Teachers’ Readiness to Use Technology in Early Childhood Education in West Kalimantan, Indonesia

This study investigates the readiness of early childhood and lower elementary school teachers in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, to integrate technology into their educational practices. Situated within the broader context of Indonesia’s digital transformation agenda and the unique geographical challenges of West Kalimantan, the research addresses a significant gap in the empirical literature by providing localized evidence on teacher readiness in an underrepresented region. A sequential mixed-methods design was employed, combining quantitative survey data collected from 135 early childhood teachers across West Kalimantan with qualitative semi-structured interviews conducted with 15 purposively selected participants. The quantitative component examined five key dimensions of readiness: technology availability, understanding of technology development, professional development opportunities, perceived preparedness and confidence, and perceived benefits and barriers. The qualitative component provided deeper insight into teachers’ lived experiences, attitudes, and contextual challenges. The findings reveal that teachers generally hold positive attitudes toward technology and recognise its potential to enhance children’s cognitive, linguistic, and social development. However, readiness is uneven across the region. Key challenges include limited access to digital infrastructure in rural and remote areas, insufficient formal professional development tailored to early childhood contexts, inadequate institutional support, and concerns about the developmental appropriateness of technology for young learners. Despite these constraints, teachers demonstrated strong intrinsic motivation, frequently drawing on peer collaboration and self-directed learning to compensate for gaps in formal training. The study contributes to the growing body of research on educational technology by offering context-sensitive evidence from West Kalimantan. The findings carry practical implications for policymakers, teacher education institutions, and school leaders, highlighting the need for equitable access to resources, sustained professional development, and targeted institutional support to enable meaningful and developmentally appropriate technology integration in early childhood education settings.