Information And Communication Technology Attitudes Research Articles

Cultivating Digital Classrooms: Exploring Pakistani ESL Teachers’ ICT Knowledge and Attitudes towards ICT at the Graduate Level

This empirical study aimed to investigate Pakistani ESL teachers' knowledge and their attitudes towards information and communication technology (ICT) integration in language classes. This study was descriptive and exploratory in nature. Mixed method of research was used to guarantee triangulation, including questionnaire and a semi-structured, face-to-face interview. Cronbach’s alpha (?) was implemented to check the reliability of the questionnaire, and a pilot study was conducted to evaluate the validity of the research questions. The teachers who have been teaching Graduate-level courses were included as the population of research. Data analyzed through SPSS indicated that 78.3% teachers were more comfortable with ICT as compared to traditional teaching methods. According to 71.7% of them, ICT works like a catalyst and speeds up the teaching learning process (TLP) and enhance learners’ level of interest. Their knowledge of technology, however, directly correlates with their positive attitudes towards ICT integration as 56.7% of the participants know internet browsing. Moreover, study suggests that knowledge is a crucial factor effecting ESL teachers’ attitude towards ICT use. Subsequently, they should be given training to promote learning through digital system (LDS).

Examining ICT attitudes, use and support in blended learning settings for students’ reading performance: Approaches of artificial intelligence and multilevel model

The increasing importance of learning context digitalization has necessitated investigations into the effects of information and communication technology (ICT)-related factors in blended learning settings on students' reading performance. Using data from 32 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries from the latest cycle of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 reading dataset, this study combines an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to examine the effects of student-level and school-level ICT-related factors in the blended learning setting on students' reading performance. Results show that students' perceived autonomy and competence in ICT, preference for different reading formats, quality of school ICT resources and school ICT use policies are positively related to reading performance, whereas school ICT use support for teachers and the teaching of ICT skills are negatively related to students' reading scores. The quadratic effects of students' interests in ICT, family and school ICT resources, and ICT uses are identified, showing an inverted U-shaped trend. The possible linear and quadratic moderation effects of school-level ICT-related features are also investigated. This study invites consideration of a combination of analytical methods for a comprehensive exploration of reading education and sheds light on how the delicate association of multilevel ICT factors in blended learning settings can contribute to the improvement of reading education. Instructors in blended learning settings should effectively integrate technology and appropriately apply pedagogies, and the design of blended learning should be sustainable and learner-friendly to exploit students’ learning potential.

EDUCATORS' INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND USE:THEIR EFFECT ON SCHOOL PERFORMANCE

The study aimed to determine the level of Department of Education, Division of Laguna secondary school educators? information and communication technology (ICT) knowledge, attitudes, and use and its effects on schools? performance. The respondents were the sixteen schools and 32 teachers from Laguna SBM Level III public secondary schools. The researcher used the descriptive research design to gather the necessary data and information about the relationship between the independent variable, i.e., teachers? ICT knowledge, attitude, and use, and the dependent variable, i.e., the schools? performance and SBM assessment. The primary data gathering instrument was the survey questionnaire which the ICT coordinators in the Division of Laguna validated. Statistical data treatments of the descriptive part were frequency count, mean, and standard deviation, whereas, for the inferential part, the Pearson product-moment of correlation was used. The study revealed that the teachers? ICT knowledge was high based on the five sub-variables - cultural, cognitive, constructive, communication, and creative. Their ICT attitudes based on three aspects - emotional effect, personal interest, and subjective satisfaction, as well as their ICT utilization based on four aspects - personal development, professional development, other educational stakeholders? aspect, and the aspect of advocacy, were also high, which conveyed positive. The schools? performance based on performance improvement consisting of enrolment increase rate, promotion rate, and high achievement rate was high. All the No significant relationship was found between the teachers? ICT knowledge, attitude, and use and school performance improvement; therefore, the hypothesis was accepted. Relatively, no significant relationship between the teachers? ICT knowledge, attitude, and use and the school performance based on the SBM assessment was recorded except for the cognitive aspect in ICT knowledge which the hypothesis was partially accepted.

