Master of Arts

Computers are not often associated with passion or culture, yet the use of information technology still has surprising emotional effect on many people, including teachers. This emotion may be anything from excitement and enthusiasm to anger or a sense of threat. These emotions tend to be polarised into positives and negatives depending upon whether we see the computer as an opportunity or threat, which in turn depends a great deal upon our past experience and present organisational climate. Often, this strongly emotional response can prevent us from learning how to use IT effectively as a tool for learning.

This study looks at the psychological barriers related to the teachers' use of computer technology in a Singapore primary school. These barriers include the personal and behavioural factors of attitude and anxiety, self-efficacy, willingness to make time commitment and take personal risk, computer competency, beliefs, knowledge and perceived needs and relevance in the use of IT in teaching and learning in the school.

This study is carried out in three phases. A total of 83 teachers participated in the survey during a Work Improvement Teams (WITs) project workshop. Fourteen of these teachers participated in in-depth interviews to probe further into the teachers' perception on the administrative support given in their use computer-base technology and their perceived time constrain. That negatively affected their use of computer-based technology in teaching. These interviews provided insights to the discrepancy that exists in the survey. Of these 14 interviewed, observations were conducted with 2 teachers to observe the possible psychological barriers, which could affect teachers' use of computers in the environment. Purpose dialogue sessions were conducted with the principal, vice-principal, IT co-ordinator during the data collection phases to confirm on teachers' perception on the management support. These together with the analysis of document form the primary sources of my data collection as I attempt to seek, derive and describe findings that promote greater understanding of the psychological barriers that could affect the teachers' use of computer their teaching and learning in this school.

Results of the survey indicate that an increase in teaching experience without using computer is significantly related to a decrease in teachers beliefs in the relevance of computer usage in teaching in the future and the perceived confidence and competence in computer usage.

On the other hand, an increase in computer use experience (either in daily work or in instructional purpose) is significantly related to a decrease in the level of anxiety and an increase in the perception of competency and confidence the teacher experience. This group of teachers is more willing to learn more about computer , are younger and has been teaching at the primary level for less than 3 years.

However, it is also found too that prior training provided is not significantly related to the 5 psychological barriers in computer usage. Teachers reveal during the interview sessions that the training sessions provided thus far are not adequate in helping them to acquire sufficient strategies on how to use computer-based technology for classroom teaching in a real situation.

Through interviews and purposive dialogues, it is found that majority of the teachers, who perceived themselves as competent or otherwise, are psychologically at ease not to use computer technology instructional purpose as they do not perceive the need to use it. There is no pressure from amongst the management nor the staff to use information technology in teaching and learning in this school.