Factors influencing the degree of computer use by high school teachers in selected Illinois school districts

Grounded in developmental change theory, the purpose of this study was to identify the factors that contribute to an individual teacher's degree of microcomputer use. The study consisted of case studies of the high schools in six selected Illinois school districts and a survey of the high school teachers in each district.During the case study, several themes emerged from the data: (a) the data suggested that change is an individual decision-making process, (b) the majority of the computers were housed in laboratories, (c) teachers were having problems gaining access to computers and quality software, (d) inadequate and inequitable funding across districts, (e) heavy teacher workloads limited the time available for inservice, (f) limited inservice, (g) a general resistance to change by the teachers, (h) a dichotomy of beliefs between administrators and teachers regarding the need for computers, and (i) an adequate supply of technical assistance from a variety of sources.The survey data showed that 64.6% of the teachers in this sample were using computers for at least one purpose and 45% owned one. Of the eleven independent variables, computer anxiety, the perception of self-efficacy, value placed on the computer, ownership of a computer, subject taught, self-perception of innovativeness, and professional orientation were significantly correlated to degree of use. Gender and age were not significantly correlated to degree of computer use, thus indicating that older teachers and female teachers were just as likely to use computers as their colleagues.As a result of this study, the following was recommended: (a) additional research that proposes and validates a model of change as an individual decision-making process, (b) the combination of qualitative methods with the survey method whenever possible to provide a richer understanding of the phenomena being studied, (c) serious attention should be given to the problems of teacher inservice, the funding of expensive innovations, and the accessibility of computers, (d) the development of an instrument to assess teachers' willingness to use computers before and during inservice activities, and (e) the need for proper planning which includes classroom teachers to facilitate the adoption of educational innovations.U of I OnlyETDs are only available to UIUC Users without author permissio