THE READINESS OF TEACHERS FOR IMPLEMENTING INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN SERBIAN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

Recent advancements of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and the increased use of ICT related services in the field of online learning offer a range of possibilities, but also pose a challenge for administration in the institutions of higher education. A plethora of official documents dealing with the analysis of how ICT is applied in teaching practice indicate the existing gap in teachers’ digital competencies for its implementation. The paper discusses teachers’ perceptions of various aspects related to the use ICT in teaching at higher education institutions, as well as their needs for professional development in this area. The study included 211 teachers employed in higher education institutions within the Universities of Belgrade, Novi Sad, Kragujevac, Novi Pazar, and Nis. Considering the purpose of this research, the authors designed a measuring instrument comprised of open and closed-ended questions. The study results indicate that teachers recognize the need for integrating ICT in instruction, while their perception of the level of access to ICT learning resources varies depending on the given technology or ICT related services. It is identified that the practical integration of ICT in the classroom still remains at an intermediate or relatively low level. With regard to teacher perception of the intensity of utilizing different software applications in direct instruction, the overall results demonstrate that basic business/productivity application packages such as MS Office are the predominant form of software used in the classroom, followed by Learning Management Systems (LMS). Finally, it is worth noting that teachers’ perception of available professional development opportunities is considerably low, but coupled with a relatively high personal interest in participating in professional development activities.