Content area
Teaching and learning are being revolutionized by the use of computers. Teachers face many decisions in attempting to learn how they can best use the potential of computers to enhance and improve student learning. Even before teachers can begin to plan how to use computers, they must decide if they are going to use computers as instructional tools. Teachers face and must deal with a range of factors when deciding how they can most effectively use computers in their classrooms.
Little research has been done on how and why elementary classroom teachers decide either to use computers as instructional tools, or why and/or how they use them. This study employed case study methodology to investigate the instructional use of computers by four third grade teachers in a Western New York rural school district. The district had made a considerable investment in the purchase of computers, equipping classrooms, and training staff to use them in classrooms. Each teacher had five networked computers in their classrooms.
The study sought to identify the external and internal factors that affected the teachers' instructional decisions and usage of computers. It focused on the following two central and four related questions. (1) What were the internal-personal factors which influenced teachers to use or not use computers? (1a) In what way did these factors affect teacher decisions to use computers? (1b) In what way did these factors affect teacher decisions to not use computers? (2) What were the external-school factors which influenced teachers to use or not use computers? (2a) In what way did these factors affect teacher decisions to use computers? (2b) In what way did these factors affect teacher decisions to not use computers?
Qualitative techniques, including interviews, observations, and documentary evidence were used to gather and record data regarding the internal and external factors which affected these decisions of the four teachers studied. The following conclusions were drawn from those findings as presented and analyzed. (1) There were identifiable internal and external factors that affected teacher decisions about computer use. (2) Attitude about student ability and student needs was found to affect teacher decisions. (3) Teacher's feelings of inadequacy affected their decisions. Inadequate training and a lack of typing skills affected decisions. (4) The hardware available to the classrooms did affect decisions about computer use. The number of computers in relation to the number of students had an effect on decisions about computer use. (5) The availability of software that the teacher wanted to use and the software's compatibility to district curriculum did affect teacher decisions. (6) The restrictions of a networked system affected decisions about computer use. (7) Time requirements of the available software and the scheduling of the school day affected the teachers' decisions. (8) District mandates and expectations, either present at the time of the study or expected in the future, affected the teachers' decisions about use.