Although the public schools have spent billions of dollars on computer
technology, only a few teachers are integrating them into their teaching. The
purpose of this study was to determine barriers to the integration of computers into
teaching and potential teaching strategies to encourage integration. Teachers (N=122) from 14 elementary schools completed a questionnaire that assessed computer
use. Nine experienced teachers representing different levels of computer use were
then selected to participated in interviews that focused on barriers to the integration
of computer technology into their teaching. Results indicate barriers exist in two
broad areas: institutional limitations (i.e., equipment, training, support, and
leadership) and legislative mandates (i.e., benchmarks and state tests). Teachers
report a significant lack of computers available for students in the classroom and
computer labs, a lack of training and knowledge of how to use software, and a lack of support and leadership at the district and building level. Overall, teachers
perceive significant barriers to the integration of computer technology exist in the
areas of equipment, training, support and leadership. The findings suggest that
some school districts may fail to recognize the need to adequately provide teachers
with the necessary external factors of equipment, training, support and leadership,
and they may fail to consider the internal factors of perceived relevance, and selfcompetence
that are essential for the integration of technology. The study may also
suggest that school districts fail to account for educational reform measures, and
their impact on teacher ability to integrate computers into the teaching and learning
process. Results of this study may indicate that the interrelationship of the external
and internal factors must be recognized and integrated when developing learning
strategies for the training of integrating computer technology into the teaching and
learning process. / Graduation date: 2000
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/33557 |
| Date | 06 May 1999 |
| Creators | Bradford, Doss C. |
| Contributors | Merickel, Mark |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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