Educators Willingness To Use Technology Education Essay

With the coming of engineering it is cardinal to research the sensed “ technophobia ” of pedagogues and to happen out whether fright is the implicit in factor behind their positions sing engineering. A study was conducted with secondary pedagogues and analyzed for their content in the visible radiation of the undermentioned inquiries: 1 ) what prevent instructors from utilizing engineering in their category? 2 ) Is there gender differences in Teacher computing machine credence? 3 ) Are Educators confident in utilizing engineering? The findings shows that both males and females are confident is the usage of engineering but are non willing due to miss of resources and no proper preparation acquired amongst other grounds.

Introduction

Ours is a fast development universe with the flux of information and technological development. The usage of educational engineering, besides known as Learning Technology is by no agencies limited to overhead projectors, reckoners, and laptop computing machines. It is an array of tools that help heighten a pupil ‘s acquisition.

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Advantages on the usage of Educational engineering

In the purposes to develop in the scholar cognition and accomplishments to authorise the latter in the field of engineering, it is therefore a cardinal issue to include the usage of engineering in the unfastened societal system defined chiefly as the school system. Surveies have besides shown that the usage of engineering as a support of a lesson enhance the thought & A ; expertness in formulating and work outing jobs. However, the implicit in inquiry is how far our instructors are willing to utilize engineering in their schoolroom?

Interpretations of Educator ‘s position on engineering

The first reading considers the single traits of instructors on the extent to which they take up an invention. This leads to different attacks. Some instructors are found to be early adoptive parents and some come to an invention tardily.

The 2nd reading reflects teacher ‘s attitude which include computing machine anxiousness and engineering credence. Harmonizing to Russell & A ; Bradley ( 1997 ) , instructors would demo low degree of competence in engineering usage. Another reading shows that males were witnessed to be more confident and technophile vis-a-vis the females. This perceptual experience highlights the demand to obtain a more balanced position of the Mauritanian state of affairs, by naming the “ technophobia “ of instructors. Is it truly a inquiry of fright to utilize engineering and get the better ofing it? Are there gender differences in computing machine credence by our pedagogues? What prevent instructors from including engineering in category? Are teachers willing to utilize engineering if they are provided with all the installations?

Analysis based on Literature Review

This survey, based on a study conducted with 372 secondary pedagogues in Mauritius, attempts to supply some replies to the above mentioned inquiries by researching the grounds why these instructors decided to utilize or non engineering every bit good as the factors that influence these determinations. Merely by understanding whether or non it is “ technophobia ” which influences the usage of engineering, that we can guarantee the willingness of our pedagogues.

Research workers found that technophobia affects the quality in learning and larning to a great extent. With the high accent on the usage of engineering on instruction, it is justified that instructors have the appropriate know-how and assurance to utilize engineering in the schoolroom.

In add-on to the major troubles like cost of care, deficiency of IT knowledge, deficiency of equipment that has to be overcome for successful execution of ICT in categories ( Hardy, 1998 ; Lam 2000, Simonsen & A ; Dick, 1997 ) , is instructors ‘ attitude and credence towards engineerings.

Hope ( 1997 ) wrote “ Educators must vie with two factors:

( a ) their psychological consequence of alteration

( B ) and their handiness and preparedness to travel for preparation, and therefore easing the usage of engineering. ”

Teachers ‘ point of position and daring towards engineering play a critical function in incorporating ICT successfully in categories. Ross, Hogaboam-Gray and Hannay ( 1997 ) reported that entree to engineerings increase pedagogues ‘ self – assurance and therefore assisting them in their instruction ability. Teachers ‘ can do usage of engineering as a instruction assistance to advance pupils ‘ acquisition ( Lam 2000 ) .

