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This study examined how computer training affected computer self-efficacy and computer competence of primary children. The first objective was to determine if computer competence training yielded significant increases in computer self-efficacy. The second objective was to examine the extent and manner in which variation in computer competence could be explained by the variables gender, grade, computer self-efficacy, and math and language achievement.

To measure computer competence, the Primary Computer Competence Test (PCCT) was developed. The median Alpha internal consistency was.87. The Primary Computer Self-Efficacy Rating Scale (PCSERS) was developed to measure computer self-efficacy. This scale had an Alpha internal reliability estimate of.62 and a test-retest stability estimate of.57.

Two hundred and thirty-one first through third grade students participated. The two schools were randomly assigned to serve as the treatment group (n = 115) or the control group (n = 116). The PCSERS was administered as a pretest. The treatment group then participated in the treatment, computer competence training. The PCSERS was administered as a posttest and the children in the treatment group completed the PCCT. To increase the sample size for regression, the control group participated in the treatment and Post-PCSERS and the PCCT were administered. Stanford Achievement Test math and language scores were collected.

Regression was used to answer the two research questions. The first regression, which used the PCSERS as the dependent variable, was unable to significantly attribute the variation in computer self-efficacy to the variables gender, grade, math and language achievement or computer competence.

In the second regression, the dependent variable, PCCT, was regressed on self-efficacy, gender, achievement, and grade. Here only achievement and grade level explained the variation in computer competence. Computer self-efficacy failed to contribute significantly to the explained variance. Follow up analyses revealed that at the first grade level, math (p $<$.05) and language achievement (p $<$.01) significantly explained variation within computer competence, while at the second grade level, only math achievement (p $<$.01) was significant.

Results were related to computer competence and computer self-efficacy theory, and suggestions for future research were offered.