Relationship between Resilience to Digital Distractions and the Motivation of Pre-Service Biology Teachers

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between resilience to digital distractions and the motivation of pre-service biology teachers. This descriptive survey comprised a sample of five hundred and eighty-three (583) pre-service biology teachers who were selected at random from the Biological Sciences Department at Tai Solarin University of Education, Ogun State. A questionnaire developed by Hatlevik and Bjarnø (2021) was adapted as an instrument for data collection. Descriptive and correlational statistics were used to answer the research questions formulated for this study. Our findings revealed that pre-service biology teachers have a moderate level of resilience to digital distractions (M = 20.604, SD = 4.0904); pre-service biology teachers have a high level of motivation (M = 16.887, SD = 2.3259). Finally, resilience to digital distractions was positively correlated to the motivation of pre-service biology teachers (r = .126, p = 0.002). It is recommended that suitable programs and activities to sustain pre-service biology teachers’ high level of motivation be organized periodically, and pre-service biology teachers should also develop strong resilience to digital distractions from the use of digital devices.