| This purpose of this study was to investigate the effect that the integration of educational technology instruction within an elementary science instructional methods course has on first-year elementary teachers' attitudes about and usage of educational technology. A 44-item survey based on the Iowa Survey of Computer Related Technology Use by K-12 was initially mailed to 127 first-year Missouri elementary teachers who had graduated from a large midwestern land grant university. Sixteen teachers indicated that they had not taken the elementary science instructional methods course and were eliminated from the study. Of the 80 remaining respondents, 19 teachers had completed the educational technology enhanced elementary science methods course and they served as the study's experimental group. The data, respondents' comments, and information obtained from the Missouri School Directory 1993-94 were analyzed and reported. The respondents had a generally favorable attitude toward educational technology. There were no significant attitude differences between the two groups. As expected, there is a strong correlation between the teacher's attitude and actual classroom usage of educational technology. The attitude and usage were also found to correlate well with the local school district's academic accreditation rating and per pupil financial contributions. The experimental group members who taught in "AAA" districts used educational technology significantly more often than did their peers who taught in "AA" districts or members of the control group who taught in either "AA" or "AAA" districts. The respondents indicated there is a need for additional educational technology training. They also indicated a strong desire to acquire additional educational equipment and software. The respondent's comments indicate the need for additional educational technology training that is integrated into pre-service methods courses, additional inservice training, and additional educational technology equipment, software, and time to plan and prepare for instruction. |