Educators ‘ engineering attitudes are affected by the manner they see and perceive information and communicating engineering. Many instructors are loath to utilize engineerings and this unwillingness comes from their bing beliefs. ( Norton, Mc Robbie, & A ; Cooper, 2000 ) . They must be ready to alter their function in schoolroom and act as facilitators, therefore utilizing engineering as a agency to heighten their instruction. ( Hardy, 1998 )

Pelgrum ( 2001 ) underlines this point: “ there are impressions that pupils should develop to larn more autonomously and to acquire entree to and digest information more independently than has been the instance so far ” . As information is now easy accessible to every one of us, the instructor should move as a facilitator, steering his pupils through their ain research. The integrating of engineering in learning emphasizes on learners-centred instruction and promotes a constructivist attack in learning. ( E.g. Rakes, Flowers, Casey & A ; Santana, 1999 ) . With our progressively technology-rich universe, new concerns are originating particularly in the educational sector where schools are expected to go the vanguard of cognition societies ( Scheuermann & A ; Pedro , 2009 ) .

Constraints on the usage of Educational tools

One of the issues which have been noted sing the use of engineering is money affair. We suppose that school direction finds it hard to prolong the usage of engineering in the course of study due to miss of fiscal resources. In add-on, the ability to do full benefits of engineering depends mostly on the usage of the latest improved and advanced tools that engineering can supply. Such requirement adds extra fiscal resources which make the execution of engineering in school more loath in the terminal. Another identified restraint of incorporating ICT into school course of study is the demand for preparation and informing the staff sing assorted hardware and package use ( Llyod and Yelland, 2003 ) so that pupil can really benefits for the provided equipments. In add-on, instructors might cognize how to utilize a peculiar package but panic easy when they have to undertake unexpected troubleshooting, trade with package bugs, sometimes password memory oversights or burying to make a back up file can be another issue ( Llyod and Yelland, 2003 ) . Many instructors lack of cognition and expertness with ICT. It becomes a existent concern when they have to cover with proficient jobs, and to pull off with the educational package. Therefore, due to this deficiency of competency and assurance, they are loath to implement the ICT supported larning on their ain. The successful execution of ICT in category besides depends mostly on the instructor ‘s ability and willingness to use them meaningfully. Harmonizing to Lam ( 2000 ) , the deficiency of sensed legitimacy of the computing machine as an educational tool has an influence of instructor ‘s acceptance of the ICT. As human being, we deal with anxiousness by either following or avoiding to the state of affairs. The following instructor will place the nature of the job and accordingly look for a reasonable solution to the affair. For illustration, they might go to workshops or follow extra preparation to spread out their understanding and experience in position to go more set uping in their occupation ( Llyod and Yelland, 2003 ) . On the other manus, the turning away instructor will be loath to encompass this engineering. They will happen barriers such as clip, age or responsibility of attention to the usage of ICT in the category. Nowadays, a big group among the leaders is experiencing of following a class in the e-learning preparation plan because of their deficiency of experience in this field or merely because they do n’t cognize the benefit of this field in helping of their category.

Some have had antecedently a negative experience or unsuccessful preparation of ICT that it has become a fright. Some instructors are loath to accommodate ICT merely because they will hold to follow a preparation which is outside of their timetables, and they have extra work load where their personal life which hinders them from making so. Right now, non all schools are to the full equipped with the necessary or even the basic stuff to back up ICT usage in schoolroom and the troubles of patronizing computing machine room on day-to-day bases. The inquiry is how do we implement the so called “ Information age instruction ” to our pupil when we as instructors are non empowered to make so? Teachers feel of holding more duty on their shoulders for the readying of all these work but with a less of terminal product/ salary/ wagess at the terminal.

The intent of this research is to happen out:

Is it truly a inquiry of fright to utilize engineering and get the better ofing it?

Are there gender differences in computing machine credence by our pedagogues?

What prevent instructors from including engineering in category?

Are instructors willing to utilize engineering if they are provided with all the installations?

Methodology

Procedure and Instrument used

Survey method

The respondents have to reply basic/factual inquiries like gender, figure of learning experience ( filtered in & lt ; 5 year or more ) . Whether instructors are willing to utilize engineering in their schoolroom will be answered in Yes/No ; following which the standards will be set and points being matched utilizing the Likert graduated table severally.

Graded Random Sampling

Based on the Education statistics of 2009, the pedagogue ‘s population is estimated to be about 16000, inclusive of primary, secondary and prevocational instructors.

The graded random trying process is that probabilistic method where the mark audience is classified in different strata.

