Pre-Service Teachers’ Attitude and Access to Utilization of Virtual Classroom for Learning

Abstract

The study was carried out to determine the attitudes and access to virtual classrooms that pre-service teachers had for learning in Kwara State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was embraced for the study, with 120 education students as the respondents. The research instruments were subjected to expert scrutiny to ascertain content validity, while a pilot study revealed a reliability coefficient. Descriptive statistics (mean, frequency, and percentage) addressed the research questions, while independent sample t-tests were adopted to test the hypotheses. There was a general positive attitude towards a virtual classroom. This translates to the majority of the respondents strongly agreeing that their attitudes were good. The degree of access to the virtual classroom was favourable as well, though with some notable disparities, indicating good access but leaving room for improvement. The test for hypothesis reveals no significant difference between males and females in the attitudes of pre-service teachers towards virtual classrooms, but there was a significant difference in terms of access of pre-service teachers to virtual classrooms in favour of males over females. While pre-service teachers have a positive attitude towards virtual classrooms, gender disparity in access still exists. Educational institutions leverage these positive attitudes by enhancing infrastructure and ensuring equitable access to virtual learning environments for all students.