- Email: [email protected]
Investigating the Impact of Human Factors (Teachers, Managers, Curriculum Developers…) on IT Development Project in Senior High schools
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 15 (2011) 2999–3001
WCES-2011
Investigating the Impact of Human Factors (Teachers, Managers, Curriculum Developers…) on IT Development Project in Senior High schools Parvi aftabi a* , Kalil Allahvirdiyani b, Alireza Motallebi Nejad,c Akbar Momeni rad, d , Hiva Mohammdjami e 1
a Azad University Central Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran Allameh Tabatabaii University, Dehkade Olympic, Tehran, Iran c Allameh Tabatabaii University, Dehkade Olympic, Tehran, Iran d Allameh Tabatabaii University, Dehkade Olympic, Tehran, Iran e Allameh Tabatabaii University, Dehkade Olympic, Tehran, Iran b
Abstract This research is accomplished for the purpose of IT Expansion Plan assessment from the viewpoint of Tehran high school teachers. The questionnaire of researcher is used to assess IT Expansion from the viewpoint of teachers in order to observe and evaluate readiness condition of primary substructure of Information Technology functions and data managing. The statistic population of the research is high school teachers in all Tehran’s 19 areas of education office who are teaching in 13881389.Stratified random sampling method is taken. In this manner, geographical regions of Tehran’s education office are divided into four regions (north, south, east and west). And one area is chosen randomly from each regional division and then, two high schools (a boy’s and a girl’s) are chosen randomly by draw a lot from each selected area. And also inferential statistics methods (mono group-t) are used for data analysis. Results show that human factors (teachers, managers, curriculum planners…), economic factors, technologic factors (facilities) and educational factors (purposes, books, contents…) have a great impact on IT Expansion Plan in Tehran’s high schools. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: IT Expansion Plan, high school teachers, human factors, economic, technologic, educational
Introduction In modern competitive world, organizations need to knowledge management for their survival Anunimous.2009, March, 2001). It goes without saying that in the 21st century, the issue of knowledge is an indispensable component of all organizations and they will succeed in providing the necessary infrastructures for its implementation and in designing the required framework Choy.2008. Estiv viler, 2000, Jang, 2005)So far, information technology (IT) has been able to have the highest share in knowledge management (Hlari, & Shirmilari, 2009). In fact, all states intend, in spite of financial limitations, to provide citizens with the most comprehensive training. Establishment of an
1 * Parvi aftabi, tel: +989149180198, E-mail addrewss: [email protected]
1877–0428 © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.04.230
3000
Parvi aftabi et al. / Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 15 (2011) 2999–3001
institution called Educational Communication and Information Technology Organization in many European countries is an evidence for this claim ( Lan 1993, Lay, & Perat, 2007). The effect of IT on human life might not be felt in any area as much as education, and nowadays, evolution of education as a result of powerful emergence of IT has risen. Using IT, learners will be able to take in a great deal of information in the short time. Research projects reveal that since the advent of IT in the field of education, motivated and creative learners have been attracted by education to a great extent (Norris, & Soloway, ,2003). Dissemination of IT in education is feasible through leading the power of IT so that schools turn into dynamic, creative educational institutes and the attitude and ability of everlasting learning will cultivate in students. IT encourages students and gives them some kind of power to learn on their own and also instils high motivation in them toward learning, and helps them nurture the habit of self-learning, which is useful for their lives, within themselves. Ever-increasing expansion of IT in the world raises the necessity for its employment in the country, especially in education (Page, 2002). What seems more important is laying the suitable ground for enhancement of IT (Shoka, 2005) Different social strata especially students should become aware of the positive effects and advantages of IT in the future of country and know that it is the only way for continuity of movement toward an information society. They should also adapt themselves to living conditions (Koray,1998) Nowadays, teaching basic skills has gone beyond reading, writing, calculating and reasoning, and teaching information and communication technology skills forms the center of many educational systems round the world. Thus, this study, emphasizing factors in growth and development of IT, seeks to provide the necessary conditions for applying of this technology in education (Norris, & Soloway, 2003). Description of the necessity for such a study entitled “Investigating CT Developmental Project in Tehran Senior High Schools” also becomes clear Jensen, 2008, Kaningham, 2000). Material and Methodology Methods employed in this study include description and survey. The statistical population comprises teachers serving in 19 educational districts of Tehran senior high schools in the academic year 2009-2010. The city of Tehran is divided into 19 districts in terms of Department General of Education, and the researcher, due to extensiveness of the population in question, had to divide Tehran into four regions, namely, the north, the sough, the west and the east, and randomly select a region out of these ones. Sampling process was conducted through random stratified method and had such features as the condition of chance versus members of the target society and the condition of independence. Therefore, some samples of this project were predicted from the list of Department of Education (out of districts and schools). Results - Human factors (teachers, managers, curriculum developers…) have considerably affect IT development project in senior high schools, and this study is in conformity with the studies carried out by Prensky(2001), Kapel. (2000), Hasselbring, & Williams-Glaser, (2000). -