However, it would be non practical to transport the study among all secondary pedagogues in Mauritius. We hence utilize a sample as shown in the tabular array below:

Population Size

16000

Confidence Level

95 %

Assurance Time interval

5

Sample size

375

To do certain that the sample reflects the population, we use aA random sample.With a population of about 16000, the sample size is determined utilizing a assurance degree of 95 % and assurance interval being 5. Hence the sample size that was required is 375. However there were merely 372 respondents.

Estimated Quota:

Male: 180

Female: 180

Actual Quota:

Male:155

Female: 217

Quota of HOD and New Comers besides taken attention o.fQuota Sampling

Convenience sampling

Sing the budget and clip restraints in acquiring the consequences, it was convenient for us to carry on the study in the schools we are presently working in and schools which are easy accessible. The demographic parametric quantity is therefore convenient to our best judgement. It goes without stating this is done for a closer monitoring in position of acquiring a higher response rate.

Advantage

1.A A questionnaire provides better informations for doing determinations.

Disadvantage

A Respondents are really frequently non lament to make full in questionnaires, and the unity with which they are filled is most of the times biased, if non monitored decently. A

Questionnaire design

Respondent Profile

The respondent profile helps to analyze the consequences in footings of age group, gender, field of instruction, makings, and old ages of working experience and degree of computing machine preparation acquired. In so making, it provides an indifferent construct on the consequences. However, we have kept a grade of namelessness.

Overview

The above subdivision allows us to find whether the pedagogues are able to demo what they understand from the term “ Educational Technology ” . It may be that our pedagogues are wrongly informed about the tools of educational engineering. As mentioned in old subdivision in the study, Learning engineering is non bound to laptop and projectors merely.

Technological Resources

Obviously, pedagogues are here required to click the resources which are available at the several schools. This will assist place if deficiency of resources be a ground for non utilizing engineering in category.

Personal Opinion

Personal sentiment of the respondent is required. A dichotomous inquiry which is traveling to be justified in the subdivisions that follows.

Reasons for Prior “ No ” Answer

This subdivision in the Likert graduated table will assist find the grounds why pedagogues are non willing to utilize engineering in category. Harmonizing to other studies the grounds above mentioned were the most likely 1s. Whether an pedagogue fear the usage of engineering or is it because of other grounds that they deny the usage of engineering can be analyzed in this subdivision, thereby run intoing the aims of our research.

Reasons for Prior “ Yes “ Answer

Prior to inquiry 4, if respondents are willing to utilize engineering in their category, the above are the likely grounds, one time once more in the Likert graduated table.

The last point of the questionnaire is an unfastened ended dependability inquiry where the respondent can give their ain sentiment on the willingness to utilize engineering in category.

Data readying for Analysis

Data Coding for questionnaire

For closed-end inquiries, numerical codifications were assigned to each of the options ( one for yes and two for no ) . This facilitated the informations entry of the respondents so that the chosen codifications could be straight input into the information analysis plan SPSS. For open-end inquiries, the respondents ‘ replies were marked down on a separate file and so classified consequently.

Datas Entry

After coding the questionnaires, the coded replies of the respondents were input in SPSS plan into the appropriate variables for informations analysis.

Datas analysis

The SPSS plan was used to bring forth descriptive statistics, Chi square trials ( Crosstabs ) to happen the relationship between the two nominal/ordinal variables and One Sample T trial to compare the average difference.

Consequences And Discussion

Background information of respondents

In this survey, a sum of 372 secondary pedagogues with 155 male and 217 female completed the distributed questionnaires. From Figure1, 40.6 % of the respondents are aged between 20-30 old ages old, 30.6 % between 30-40 old ages, 16.4 % within 40-50 old ages and 11.3 % above 50 old ages old. The bulk of our participants ( 36.8 % ) teaches in the Art field ( 24.8 % male, 75.2 % female ) , followed by Mathematics ( 13.4 % ) , Economics ( 13.4 % ) and Science side ( 12.9 % ) . In footings of the learning experience variable, 35.2 % of the respondents have less than 5 old ages of working experience. More than half ( 53.5 % ) completed a university grade and another 33.1 % reached until postgraduate degree.

