Research Article
Emmanuel Fokides
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 8, Issue 1, pp. 56-75
ABSTRACT
The study examines the factors affecting Greek pre-service teachers’ intention to use
computers when they become practicing teachers. Four variables (perceived usefulness,
perceived ease of use, self-efficacy, and attitude toward use) as well as behavioral intention
to use computers were used so as to build a research model that extended the Technology
Acceptance Model (TAM) and structural equation modeling was used for parameter
estimation and model testing. Self-reported data were gathered from 487 pre-service
teachers studying at the Departments of Primary School Education in Greece. Results
revealed a good model fit and of the nine hypotheses formulated, seven were supported.
Overall, the TAM, with the addition of computer self-efficacy beliefs, adequately
represented the relationships among the factors. It also possesses the explanatory power
to predict pre-service teachers’ intention to use computers when they become practicing
teachers since a high percentage (68%) of the variance in behavioral intention to use
computers was explained, while the most influential factors were perceived usefulness and
attitude toward computers. Implications for practice are also discussed.
Keywords: attitudes toward computers, perceived ease of use, pre-srvice teachers, self-efficacy, structural equation modelling, technology acceptance model
Research Article
Ali Simsek
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 2, Issue 3, pp. 177-187
ABSTRACT
This study examined the relationship between computer anxiety and computer self-efficacy of students and teachers in elementary and secondary schools. The sample included a total of 845 subjects from two private school systems in Turkey. The Oetting’s Computer Anxiety Scale was used to measure computer anxiety whereas the Murphy’s Computer Self-Efficacy Scale was used to measure computer self-efficacy of subjects. The results demonstrated that elementary students were less-anxious than secondary students; males had lower anxiety scores than females; and the difference between anxiety scores of students and teachers was not significant. However, students had higher self-efficacy scores than their teachers; elementary students were more self-efficient than secondary students; and males had higher computer self-efficacy scores than females. The correlation between the variables of computer anxiety and computer self-efficacy was moderate, negative, and significant.
Keywords: Computer anxiety, Computer self-efficacy, Attitudes toward computers, Beliefs about computers, Elementary education, Secondary education
Research Article
Adem Uzun, Aysan Senturk
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 1, Issue 3, pp. 196-207
ABSTRACT
Purpose of this study is to compare students’ course achievement and attitudes towards computers in computer literacy course between two course delivery methods: Blended and face-to-face (FTF). Using a pretest-posttest control group experimental design model, participants were assigned to experimental and control groups purposefully in order to achieve group equivalency. The study was conducted during the fall of the 2006-2007 academic year. Participants were 179 students from the Faculty of Education at Uludag University in Turkey. 86 students were taught with the blended mode of delivery, which involved using both FTF and online modes of instruction; 93 students were taught with FTF mode alone. At the beginning of the study, prior knowledge about computer literacy and attitudes towards computers were measured in both groups. At the end of the study, students’ final course scores and attitude scores towards computers were evaluated. Data were analyzed using independent samples t-tests. A statistically significant difference was found between the FTF and blended group (p < 0.05). The analysis showed that the blended group was more successful than the traditional group in terms of both course achievement and attitudes towards computers.
Keywords: Blended learning, Face-to-face instruction, Computer literacy, Attitudes toward computers