Foreign language instructors’ computer and information literacy perceived self-efficacy: a school of foreign languages case

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine self- efficacy of foreign language instructors (n=47) in information literacy and computer literacy after an in-service training on ICT skills and a considerable amount of investment on hardware, software and the infrastructure in the School of Foreign Languages at Gazi University. The relation between self-efficacy in information literacy and computer literacy is also examined. Moreover, computer and information literacy of a sample group of students (n=75) in the school of foreign languages are also determined to see if there is a technology and information gap between the skills of instructors and their students. The instruments in the study are: information literacy self-efficacy scale developed by Kurbanoğlu, Akkoyunlu and Umay (2006) and computer literacy self-efficacy scale by Kurbanoğlu and Akkoyunlu (2003). The results showed the instructors have high self-efficacy scores in both areas. There is no statistically significant difference in information literacy and computer literacy self-efficacy scores of instructors according to sex and experience. Only in advanced computer skills, at a larger scale (.08) there is a difference favouring instructors with 1-5 years of experience. The findings also show that information literacy and computer literacy skills reinforce each other. Finally, a comparison of the scores of instructors with those of the students show that the instructors do not fall behind their students, and even are better in some aspects. The high self-efficacy scores of instructors might be attributed to the ICT training they received and their devotion.

Keywords

• information literacy, computer literacy, ICT, teacher development, in-service training, self-efficacy

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