EVOLVING ATTITUDINAL PATTERNS ON ICT OF THE STUDENTS

EVOLVING ATTITUDINAL PATTERNS ON ICT OF THE STUDENTS IN SECONDARY COMPULSORY EDUCATION B. GARGALLO, J. M. SUÁREZ, N. ORELLANA, C. BELLOCH, R. BO AND G. ALMERICH Educational Technology Unit (UTE) and Department of Theory of Education University of Valencia Avda. Blasco Ibañéz, 30, 46010 -Valencia SPAIN. E-mail : Bernardo. Gargallo@uv. es Objectives of the Study 2. Design: The main aim of our work was to determine students’ attitudes towards Internet and if the measure of those attitudes had suffered changes along that period. The work integrated a quantitative part, with a survey design which collected data trough on-line questionnaries… And a qualitative part, with case studies Method 3. Instruments: Collection of quantitative data: questionnaire (27 ítems - 131 variables) Results were taken from two researches developed along three years (2000 -2003) subsidized by the IVECE (Valencian Institute of Evaluation and Educational Quality): 1. "Un primer diagnóstico del uso de Internet en los centros escolares de la Comunidad Valenciana" developed in 2000 -01. 2. “Observatorio de Nuevas Tecnologías de la Escuela Valenciana” -ONTEV-, carried out in 2002 -03. 1. Subjects: 2 1225 87 Stratified random in function of the province and type of educational institution 37 Represents proportionally the diverse strata (province and type of educational institution) and also the different integration typologies. Results (The format of the questionnaire is a Likert scale with five answer options from “completely in agreement to “completely in disagreement”) 4. Procedure: The results were collected through on-line questionnaires in most of the educational institutions (http: //cfv. uv. es/webcv/entrada. htm in the first research and http: //cfv. uv. es/ontev/entrada. htm in the second one) from February to July in 2001 and from March to July in 2003. Those schools which didn’t have any facilities answered the questionnaires in paper. 1) Attitudes: 2) Repercussions in the quality of education: List of items 1. Internet is something you cannot stop and you cannot discuss 2. It causes improvement to the society 3. It will chage the relationship amont people 4. They want ot impose Internet on us at any coast 5. You can only use Internt if you have some money 6. It is difficult to dominate Internet and I will not get it 7. Young people are better prepared than adults 8. It is not necessary in adn educational institution 9. I am well-disposed to receive the necessary training 10. I want to use Internet in the class-room 11. I Intend to collaborate in projects of my educational institution which use Internet 12. intent I tocollaborate inprojectswithothereducationalinstitutions which use Internet The students value positively the repercussions of use of Internet to improve the quality of education. They value Internet as an instrument to help out school tasks, as a mechanism which provides resources to learn, motivates to work, helps you to improve your marks, etc. In all these cases the scores are higher in 2003, what implies that Internet is still more valued at the moment than it was two years ago –see list of items and Figure 2 -. List of items 13. Internet helps me in school activities 14. It helps some of my classmates 15. It gives me some means and resources to learn 16. It motivates me to work 17. It helps me to get better marks 18. It allows me to know and collaborate with people who are far away from me 19. I think I will ned it in the future 20. I like it more to work in the class-room ** The students value positively Internet and its social repercussions without too many concessions to critical positions, referred to the imposition of Internet or to the inequality of access depending on economic possibilities –items 1 to 5 -. These positive results are still more marked in 2003 than in 2001 –see Figure 1 -. Students consider themselves competent in face of Internet and able to manage well and better ready than adults –item 6 and 7 -. They also express the necessity of Internet in the school and they want to use it in the classroom –items 8 and 10 -. In all these cases, the valuations are higher than in 2003. On the other hand, the students are prepared to be trained and to participate in projects, although in these cases the scores are lower in 2003, what can show a higher level of competence –items 9, 11 and 12 -. This fact shows training is not so necessary, and a less committed position with regard to cooperative projects of use of Internet. ** 2311 Selection ** 1 Centers ** Teachers Results that we refer to were taken from fourth and fifth blocks: Atttudes and repercussions int he quality of the education ** Research Thematic blocks: 1. Data of the subject/user's profile 2. Use of Internet 3. Formation 4. Attitudes 5. Repercussions in the quality of the education 6. Alternative and suggestions of improvement Figure 2. Comparison of both measure moments in relation to the repercussions of Internet in the quality of education. SCALE: 1 -completely in disagreement, 2 -partially in disagreement, 3 -indifferent, 4 -partially in agreement, 5 -completely in agreement. . Significance Level: * * p< 0. 01, * p< 0. 05. Conclusions * ** ** Figure 1: Comparison of the two measure moments in relation to the attitudes of the students towards Internet. SCALE: 1 -completely in disagreement, 2 -partially in disagreement, 3 -indifferent, 4 -partially in agreement, 5 -completely in agreement. Significance level: * * p< 0. 01, * p< 0. 05 These results are encouraging and they reflect some students’ attitudes which are positive regarding the use of Internet at school. Moreover, those attitudes, in general, have improved in the three year period analysed. So, from these positive attitudes, we have to work the use of Internet from the educational perspective, in the school, where is the appropriate space for doing it, because it has moments, equipment -not always the necessary one in quantity and quality- and competent professionals.