Understanding ICT adoption amongst SMEs in Uganda: Towards a participatory design model to enhance technology diffusion

Policy statements by the United Nations, the African Union and most African countries boldly pronounce on the anticipated benefits of the internetworked world and associated ICT to society in general and to the world of business specifically. In terms of the latter, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are recognized as being critical to the growth of developing economies. There is consensus that this sector has considerable potential for improved business outcomes through the harnessing of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). However, a problem of low adoption of ICT in this sector still prevails in Africa and there is a gap in our understanding of the reasons for this. In light of this problem, this paper reports on a survey of Ugandan SME owners in which their ICT pre-usage beliefs and attitudes are explored. The study identified four pre-use factors that are correlated with ICT use. The pre-usage beliefs which significantly influence decisions to adopt and use ICT include Benefit expectation, ICT learnability, User-confidence, and User-friendliness. These are found to be key determinants of ICT adoption. ICT support and ease-of-use on the other hand were factors that did not correlate with decisions to use ICT. However, it is found that there is a low predictive capability (17.7%) of pre-usage beliefs and attitudes in respect of prior use or non-use of ICT among SMEs. As such, this study found that other contextual factors constitute a greater (82.3%) predictive percentage. In light of this, the paper concludes by recommending an ICT participatory design process to mitigate ICT pre-use scepticism among SMEs owners.

PROFESIONALISME GURU SD MENGGUNAKAN TEKNOLOGI INFORMASI DAN KOMUNIKASI (TIK) DALAM PROSES PEMBELAJARAN SEKOLAH DASAR DI KEC. KOTO TANGAH PADANG

This study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitudes and skills of teachers of information and communication technology (ICT) in the learning process. Assess the contribution of knowledge, attitudes and skills of teachers of information and communication technology (ICT) on the use of ICT in the learning process. Research methods approach using surveys of 40 teachers drawn proportionally sampling zone based,instrument as the main data collection tool. Data analysis used descriptive analysis, multiple regression statistical test. The results showed ICT attitudes of primary school teachers in the early stages and is being followed by the knowledge and skills that are at a low stage.Teachers who have knowledge of ICT to contribute higher, followed by teachers' ICT skills and attitudes about ICT. There is a significant contribution to knowledge, attitudes and skills of teachers to use ICT in the learning process. The implications of this research are necessary increase in the use of ICT in the learning process at the elementary school is to provide ICT training to primary teachers who have the skills shortage in the ICT Key Words : Professionalism of teachers, the use of information and communication technology (ICT), the process of learning elementary school.

Closing the extension gap: Information and communication technology in sustainable agriculture

As the information revolution sweeps through the agricultural sector, extension professionals may be lagging behind their clients in the use of information and communication technology (ICT) such as social media, which could be a valuable tool for outreach and education. We surveyed sustainable agriculture stakeholders in California — extension professionals, county agricultural commissioners, and members of farm bureaus and producer groups — to measure their ICT behavior and attitudes. Drawing on diffusion of innovation theory, we characterized the innovation attributes of ICT that may influence the adoption and use of new technology among extension professionals. We also studied their demographic characteristics to establish whether there was a connection with ICT use. The main perceived benefit of ICT was that it can quickly reach larger, more diverse and more distant audiences. The perceived challenges included lack of professional support, the potential for misinformation on social media platforms, and the time requirements and technical complexity of technology use. Extension professionals experienced these challenges more than other sustainable agriculture stakeholders, creating a technology gap between extension professionals and their clientele. An ICT community of practice and clear organizational guidelines for measuring and reporting performance relating to ICT might help extension professionals close the gap.

