Browse Theses

This study investigated the attitudes of at-risk students and teachers toward computers and their use. Seventy 9th and 10th grade students and 19 teachers at a central Florida alternative school responded to the Computer Attitude Scale (CAS), measuring attitude levels in computer anxiety, confidence, liking, and usefulness. Additional information was gained through interviews, a focus group session, and naturalistic observation at the school.

Findings indicated that student and teacher scores were, on the whole, positive in all four of the areas measured. Analysis of variance results showed that teachers' scores were significantly higher than students' scores in the areas of computer liking and computer usefulness. Results of multiple regression analysis suggested that gender, ethnicity, and grade level were not significant predictors of at-risk student attitudes toward computers. For teachers, moderate correlations were found between predictor variables including age, years of teaching experience, curriculum area of specialization, and gender, and subscale scores for computer anxiety, liking, and usefulness. Interview and focus group comments reinforced the findings that students and teachers generally had positive attitudes toward computers and their use.

Recommendations were made for modification of the research design to incorporate an additional survey instrument, and expanded interviews and focus group sessions. Additional recommendations were made for continued research in several areas related to the use of computer-assisted instruction with at-risk students.