An examination of preservice classroom teachers' perceived importance, self-efficacy beliefs, practices, and conceptions related to new literacies: a mixed design study

Abstract

This research explores preservice classroom teachers' perceived importance, self-efficacy beliefs, participation frequencies and conceptions related to new literacies. The research is framed using a dual-level theory of new literacies. The participants of the study consisted of 364 preservice teachers studying in the department of primary education at two state universities in Turkey. The findings revealed that (i) while preservice teachers displayed high participation in new literacies requiring the consumption of information, they displayed low participation in information production activities; (ii) the importance preservice teachers attached to online or digital literacy activities and their self-efficacy beliefs significantly predicted their participation in these activities; (iii) preservice teachers' conceptual understandings with regard to new literacies were compatible with their participation frequencies and perceived importance with regard to online or digital literacy activities. Some suggestions for preservice teachers' skills, strategies, dispositions and practices related to new literacies are discussed.