ICT Usage and Attitudes Among EAC Undergraduate Students—A Case Study

Information and communication technology (ICT) has reshaped the traditional education system into a flexible and efficient e-learning context. However, computer usage, attitudes, and some other critical factors are the primary concern to implement e-learning in developing countries. This paper applies computer attitude scale and proposes a prediction model based on multiple linear regression to discover the key factors affecting computer attitudes for the implementation of the ICT-based learning environment. To identify the principal factors, we collect the data sets by the active participation of more than 900 undergraduate students from three different universities of East African Community countries in one year period. The experimental results reveal that the students are using technology in their daily lives, however, they are not using it to support their daily study. Qualitative evidence indicates that the university has lower requirements for using computers, and the restrictive rules to use technologies. In addition, the universities are in a shortage of necessary computer hardware and software. Besides, the factors which are affecting the attitudes toward computers are the urban or rural origin of the student, English language level, and parental encouragement.

The Effect of ICT Assisted Project Based Learning Approach on Prospective ICT Integration Skills of Teacher Candidates

The purpose of the present research is studying the effects of information and communication technologies (ICT) assisted project based learning practices on ICT integration skills of pre-service classroom teachers. The research adopted a mixed method. The quantitative dimension of the research was designed with pre-test-post-test control groups. The qualitative dimension was conducted as a case study. The work group of the research consisted of 72 pre-service teachers, who studied at the third grade of the department of the classroom teaching of a state university in the province of Konya in 2015-2016 academic year; 34 of the participants were included in the experiment group and 38 were included in the control group. ICT Self-Efficacy Perception Scale (ICT-SEPS) and ICT Attitude Scale (ICT-AS) used as the quantitative data collection tools for the present research were obtained from the literature. The interview form used to collect the qualitative data of the research was developed by the researchers in accordance with the related literature. Comparison of the data collected before and after the 12-week experimental procedure revealed that ICT assisted project based learning practices had positive effects on ICT self-efficacy perceptions and attitudes and accordingly expected ICT integration levels among pre-service teachers.

Use of Information and Communication Technologies Among Older People With and Without Frailty: A Population-Based Survey.

BackgroundUse of information and communication technologies (ICT) among seniors is increasing; however, studies on the use of ICT by seniors at the highest risk of health impairment are lacking. Frail and prefrail seniors are a group that would likely benefit from preventive nutrition and exercise interventions, both of which can take advantage of ICT.ObjectiveThe objective of the study was to quantify the differences in ICT use, attitudes, and reasons for nonuse among physically frail, prefrail, and nonfrail home-dwelling seniors.MethodsThis was a population-based questionnaire study on people aged 65-98 years living in Northern Finland. A total of 794 eligible individuals responded out of a contacted random sample of 1500.ResultsIn this study, 29.8% (237/794) of the respondents were classified as frail or prefrail. The ICT use of frail persons was lower than that of the nonfrail ones. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, age and education level were associated with both the use of Internet and advanced mobile ICT such as smartphones or tablets. Controlling for age and education, frailty or prefrailty was independently related to the nonuse of advanced mobile ICT (odds ratio, OR=0.61, P=.01), and frailty with use of the Internet (OR=0.45, P=.03). The frail or prefrail ICT nonusers also held the most negative opinions on the usefulness or usability of mobile ICT. When opinion variables were included in the model, frailty status remained a significant predictor of ICT use.ConclusionsPhysical frailty status is associated with older peoples’ ICT use independent of age, education, and opinions on ICT use. This should be taken into consideration when designing preventive and assistive technologies and interventions for older people at risk of health impairment.

The role of ICT in early childhood education: Scale development and research on ICT use and influencing factors

Nowadays, more and more authors are convinced that ICT (information and communication technology) in early childhood education provides multiple possibilities for young children. The current study, conducted in Flanders, aims to get a clearer picture of ICT use in Flemish preschools. For this purpose, a questionnaire was composed consisting of newly developed and existing scales. Based on the answers of 232 preschool teachers, two types of ICT use are distinguished in early childhood education, ‘ICT use supporting basic ICT skills and attitudes’, and ‘ICT use supporting contents and individual learning needs’. ‘ICT use supporting basic ICT skills and attitudes’ occurs more frequently and is related to the grade of the preschoolers, teachers’ self-perceived ICT competences and the number of years of experience with ICT at school. ‘ICT use supporting contents and individual learning needs’ is strongly related to the grade of the preschoolers, teachers’ self-perceived ICT competences, ICT professional development and teachers’ attitudes towards the possibilities of ICT for teachers in early childhood education. This indicates that professional development is a crucial factor in stimulating ICT use that transcends teaching basic ICT skills and attitudes.

