Examine the factors affecting adopting e-portfolio for student teachers’ field experience

The study involved student teachers enrolled in the Bachelor English Language Programme at the Hong Kong Institute of Education. There were seventy-seven students who submitted their field experience portfolio electronically to a problem in their third and fourth year of study as evidences of their field experience placements. To understand the value of this initiative, student teachers were invited through e-mail to participate in focus group interviews. Technology Acceptance Model was used as the research framework to examine the merits and challenges of digitising the exiting FE paper-based portfolio. Seven student teachers participated in semi-structured interviews and two replied via e-mail. Comments from nine student teachers indicated that attitude towards usage (ATU) had a direct relationship on behavioural intention to use. However, perceived usage was the determining factor for those who did not have a strong ATU. The findings suggested that students were not comfortable with new technology which is completely opposite to our perceptions that young adults are digital natives. The findings provide insightful information for the next implementation phase of an e-portfolio at our institute. Copyright © 2013 MIT Departmental Seminar.