TEACHERS' ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES

Dr. Süleyman Sadi SEFEROGLU
Hacettepe University, School of Education
Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technology

The First International Education Conference on Changing Times, Changing Needs, May 8 - 10, 2002, Eastern Mediterranean University, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Seferoğlu, S. S. (2002). "Teachers' attitudes toward the use of information technologies", The First International Education Conference on Changing Times, Changing Needs, May 8 - 10, 2002, Eastern Mediterranean University, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

This study examined teachers' attitudes towards the use of information technologies in educational settings. A survey questionnaire was used to collect the data. Results based on the 248 questionnaires completed by a sample of public elementary and secondary school teachers in Turkey indicate that teachers have a positive attitute towards the use of information technologies in education.

However, the results also show that a large majority of teachers have no experience in integrating technology into classroom teaching. Teachers report that they have no fear of using technology and they believe in potential positive effects of integrating technology in educational settings. However, they either have little or no skills at all in using information technologies.

Many researchers in the literature have pointed out that in order for teachers to use information technologies in teaching-learning situations, they should be provided with the training they need. Teachers who participated in this research stated that they wanted to use information technologies but, they don't know how to do it. Since they are willing to learn, it is suggested that they should be offered long-term in-service training courses about computer literacy and integrating technology into education.

One of the best ways to influence teachers' attitudes toward the use of information technologies would be creating environments where they would have easy access to technologies in every corner of the schools and providing technical and emotional support they may need in making best use of these technologies.