Computer enthusiastic versus computer-passive attitude. A case study of the class-teachers.
Piret Luik
University of Tartu, Estonia
Paper presented at the European Conference on Educational Research, University College Dublin, 7-10 September 2005
Introduction
One of the most important factors of the usage of computers in the classroom is a teacher. In Estonian schools a teacher decides if he/she does use the computer-assisted learning (CAL) or not. It depends mostly on teacher if students use effective or ineffective educational software or if they use such kind of software at all.
The usage of the CAL is influenced besides the personal characteristics of the teacher (conservative or innovative approach, readiness to take risks etc), computer using skills and confidence, also by the attitudes towards the usage of computers in learning process. The teacher's attitude is a basic element within the group of elements which integrate the teaching with CAL (Fernández Carballo-Calero, 2001).
The experience of teachers is an important factor of applying the computers and changing their attitudes. Previous studies (Benson, Farnsworth, Bahr, Lewis and Shaha, 2004) have found out that computer supported instruction and applied field experience makes a positive difference in skills and attitudes of the pre-service teachers.
Aim: Therefore it is important to know how the teachers’ attitudes influence the usage of computers and how these attitudes change during the ICT integration into education.
The following research questions were investigated:
- What are the teachers’ perceptions about the effectiveness of the computer-assisted learning (CAL)?
- Is there any conceptual shift about the teacher’s attitudes and behavior when teaching with computers?
Method
The case study was carried on with two class-teachers.
The data were gathered by the interviews and through diaries of the class-teachers. The teachers were interviewed three times: before the study in the first week of the academic year; at the last week of study; and the last interview was carried out 6 months after the study was over. Three months of the new school year were already behind. The teachers worked with the same students as in the last academic year.
The teachers filled in the diaries after each lesson with computers: how they used computers, was this kind of learning effective for students and how they felt themselves.
Before the study the teachers were instructed how to use computers to teach their students – they received a lot of digital worksheets and educational software for the students. It was written in the materials with which subject and with which topic in curriculum particular educational software is useful and how to use computers to teach the topic. They were also taught how to use other Internet sources and were encouraged to seek learning materials themselves.
The study lasted an academic year. Both teachers had to carry out 3-4 lessons every week, where computers were used by the students. The teachers were permitted to choose the topic and educational software or electronic worksheets for the students. Also they were permitted to choose the method they use the computers. There was a person who offered help (technical or methodical) when it was needed in the school.
Participants
The teachers were selected with the similar background and similar condition of the work. Both teachers were female (aged 44 and 39), worked in the same school and with the same-age children (9-10 years old). Both teachers have been working in the school more than 12 years. The teachers experience with the computers was also similar. They have participated earlier in the same computer-courses (both 4 courses) and both teachers used computers to prepare materials for their students.
Results
Teacher A had positive and enthusiastic attitude towards the usage of the CAL. The teaching methods of Teacher A were different in the computer-lab and in the classroom. In the computer-lab she used more group-work, active learning and individual tasks. She felt that their students change her partners:
We have several educational software in our school. For example the programmes like KidPix Studio and LinguaLand are used by my students. And, also, I have used digital worksheets. They have drawn pictures and written stories and practiced some skills.
Students ask more and they have several problems and they work in different pace. I can consider their different abilities more while teaching with computer. But sometimes I feel that they tear me up. Despite that it is not easy to teach with computers I like it. It is worth that trouble. … Sometimes I feel that they know more than I do and we are more equal in the computer-lab.
The attitudes towards the usage of the computers of Teacher A were stable during this study. She continued with her methods already obtained by her. There was nothing surprising for her, she was just thankful for the digital worksheets and educational software she got for the study.
Some fragments from the diary of Teacher A:
October the 2nd
The students were engaged and satisfied. So was I. It is pleasure to work with these digital worksheets.
April the 28th
How much should I write that we like it very much! I reread my recordings from this diary and I think that everything is already said. It is effective learning indeed and nothing can change my opinion.
6 months after the study Teacher A had been used computers in this school year many times already. Her attitudes towards the usage of the computers in the education were still positive and enthusiastic. She and her students are used to computers and educational software, so they could not imagine the learning without possibilities of such technology.
Teacher B was a passive user whose attitude was that computer is an effective tool for preparing printed learning materials for students, but not effective tool of teaching process. The teaching methods of Teacher B were the same in the computer-lab and in the classroom.
I have used the help of computers for preparing the printed worksheets for the students. I, also, have been using e-mail and my students are satisfied with that. Many of them have computers at home and they have skills to use the computers. … Some lessons I have carried out in the computer-lab and I have taught them MS Word. They have to get typing skills on elementary level otherwise the teachers of higher grades blame me that I have taught them poorly.
There is not anything different while I teach the students in classroom or in computer-lab. I as a teacher order what to do and all my students follow my instructions. I have always discipline in my class.
During the study Teacher B had to use computers not only for the preparing printable worksheets and for teaching how to type with the MS Word, but she had to use some educational software and digital worksheets also. Her attitudes were changing more to positive during this study, but not from the beginning. It should be mentioned that the improvement of the attitudes started already in one and a half month, but a rapid improvement of the attitude took place in three months. And the improvement continued until the end of the study.
Here are some fragments from the diary of Teacher B:
September the 19th
For example it is not convenient for me or for children to leave their comfortable classroom and sit behind the computers somewhere else to learn mathematics. They are troubled and they ask more in different time and they talk more loudly which they never do in the own classroom and when I control the lesson. … And there is lot to do in the classroom to repeat that material.
October the 7th
I can’t say that my students and I don’t like it, but is that really educating? I don’t trust the computers and some of my students say the same.
January the 9th
I can’t complain anything. The children were engaged the entire lesson. They even continued the work in the break. And it is interesting that they don’t want only play, but they like the educational software. They can work more independently. … I should change my opinion. With good educational software the computers can educate students. And parents of my students are very satisfied, too. I have got many thanks from them.
May the 19th
Students are more motivating and interested in learning. It is the same in the classroom, not only in the computer-lab, but especially in the computer-lab. And their thinking skills are so developed. They are so independent and they help each others. Sometimes I feel that I am not needed in the computer-lab, they can manage themselves. … Sometime I just look their faces – they are so self-confident and so thoughtful. I like it. They like to demonstrate what they have learnt and what they have discovered.
So that at the end of the academic year she was even more enthusiastic than Teacher A. She intended to use computers more in teaching and learning process and to think the ways, how to use them.
I think that I should use computers more with the students and I certainly will. It is effective indeed and now I like to use this way of teaching very much.
Six months after the study Teacher B, despite the promises given at the end of last school year, had used computers only one time within these three months of the new academic year. She complained that she had no time to compose or seek for learning materials. It was interesting that her attitudes towards the usage of the computers in education were not so positive as at the end of the last school year. The only positive shift was that Teacher B used to use more active methods of teaching in her classroom.
My students get good preparation to succeed in higher grades. We do group work and they raise problems themselves and they teach each other. But all that can be done by us without computers. They have already good computer-skills and now the use of computers is not so important. Last year my students had been at the age of games, but now they should play less and study more. And after all I have no time to compose or seek for learning materials for them. We have text-books and work-books and I satisfied with these materials.
Conclusion
This study raised a question: what is the real problem of the teachers not using CAL? Maybe the attitude is just an excuse for himself/herself. It sounds better ‘I do not use computers because I think that they are not effective in the teaching’ than ‘I do not use computers because I do not take the trouble to prepare or seek the materials for the students or think how to use computers in teaching’. Therefore the studies investigating besides the attitude of teachers towards the usage of the computers also the other factors should be taken into consideration.