The potential of ICT for students’ motivation and success has been demonstrated in numerous studies (Barrette, 2005; Mann, Shakeshaft, Becker & Kottkamp, 1998; Karsenti, Goyer et Grégoire, 2005).  However, research indicates that ICT is not used that much in classroom settings (Bibeau, 2008; Karsenti, Raby, Villeneuve & Gauthier, 2007; Larose, Grenon et Palm, 2004) and that this may be due to a lack of teachers’ expertise in the field of ICT (Leclerc, 2005). The situation is different for future teachers. Indeed, preservice teachers are trained in ICT during their Teacher Education program. However, that training is often far from the classroom reality (Black, 1999). In short, both, experienced and preservice teachers need to integrate ICT in teaching to enhance students’ motivation and success. We believe that creating partnerships between experienced teachers and student teachers for planning and teaching ICT activities would offer the opportunity for the experience teachers to learn ICT from the preservice teacher who would benefit from the classroom experience of the teacher. This would allow both to become more confident and competent in ICT and in turn enhance the likelihood of ICT being introduced to students therefore increasing their motivation.

Fourteen of these partnerships were created at the beginning of January 2011 with the aim of developing and implementing two ICT thematic units in 14 classes of students from grade 4 to 6 in the province of Québec, Canada. Our objectives were twofold : First, to enhance the confidence and the competency in ICT for each group of partners and second, to evaluate the impact of ICT activities put in place by the partners on their students’ motivation. For the purpose of this presentation, we will present the results for the second objective only.

This research is supported by the literature on mentoring, more specifically co-mentoring defined by Mullen (2000) as an equal relationship between partners sharing experiential and reflexive practices together. It also draws from the literature on motivation (Terborg, 1977; Vallerand & Thill, 1993; Eccles, Wegfield & Schiefele, 1998; Bandura, 2002). We used Viau and Bouchard’s model of motivation (2000) which illustrates the links between the student’s perception of : 1) the student’s interest in the task and his perception of its usefulness , 2) his capability to do the task and 3) his level of control on the task.

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