Research Article
Ali Simsek
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 2, Issue 3, pp. 177-187
ABSTRACT
This study examined the relationship between computer anxiety and computer self-efficacy of students and teachers in elementary and secondary schools. The sample included a total of 845 subjects from two private school systems in Turkey. The Oetting’s Computer Anxiety Scale was used to measure computer anxiety whereas the Murphy’s Computer Self-Efficacy Scale was used to measure computer self-efficacy of subjects. The results demonstrated that elementary students were less-anxious than secondary students; males had lower anxiety scores than females; and the difference between anxiety scores of students and teachers was not significant. However, students had higher self-efficacy scores than their teachers; elementary students were more self-efficient than secondary students; and males had higher computer self-efficacy scores than females. The correlation between the variables of computer anxiety and computer self-efficacy was moderate, negative, and significant.
Keywords: Computer anxiety, Computer self-efficacy, Attitudes toward computers, Beliefs about computers, Elementary education, Secondary education
Research Article
Nkasiobi S. Oguzor
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 2, Issue 3, pp. 188-199
ABSTRACT
The use of computers has become one of the driving forces in the delivery of instruction of today’s vocational education and training (VET) in Nigeria. Though computers have become increasingly accessible resources for educators to use in their teaching activities, most teachers are still unable to integrate it in their teaching and learning processes. Computers are used to improve teaching quality where quality is very expensive to reproduce, or to substitute for the lack of teachers, or schooling opportunities that cannot be made available with conventional teaching methodologies. This paper examines the challenges of integrating ICT into instructional practices in VET and the barriers confronting implementation. Hence, the need for compatible computer education policies, suggestions to integrate ICT into teaching and learning practices are provided to assist the teachers to the use of computers in order to help the students acquire theoretical knowledge, grounded in real practice. It is the contention of this paper that though creating an ICT environment for teaching and learning in Nigeria may seem difficult, it would enhance students’ achievement in vocational education and training.
Keywords: Instructional resources, Computer Usage, Information and communication technology, Vocational education and training
Research Article
Ozgen Korkmaz, Cengiz Sahin, Ertugrul Usta
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 2, Issue 3, pp. 200-212
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between interaction and audience anxiety levels and Internet addiction of adults. The research was performed in the survey model as a descriptive study. A total of 384 adults with different ages living in a Central Anatolian city constituted the sample of the study. Data were collected through the Interaction and Audience Anxiety Scale (α=.91) and Internet Addiction Scale (α=.86). The mean, standard deviation, frequency, percentage, t-test, ANOVA, Scheffe test, and Pearson correlation coefficient were employed in analyzing the data (p < .05). The following results were obtained: Both the interaction anxiety and audience anxiety levels of adults were low. The levels among adults in the ages of 20-29 were significantly higher than the levels among adults in other age-groups. The levels of interaction anxiety and audience anxiety in the student group were significantly higher than other occupational groups. Gender did not differentiate interaction and audience anxiety levels of adults. There was also a positive and significant correlation between the levels of anxiety and Internet addiction.
Keywords: Interaction anxiety, Audience anxiety, Internet addiction, Adults
Research Article
Alireza Badeleh, G. Sheela
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 2, Issue 3, pp. 213-237
ABSTRACT
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) based approach and the Laboratory Training Model of Teaching (LTM) chemistry. It strived to determine whether the ICT or the LTM would be more effective with respect to the male and female students’ overall as well as component-based achievement in chemistry and their retention of learning. The sample of the study consisted of 120 seventh standard students from two English-medium elementary schools in Mysore city, India. Four homogenous groups were formed randomly for the study and the effects of independent variables were tested under experimental conditions. The Test of Higher Mental Ability in Science (THMAS) was used to determine the homogeneity of the participants. After one month, the delayed posttest for achievement in chemistry was administered to determine the retention level of the students. The statistical techniques used to analyze the data were the independent sample t-test and two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The findings indicated that as far as the overall achievement in chemistry, component-based achievement, and retention of knowledge, comprehension, application, and skills are concerned, the ICT-based method of teaching chemistry was more effective than the LTM of teaching. The effects of gender varied according to comparisons.
Keywords: Information and communication technology, Laboratory training model of teaching, Achievement in chemistry, Retention of learning
Research Article
Kennedy O. Odu
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 2, Issue 3, pp. 238-249
ABSTRACT
The importance of science and technology education cannot be over-emphasized. Human capital development in science and technology education is the gateway to a scientific, technological, and progressive society. It is also the very bedrock upon which modern and advanced nations are based. However, science was featured in a few secondary and teacher training schools in Nigeria between 1859 and 1929. The major subjects taught in the schools were astronomy, chemistry, physiology, geology, and botany. These were later systematized and then changed first to Nature Study and later General Science. Training of technology education teachers in Nigeria started in 1962 with the establishment of the Department of Vocational Teacher Education at the University of Nigeria-Nsukka under the supervision of Michigan State University (USA) at its formative years. Human capital development in science and technology education is faced with a lot of challenges such as retraining of science and technology teachers, dearth of qualified technology trainers, and inadequate funding among others. This paper addressed how these challenges could be forestalled for successful implementation of human capital development and also the new responsibilities of the teachers for science and technology education in Nigeria.
Keywords: Human capital development, Technology education, Science education, Training of science and technology teachers
Research Article
Jyoon Yoon, Lynn Brice
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 2, Issue 3, pp. 250-263
ABSTRACT
This article reports a qualitative study on computer-supported collaborative learning during a multidisciplinary education project on environment. The water project is designed to provide the elementary teacher candidates opportunities to explore issues related to water and find solutions to them through the Internet. As a production of the water project, they created posters and fliers in a photograph application to educate people regarding water issues and discussed how their creations affected people’s awareness of water issues, using a web-discussion tool. The teacher candidates’ reflections revealed that the water project was a meaningful e-learning activity to raise awareness of the global water issues and create an opportunity for them to share their learning, incorporating science and social studies. This water project provided a computer-supported collaborative e-learning model for integrating science and social studies.
Keywords: E-learning, Computer supported learning, Collaborative learning, Integrated education, Science education, Social studies