The Readiness of Preschool Teachers in Integrating 4th Industrial Revolution Skills in Classroom: A Recent Study

Abstract

The use of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) in education enhances the quality of education in line with the Fourth Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) as there is an increasing demand for ICT to be used in the workplace. Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is a program designed to prepare students for the workplace in line with the IR4.0 vision. As the demand for ICT competent workers increases, the use of ICT methods in the classrooms to cater to TVET programs becomes increasingly important. It is important to familiarize technology in the daily lives of future generation from an early stage. The purpose of this research was to investigate the readiness of preschool teachers in integrating IR4.0 skills in the classroom. This research used a survey distributed through social media and consisted of 302 preschool teachers in Kota Kinabalu Sabah, Malaysia as respondents. The reliability of the instrument used was verified to be greater than 0.6 for each instrument element by determining the Cronbach’s Alpha value. This research also used 4- and 5-point Likert scales. The findings from this research indicated that preschool teachers in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah have positive attitude towards the implementation of ICT in the classroom (M = 3.11, SD = 1.36). The ICT skill levels of preschool teachers were high (M = 2.89, SD = 1.45). The effectiveness of ICT on preschoolers was at a moderately high level (M = 3.27, SD = 1.24). The frequency of teachers encountering obstacles while using ICT was at a moderate level (M = 2.44, SD = 1.28). In conclusion, the findings of this research exhibited that preschool teachers in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia are ready to use ICT in the classroom to prepare for the IR4.0 demands.