An Exploratory Factor Analytical Assessment Of Community College Students Attitudes Toward Technology

Author : Kathleen Literski Fleming
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (124 download)

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Download or read book An Analysis of Factors that Influence Community College Students' Attitudes Toward Technology written by Kathleen Literski Fleming and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study investigated the factors that influence community college students' attitudes toward technology, particularly in teaching and learning experiences. Studies on post-secondary students' attitudes reported in the literature are limited. Factors cited previously as having an effect on attitudes towards technology and toward computers included: gender; age; presence of a computer in the home; completion of a formal technology course; and comfort with technology. The subjects in this study were 372 students in freshman level credit English classes in the five colleges of the North Harris Montgomery Community College District located in the greater metropolitan Houston area. Previous research instruments and studies to measure students' attitudes toward technology were reviewed. A modified version of the Secondary Students Attitudes' Toward Technology (SSATT) was developed for this study because of the content, reliability, and applicability to the post secondary population. The instrument was administered in the spring of 2005. The fact that 95.4% of the participants reported having a computer at home andthat 70.2% reported having had a formal technology class provided insight into the integration of technology in the lives of this community college sample. A correlation matrix of all variables and analysis of variance were performed. Factor analyses were performed to identify subcomponents of the instrument. Eight factors were identified: (1) need for technology competence, (2) technology benefits, (3) negative aspects of technology, (4) technology and the workplace, (5) impact of increased use of technology, (6) video games, (7) technology and job creation, and (8) technology and safety. A conclusion of the study was that neither age nor gender had a significant effecton the post-secondary students' attitudes toward technology, which differs from the findings in some of the previous studies. Females reported being as comfortable, if not more so, with technology in teaching and learning experiences as the males in the study. Exposure to technology, completion of a formal technology class, and the use of computers appeared to positively affect community college students' attitudes toward technology.