The impact of eLearning on health professional educators' attitudes to information and communication technology.

BackgroundThe use of information and communication technology (ICT) in health professional education is increasing rapidly. Health professional educators need to be responsive to health professionals’ information and communication technological needs; however, there is a paucity of information about educators’ attitudes to, and capabilities with, ICT.MethodsFifty-two health professional educators, enrolled in health professional education postgraduate studies, participated in an online subject with specific eLearning components requiring the use of ICT. They completed a pre- and postquestionnaire pertaining to ICT attitudes, confidence, and usage.ResultsParticipants reported significant increases in overall ICT confidence during the subject despite it being high at baseline (mean: 7.0 out of 10; P=0.02). Even with increased ICT confidence, there were decreases in the participants’ sense of ICT control when related to health professional education (P=0.002); whereas, the amount of time participants engaged with ICT devices was negatively correlated with the sense of ICT control (P=0.002). The effect of age and health discipline on ICT attitudes and confidence was not significant (P>0.05).ConclusionThis study reports that health professional educators have perceptual deficits toward ICT. The impact of eLearning increased confidence in ICT but caused a reduction in participants’ sense of control of ICT. Health professional educators require more ICT training and support to facilitate better ICT integration in health professional education settings.

Teacher Training in Technology Based on their Psychological Characteristics: Methods of Group Formation and Assessment

Teachers, despite adequate training in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), appear to be reluctant to incorporate ICT into their teaching practices. This is an issue of major importance, not only for educational but also for career development reasons, since the acquisition of new skills broadens a professional's career identity and enriches his/her career opportunities. Research so far has tried to explore the factors related to teacher's reluctance and personality seems to be one of them. The paper presents the first stage of an extended research study on the specific field and discusses the research methodology used to explore personality traits, as well as other psychological characteristics, such as self-efficacy related to ICT use, and anxiety and attitudes towards ICT use. The sample consisted of trainee teachers who were divided into groups, according to their personality characteristics, based on the five-factor personality model of Costa and McCrae (1992). The instruments that were constructed for the present study and were used for the assessment of in-group cooperation and teacher's intention for ICT adoption in teaching are presented and discussed.

ATTITUDES OF ENGLISH TEACHER CANDIDATES TOWARD ICT

The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes of English teacher candidates at formal and distance higher education contexts toward ICT and reveal whether there was a significant difference between these two groups in terms of their attitudes toward ICT. The sample of the study consisted of 175 prospective English teachers at two different higher education contexts. The participants were randomly selected among forth-year students at the ELT departments of Euopean University of Lefke (EUL) in North Cyprus and Anadolu University (AU) Open Education Faculty in Turkey during 2009- 2010 Academic Year. Due to differences between the educational context and instructional method, the nine item questionnaire developed by the researchers was administered to the prospective teachers at EUL (N=92) and AU (N=120) to collect data. The return rate from AU prospective English teachers was 70.8% (N=85), while the response percentage from EUL prospective English teachers was 97.8% (N=90). Data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation and independent samples t-test. While the general ICT attitudes of prospective EFL teachers at the formal higher education context were positive with an overall mean score of 4. 29 (SD= 0.69), a great number of prospective EFL teachers at distance higher education context exhibited less positive attitude toward ICT integration in education with a mean score of 2.77 (SD= 0.19). The results also indicated that there was a significant difference between the attitudes of prospective EFL teachers at formal higher education contexts and the attitudes of prospective EFL teachers at distance higher education contexts toward ICT integration (p < 0.05). The ELT curriculum should be reconsidered to provide real ICT experiences for prospective teachers. Furthermore, the number of courses as to ICT use in education should be increased. More opportunities should be presented to allow the prospective EFL teachers to attain valuable experiences and gain self-efficacy in the use of ICT in their future teaching. Keywords: Language education, English aducation, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), English teacher candidates

