Effects of an Educational Computing Course on Preservice and Inservice Teachers

TLDR

The study examined how a university educational computing class altered preservice and inservice teachers’ attitudes toward computers and identified factors influencing their computer use. Data from 114 teachers (83 female, 31 male) at a southern California university were analyzed. Teachers’ anxiety, confidence, and liking toward computers improved significantly after the course; prior computer experience shaped course expectations, and having a home computer, supportive professors, and existing school technology use also influenced attitudes and computer use.

Abstract

This study examined the changes in preservice and inservice teachers' attitudes toward computers following their participation in an educational computing class, and it explored the factors that contributed to their computer use. The study used data from 114 preservice and inservice teachers (83 female, 31 male) who attended a university in southern California. Results of doubly multivariate repeated measures indicated that teachers' attitudes (anxiety, confidence, and liking) significantly improved after the computer literacy course. The follow-up study indicated that teachers' prior computer experience shaped their expectations of the course. Teachers reported that having a home computer, a professor's willingness to teach, and the current use of technology in the schools at which they work also influenced their attitudes toward and use of computers.