ERIC Number: ED264839
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1984-Apr
Reference Count: 0
How Effective Teachers Use Microcomputers for Instruction.
Winkler, John D.; And Others
A study of 60 elementary and secondary math and science teachers who were nominated by their peers as effective microcomputer-using teachers was conducted to describe how peer-nominated teachers use microcomputers instructionally, and how these uses vary as a function of teacher characteristics (e.g., knowledge, attitudes) and other background variables (e.g., learning environments). The primary method of data collection was personal, semi-structured interviews; however, observational techniques were also used to note the physical context of microcomputer use and examine courseware used during the observation period. In addition, biographical data was obtained from the teachers through a self-administered questionnaire which provided information on their educational and teaching background, and their attitudes toward computers. Homogeneous clusters of teachers were formed on the basis of their patterns of microcomputer-based instruction, revealing four characteristic patterns of use: orchestration, enrichment, adjunct instruction, and drill and practice. Analysis of the data indicated that teachers' attitudes toward microcomputers were unrelated to the patterns of microcomputer-based instruction that were identified; there were no systematic differences between patterns of use according to the average percent of coursework taken relating to computers except for teachers in the drill and practice cluster; patterns of microcomputer-based instruction were unrelated to teachers' experience in using microcomputers, to teaching other teachers about them, or to their facility with computer languages; patterns of instructional microcomputer use were unrelated to district and school policies regarding their use; and patterns of computer-based instruction were unrelated to organizational variables such as the number and location of microcomputers. It is suggested that data on student achievement and motivation would help to determine whether these different styles of teaching with microcomputers produce different outcomes. A list of references completes the document. (JB)
Descriptors: Cluster Analysis, Computer Assisted Instruction, Courseware, Elementary School Teachers, Elementary Secondary Education, Inservice Teacher Education, Interviews, Mathematics Instruction, Microcomputers, Observation, Questionnaires, Science Instruction, Secondary School Teachers, Teacher Attitudes, Teaching Methods, Use Studies
The Rand Corporation, 1700 Main Street, PO Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA 90406-2138 ($4.00).
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Authoring Institution: Rand Corp., Santa Monica, CA.
Note: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 1984).