Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are used everywhere. The use of ICTs could be taken advantage of as the enrichment of traditional teaching. With the help of the ICT model of teaching, we can determine how many teachers use ICT in classroom and the ways they use it.
In this master’s thesis, I was interested in the acceptance of ICT among teachers who teach technical and technological subjects according to the TAM 3 model. The focus is on substantiated research on the adoption and use of ICT in teaching in European countries and in Slovenia. The master’s thesis also covers the TAM model and its development and theories of adopting ICT.
In the theoretical part, I put emphasis on the definitions of ICT, included in the state of ICT in education and its adoption. I also focused on four theories that are fundamental to the ICT model: theory of diffusion of innovations, theory of reasoned action, theory of planned behaviour and activity theory. Then, with the help of substantiated theories, a development model adopted by ICT was developed.
The main purpose of the master's thesis was to find out to what extent teachers accept ICT in subjects, regarding technology, and to what extent they use it in teaching.
In the empirical part, a quantitative research approach is used with the predominant method of empirical research with the help of questionnaires. The research involved 182 teachers who teach technological subjects, namely 61 teachers who teach the 4th grade, 59 teachers who teach the 5th grade and 62 subject teachers of technology and engineering. The TAM 3 questionnaire “How do I accept ICT” by David Andrew Jeffrey (2015) upgraded with elements of Bröhl (2016) was used. The questionnaire is divided into two parts. The first part focuses on teachers’ demographic data (gender, age) and their employment. The second part consists of a statement with a Likert-type rating scale, designed by Assoc. Prof. Avsec for basic research in Slovenia.The purpose of this scale was to research the adoption of ICT among teachers and researchers and to encourage its repeated use in technology education.
Perceived use of ICT in the use of learning platforms or the collaborative environment among teachers is lower than the mean of the scale. The perceived use of the eAssistant and Moodle learning platforms was low since the teachers prefer using other learning platforms. In terms of gender, women use ICT and learning platforms in class more than men. In terms of profession, subject teachers of technology and engineering use more ICT in learning platforms in the classroom than subject teachers. Looking at age, teachers in the 50–60 age group more ICT and learning platforms than any other age group. Teachers believe that they make good use of ICT in the classroom and have thus strong feelings of computer self-efficacy. In terms of gender, men are more confident in their use of ICT than women. Looking at the profession and age, there were not observed any major differences between the different professions. However, younger teachers preferred to have some fun and create with the help of ICT.
The master's thesis is primarily intended for teachers of technological subjects and curriculum designers. Both should include ICT in their work in order to achieve more interesting and interactive lessons. The more motivated the students, the easier it is to follow the lessons. Therefore, students get more interested in technology that encompasses all areas of life. Given the visibility of ICT used in everyday life, it makes sense to use technology in teaching as well, as this can facilitate the writing of documentation, presentation and demonstration of certain concepts in processing processes (e. g. energy, electricity, motorization etc.) and make lessons more interactive.
The results of the research can be a lead to researchers in the field who encourage teachers in the use of information and communication technologies in the classroom and for development of ICT, which is intended for and focused on education and easier teaching.
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