Figure. Respondent ‘s profile harmonizing to gender

Figure. % of technological resources available in schools

Figure 2 shows that the most popular technological tool available in our secondary school is computing machine supported with internet entree with a sum of 29 % , followed by projector ( 14 % ) and educational Television with DVD installation with a portion of 12 % severally. Merely a few schools are equipped with laptop, digital camera and nomadic phones.

Teacher ‘s willingness towards engineering use

To prove whether pedagogues are technophile, a dependability inquiry was set up “ are you willing to utilize engineering ” and “ do you welcome the usage of engineering ” . The intent was to place how far is our participants ‘ replies dependable and it was found out that 89.2 % are willing to utilize engineering while 80.6 % do welcome the usage of engineering in category. Numerous surveies concluded that the willingness to utilize ICT tools depend to a great extent non entirely upon its serviceability, but besides with regard to its sensed utility ( Cox et al, 1999, Lam, 2000, Preston et Al, 2000, Yuen & A ; Ma, 2002 ) . Based on another study conducted by Rudd et al “ Harnessing Technology Schools Survey ” ( 2009 ) , it was found that the huge bulk of instructors are both enthusiastic and confident in utilizing ICT to back up instruction and acquisition.

Teacher ‘s willingness harmonizing to Age Group

Harmonizing to ( Prensky, 2001 ) “ digital indigens ” and “ digital immigrants ” illuminate the comparative distance of older people from the cyberspace compared to younger coevalss. Digital natives represents the first coevalss to turn up with new engineering and have spent and are passing their lives surrounded by and utilizing all sorts of engineering. Whilst Digital Immigrants is that term specifying those non born into digital universe but at some point become fascinated by and adopted facets of new engineering. “ Digital Immigrant Educators grouse ”

Willingness to utilize engineering in schoolroom

Entire

Chi-Square Trial

Yes

No

Age Group

& gt ; 20-30yrs

Count

144

7

151

Value= 73.192

Expected Count

135.0

16.0

151.0

& gt ; 50 year

Count

39

3

42

Expected Count

37.5

4.5

42.0

Table. Teacher ‘s Willingness with regard to Age Group

From the above tabular array, the undermentioned statements can be deduced:

Sing the youngest age group, & gt ; 20-30 year, there is a ratio of 144: 151 who are willing to utilize engineering. In comparing with the age group, & gt ; 50 year, there willingness ratio is about the same, i.e, 39:42.

H0: The willingness to utilize engineering is affected by age group

H1: The willingness to utilize engineering is non affected by age group

Using the Chi-Square trial with a value of 73.192, P = 0.000 & lt ; 5 % , we hereby reject H0. We conclude that at a 5 % degree of significance, there is an association between the usage of engineering and age difference. Using Cramer ‘s V value = 0.447 out of a possible upper limit of 1, there is a weak relationship between willingness to utilize engineering and age group. From our analysis, we can warrant the survey conducted by Rudd et al “ Harnessing Technology Schools Survey ” ( 2009 ) that so age is non a barrier to utilize engineering in category. Educators within an age group & gt ; 50 old ages can be enthusiastic to utilize engineering. The consequences negate the misconception about Digital Immigrantship that those with higher age group are loath to use engineering as a support in acquisition and instruction. We, hence, infer that the willingness to utilize engineering is non affected by age group.

1.2 Teacher ‘s willingness harmonizing to old ages of Working Experience

Willingness to utilize engineering in schoolroom

Entire

Chi-Square Trial

Yes

No

Teaching Experience

& lt ; 5 year

Count

127

4

131

Value= 28.979

Expected Count

117.2

13.8

131.0

& gt ; 30 year

Count

30

3

33

Expected Count

29.5

3.5

33.0

Table 2. Teacher ‘s Willingness with regard to Working Experience

From the above tabular array, the undermentioned statements can be assumed:

Sing smaller working experience, Internet Explorer, & lt ; 5 old ages, there is a ratio 127: 131 who are willing to utilize engineering. In comparing with those of higher working experience, & gt ; 30 year, there willingness ratio is about the same, i.e, 30:33

