Teacher and Student Perceptions about Technology Use in an Elementary School in Ankara

Year 2011, Volume: 2 Issue: 2, 43 - 59, 23.11.2011

Feride Karaca

Abstract

In the present study, the perceptions of two important stakeholder groups (teachers and students) were examined at the same time to have an insight about the current state of technology use in an elementary school in Ankara. The participants of this study included 35 elementary school teachers and 81 students, and the data were collected through two different questionnaires for teachers and students. The results of the study indicated that both teachers and students have positive perceptions about the value of technologies in educational settings. Teachers’ most frequently used technologies were computer and internet and they used these technologies mostly for class preparation activities. A majority of teachers have low competency levels for computer use and the most important barrier to their technology use was their lack of technology related knowledge and skills. Looking from both teachers’ and students’ perspectives, the results of this study would provide valuable insights about how to improve technology integration process in educational settings.

Keywords

Technology Use; Teacher Perceptions; Student Perceptions; Elementary Schools

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