship experience were individualized and influenced by multiple factors. Implications for practice and additional research recommendations are provided.