H0: The willingness to utilize engineering is dependent on old ages of working experience

H1: The willingness to utilize engineering is independent on old ages of working experience

Using the Chi-Square value = 28.979, p= 0.000 & lt ; 5 % , we therefore reject H0 and conclude that at a 5 % degree of significance, there is an association between the usage of engineering and old ages of working experience. To corroborate the strength of the relationship, Cramer ‘s V = 0.280 out of a possible upper limit of 1, there is a really weak relationship between willingness to utilize engineering and old ages of working experience. Our findings are in contradictory footings with Baek et Al ( 2006 ) where they implied that instructors are less concern to follow engineering to increase quality of larning particularly as they are more experient. The above consequences showed that working experience is non an obstructor towards the usage of engineering in category and that pedagogues with a higher working experience can be acute to utilize engineering. This negates the incorrect impression that those with greater working experience are hesitating to use engineering as a support in acquisition and instruction. We, hence, infer that the willingness to utilize engineering is independent on the old ages of working experience.

2 ) Gender differences in Teacher Computer Acceptance

2.1 Level of assurance

Based on the study conducted by Parker & A ; Leonie 2002, Haynie 2003, Weber & A ; Custer 2005, it was found that female instructors are field dependent and technophobia while male instructors being field independent and prefer application of media to direction.

Gender

Entire

Chi-Square Trial

Male

Female

Confidence degree

Strongly hold

Count

42

43

85

Value = 0.957

Expected Count

38.3

46.7

85.0

Agree

Count

92

121

213

Expected Count

95.9

117.1

213.0

Disagree

Count

6

7

13

Expected Count

5.9

7.1

13.0

Table 3. Confidence degree of participants with regard to gender

From the Table 3, the undermentioned statements can be deduced:

Both male and female are found to hold an about similar ratio of 134: 140 and 164: 171, severally towards assurance degree of credence in the usage of engineering.

H0: Assurance to utilize engineering is independent upon gender

H1: Assurance to utilize engineering is dependent upon gender

Using the Chi-Square value = 0.957, p= 0.620 & gt ; 5 % , We conclude that at a 5 % degree of significance, there is no nexus between assurance to utilize engineering and gender, therefore we accept H0. With Cramer ‘s V = 0.055 out of a possible upper limit of 1, we can corroborate this disassociation between assurance to utilize engineering and gender. Our findings contradict the consequences antecedently undertaken by Parker & A ; Leonie 2002, Haynie 2003, Weber & A ; Custer 2005. The consequences besides oppose the survey conducted by Russell & A ; Bradley ( 1997 ) , that instructor ‘s deficiency of assurance in their ability to utilize computing machine in the schoolroom is likely to be related at least in portion to their preparation and professional development. From our analysis, we have found out that, 112 out of 155 ( 72.3 % ) males and 157 out of 217 ( 72.4 % ) female are computer-trained. We hereby infer that assurance to utilize engineering is independent upon gender.

2.2 Willingness degree harmonizing to gender

Based on the study conducted by Young ( 2000 ) , he found that there is a important gender differences in computing machine credence where male sphere graduated table showed that male were more likely to hold affirmed computing machines as a masculine country.

Gender

Entire

Chi-Square Trial

Male

Female

Willingness degree

Yes

Count

149

183

332

Value = 14.774

Expected Count

137.8

194.2

332.0

No

Count

5

34

39

Expected Count

16.2

22.8

39.0

Table 4. Willingness degree of participants with regard to gender

From the above tabular array, the undermentioned statements can be deduced:

5 out of 154 males and 34 out 217 females are non willing to utilize engineering in schoolroom. Despite both male and female are found to be confident to utilize engineering, there is a disparity with the findings with regard to willingness.

H0: There is no relationship between gender and willingness towards use of engineering.

H1: There is a relationship between gender and willingness towards use of engineering.

