Motivation for the Use of Technologies in Different University Contexts

Abstract

The presence of technologies in society is constantly increasing, and the field of education cannot remain oblivious to this situation. It must integrate new technological proposals to improve the teaching and learning processes. This chapter analyses the differences shown by university students from two different environments, specific students from small towns located in rural settings and students from Madrid, the capital of Spain. Data were collected from a sample of 312 primary education teacher degree students; 221 were women and 91 were men. Motivation for the use of educational technologies is examined by their preferences regarding access to knowledge, taking into account the context in which they live and their gender. It can be concluded that university students and future teachers generally have a great motivation toward the use of technology in their learning process. However, students do it more intensely since they perceive information more visually. There is also a greater preference for students who live in an urban environment.