Pre-service Teachers' Perceptions and Views towards Instructional Technologies: A Study Based upon Synectic Model

Abstract

This research attempts to reveal pre-service teachers’ perceptions towards instructional technologies (ITs) through colors and emojis along with the meanings attributed to colors and emojis. Synectics model was used to enable students to comment on the concept they are familiar with from a new perspective. The research utilized a phenomenological design. The participants consisted of the 3rd and 4th grade 161 pre-service teachers learning at a state university between September and De- cember in 2019. Criterion sampling, one of the purposeful sampling methods, was utilized for in- corporating only participants who had taken instructional technologies course and who majored in different departments. This research deployed an “instructional technology synectic and emojis form” developed by the researchers. Both content and numerical analysis were used during data analysis. Research findings suggested that the pre-service teachers mostly associated the concept of ITs with white, blue and green colors. The colors that were least preferred were all colors, brown and turquoise. The findings also revealed that most of the participants attributed positive meanings to the colors regarding instructional technologies. Besides, the majority of the pre-service teachers felt “happy” towards instructional technologies and explained the reasons as facilitating learning, feeling special, permanent learning.