Using the Chi-Square value = 14.774, p= 0.000 & lt ; 5 % , We conclude that at a 5 % degree of significance, there is an association between willingness to utilize engineering and gender, therefore we reject H0.To confirm the strength of association, Cramer ‘s V = 0.200 out of a possible upper limit of 1, there is a weak relationship between willingness to utilize engineering and gender. Our findings are in contradictory with the consequence antecedently undertaken by Young ( 2000 ) . From the above consequences, we conclude that gender is non a hinderance towards the willingness of utilizing engineering in category. The consequences besides oppose the study conducted by Wong ( 2003 ) , where he pointed out that males love to utilize information system more than females, this survey expected that work forces have higher perceived gaiety than adult females.

Therefore, this go up against what Young ( 2000 ) and Wong ( 2003 ) said that female hesitate to use engineering as a support in acquisition and instruction. Hence, we can state that from our survey there were no differences to the willingness degree harmonizing to gender.

3. Barriers that prevent Use of Technology

Tool Used: Sample T trial

To analyze the barriers that prevent use of engineering harmonizing to the old trial done on the willingness to utilize engineering in schoolroom, we use the One-Sample T trial process to happen out whether the mean of a individual variable differs from a specified invariable ( unwilling respondent ) with a trial value of 1.5 which represents the cut-off point of the unwilling respondent who strongly agree with the undermentioned barriers.

Test value = 1.5

Barriers

Average Difference ( ten )

95 % Confidence Interval of the Difference

Lower

Student non interested

2.037

0.24

No proficient support

1.452

-0.23

No preparation

1.290

-0.46

Training non sufficient

1.871

0.21

Afraid equipment might interrupt

2.500

0.79

Previous bad experience

2.926

1.32

Time restraint

1.143

-0.48

Lack of substructure

2.226

0.26

Lack of resources

1.226

-0.46

Not suited to my subject

1.481

-0.27

Less confident

2.548

0.78

Table 5. Average difference of respondent who are non willing to utilize engineering in

schoolroom utilizing One sample T trial

Table 6. Cut-off point to analyse

mean difference

ten & lt ; 1.5

1.5 & lt ; x & lt ; 2.5

2.5 & lt ; xa‰¤3

Strongly hold

Agree

Disagree

A 95 % assurance interval of the difference was used to supply an estimation of the boundaries between which the mean difference lies in 95 % of all possible barriers chosen by our unwilling respondents towards the usage of engineering. Since their assurance interval prevarication wholly above 0.0, we can reason that the undermentioned barriers: 1. Student non interested, 2. Training non sufficient, 3. Afraid equipment might interrupt, 4. Previous bad experience, 5. Lack of substructure and 6. Less confident are significantly above the trial value ( 1.5 ) on the norm. This means that harmonizing to our participants, they do non see those barriers as the chief obstructions towards the usage of engineering in schoolroom.

From Table 5, we can place that the barriers that prevent integrating of engineering in schoolroom are: 1. No proficient support, 2. No preparation, 3. Time restraint, 4. Lack of resources, 5. Not suited to my subject.

To cognize the strength of the association, if the assurance interval lies wholly below 0.0, we can presume that the strongest identified barriers are:

Time restraint

Lack of resources.

Our determination are supported by research workers who have pointed out that there are many obstructions that prevent instructors from utilizing engineering such as unequal substructure ( Mehlinger & A ; Power, 2002 ) , Lack of preparation and personal expertness ( Thompson & A ; Sadara, 1999 ) and weak proficient support ( NetDay Survey, 2001 ) . Time and developing look to be the chief factor ( Morris 2009 ) . Budget trouble in obtaining stuffs, deficiency of audiovisual room and deficiency of trained personals ( Higgins & A ; Moseley, 2001 )

In add-on, the above findings justify that assurance degree of unwilling participant is non an issue in the willingness to utilize engineering. ( Average difference =2.548, falling in the Disagree class ) .

Decision and Recommendation

The go oning force per unit area of engineering on instruction is said to be more and more dominant. Hence, there is a general pessimistic sentiment that pedagogues are “ technophobic ” and unwilling to utilize engineering. This survey has sought to demo that the technophobia of instructors on a gender footing is a misguided impression. Rather, deficiency of resources, deficiency of preparation and no proficient support were found to be the most dramatic grounds for involuntariness to utilize engineering in category.

This decision suggests that proper resources and preparation should be given to our pedagogues where gender and old ages of experience is non an issue.

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