Enhancing Physical Education and Sport Science students’ self-efficacy and attitudes regarding Information and Communication Technologies through a computer literacy course

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have become an integral component of Physical Education (PE) and Sport Science (SS) curricula and professions. It is thus imperative that PE and SS students develop ICT skills, self-efficacy in ICT and positive attitudes towards ICT. This study was aimed at designing a computer literacy course targeted at equipping PE and SS students with core ICT skills, and at evaluating its impact on students’ computer and Internet self-efficacy, attitudes towards computers and the Internet, and computer anxiety. The study also explored students’ responses to the course, students’ perceptions of the relevance of ICT for PE and SS professionals as well as eventual differences in the course’s impact in relation to students’ prior ICT experience. Participants were 89 PE and SS undergraduate students. Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered through pretest/posttest questionnaires and transcripts of an online discussion forum. Data analysis showed that the course significantly enhanced students’ computer and Internet self-efficacy and their positive attitudes towards computers and the Internet, while significantly reducing their computer anxiety. The course was very well-received by the students, who were found to fully perceive the pervasiveness of ICT in today’s PE and SS professions, and who felt that they had developed valuable ICT skills. The course elicited positive responses regardless of students’ prior ICT experience, although it had significantly more positive effects, in terms of computer self-efficacy, Internet self-efficacy and computer attitudes, with the students who were most in need of the course, namely those with low prior ICT experience. The findings are discussed in relation to training PE and SS students in ICT within academic settings.

Malaysian ESL teachers’ use of ICT in their classrooms: expectations and realities

English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers in Malaysia, as in many other countries, are anxious to exploit the potential of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to enhance the teaching and learning process. Given the increasing pressure exerted by technological developments on language education, it is important to understand the underlying factors behind teachers’ decisions regarding ICT. Egbert et al. (2002) state that few investigations have been conducted on computer-using language teachers’ development. According to BECTA (1999) the learning potential of ICT is not being realised, because many teachers are not familiar with ICT and do not use it in their teaching. This study investigates the present use of ICT among ESL technical school teachers in teaching, factors that affect the use of ICT and perceptions of their skills in ICT. The theory that frames this study is drawn from theories of learning. The model adopted is Davis’ Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (1989) which provides a basis for determining ICT attitudes and factors affecting the usage of ICT in teaching. Data was collected via a questionnaire survey of ESL technical school teachers in Malaysia, and followed by semi-structured interviews with them. The questionnaire data was analysed using descriptive statistics and later triangulated with the interviews. The findings will be presented and elaborated upon in this paper.

Gender and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Anxiety: Male Self-Assurance and Female Hesitation

This article presents the results of a quantitative study (n = 1,058) of the gender divide in ICT attitudes. In general, females had more negative attitudes towards computers and the Internet than did men. Results indicate a positive relationship between ICT experience and ICT attitudes. This experience is measured by period of time using a computer and self-perceived computer and Internet experience. Further analyses on the impact of gender on this correlation of ICT experience and ICT attitudes were conducted by means of a multivariate model. General Linear Model (GLM) analysis revealed that there was a significant effect of gender, computer use, and self-perceived computer experience on computer anxiety attitudes, as well as several significant interaction effects. Males were found to have less computer anxiety than females; respondents who have used computers for a longer period of time and respondents with a higher self-perception of experience also show less computer anxiety. However, the GLM plot shows that the influence of computer experience works in different ways for males and females. Computer experience has a positive impact on decreasing computer anxiety for men, but a similar effect was not found for women. The model was also tested for computer liking and Internet-liking factors.