Effects of Elementary School Teachers’ Background Variables on Their Educational Beliefs and Different Types of Computer Use

Year 2018, Volume: 5 Issue: 1, 26 - 39, 30.06.2018

Teng-lung Peng Yu-ting Wong

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether
teachers’ background variables affect teachers’ educational beliefs and
different types of computer use. In addition, this study explored the
relationship between teachers’ educational beliefs and different types of
computer use. The participants in this research were 180 elementary school
teachers, including 56 males and 124 females, in central-west Taiwan. A questionnaire was developed for the
purpose of collecting relevant information. Moreover, descriptive
statistics, factorial analysis, independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA and
product-moment correlation were used as the methods of statistical analysis. To
understand elementary school teachers’ attitude toward and perception of
teachers’ educational beliefs and different types of computer use, the
researchers interviewed 18 teachers in the process of collecting the
questionnaires as well. The results indicated that teachers’ educational
degrees affected teachers’ educational beliefs, while teachers’ educational
degrees, teaching years, positions, number of classes, and the frequency of
technology integration affected different types of computer use. The results of
the questionnaire and interviews demonstrated that teachers’ educational
beliefs were correlated with different types of computer use. Based on the
findings, some implications are considered to be of help to elementary school
teachers and educators.

 

Keywords

Background variables, Educational beliefs, Computer use

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