Economic factors have a significant impact on IT development project in senior high schools. As studies indicate, teaching IT skills to the staff, whether directly or indirectly, leads to an increase in the economic power for companies and states. Teaching this skill to the personnel remarkably saves time and budget, which causes economic growth in an organization (Resta, 2002, February, 2000). Of course there relationships are mutual; in other words, enhancing the IT development project in organizations (both in terms of buying hardware and in terms of supplying the budget for educational course and also other expenses), demands allocation of regular credits; and this shows that in order for IT development project to expand in schools, those responsible should provide schools with enough budget (Rozjoli, 2004, Anunimous, 2009). Technological (equipment) and educational factors (goals, content of textbooks…) have a great impact on IT development project in senior high schools. Given the foregoing findings, it can be concluded that education can be regarded as one of the major centers of IT development project in schools. Evidently, as long as teachers do not receive training in a systematic and applied fashion, implementation of IT development project will be impossible. Designing suitable educational courses and
Parvi aftabi et al. / Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 15 (2011) 2999–3001
3001
developing practical textbooks which are easy to understand for teachers can be effective in enhancement of the project. References Anunimous, L. J. (2009, March). The k-12 technology coordinator. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Eastern Educational Research Association, Sarasota, FL. Apyion, C. A. (2001). Using technology to enhance the writing processes of students with learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 29, 344–354. Choy, H (2008). The influence of computer and internet use on teachers’ pedagogical practices and perceptions.Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 31(4), 356–384. Estiv viler, A. (2000). Empowering students with technology. Arlington Heights, IL: Skylight Hasselbring, T. S., & Williams-Glaser, C. H. (2000). Use of computer technology to help students with special needs. Children and Computer Technology, 10(2), 102–122. Hlari, J., & Shirmilari, J. B. (2009). Teaching and learning with technology (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education Incorporated. Jang, H. J. (2005). Who’s wired and who’s not: Children’s access to and use of computer technology. The Future of Children:Children and Computer Technology, 10(2), 44–75. Jensen, C. (2008). The need for a computer/media coordinator in a public school system. TechTrends: For leaders in education & training, 32(5), 16-19. Kaningham, J. (2000). Leading teacher educators to a new paradigm:Observations on technology integration. AACTE Briefs, 21(10), 4–6. Kapel. R. (2000). Collecting data by in-depth interviewing. British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, University of Sussex at Brighton. Retrieved December 12, 2009, from http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/documents/000001172.htmColey, L. N. (1997, September). Technology’s impact. Electronic School, A30-A33. Karelson, B., & Gadio, D. (2002). Diagramming a logic strategy: Effects on difficult problem types and transfer. Learning Disabilities Quarterly, 13(3), 168–182. Koray, D. (1998). The technology coordinator. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education. Lan, D. (1993). Meaningful Learningwith Technology (3rd ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Incorporated. Lay, I. A., & Perat, C. P.(2007). Enhancing fourth graders’ ability to interpret graphical representations through the use of microcomputerbased labs implemented within an inquiry-based activity sequence. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 26(1), 75– 99. Norris, C., Sullivan, T., Poirot, J., & Soloway, E. (2003). No access, no use, no impact: Snapshot surveys of educational technology in K-12. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 36(1), 15–27. Shoka, ardashir, J. (2005). Leading teacher educators to a new paradigm:Observations on technology integration. AACTE Briefs, 21(10), 4–6. Norris, C., Sullivan, T., Poirot, J., & Soloway, E. (2003). No access, no use, no impact: Snapshot surveys of educational technology in K-12. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 36(1), 15–27. Office of Technology Assessment. (1995). Teachers and technology:Making the connection (No. OTA-EHR-616). Washington, DC:Government Printing Office. Page, M. (2002). Technology-enriched classrooms: Effects on students of low socio-economic status. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 34(4), 389–409. Poter, R. C., & Keramer, D. E. (2009), The computer as an educational tool (5th ed.).Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Incorporated Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5), 1–6. Professional Development.Henri, B., & Makfadan, J. (2000). Reforming and strengthening America’s schools for the 21stcentury, [Press Release]. Retrieved November 22, 2009 from http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/education/Fact_Sheet_Education_Reform_Speech_FINAL.pdf. Resta, R. (2002, February). The preparation and role of technologyleadership for the schools. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the EasternEducational Research Association, Clearwater, FL
Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 15 (2011) 2999–3001
WCES-2011
Investigating the Impact of Human Factors (Teachers, Managers, Curriculum Developers…) on IT Development Project in Senior High schools Parvi aftabi a* , Kalil Allahvirdiyani b, Alireza Motallebi Nejad,c Akbar Momeni rad, d , Hiva Mohammdjami e 1
a Azad University Central Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran Allameh Tabatabaii University, Dehkade Olympic, Tehran, Iran c Allameh Tabatabaii University, Dehkade Olympic, Tehran, Iran d Allameh Tabatabaii University, Dehkade Olympic, Tehran, Iran e Allameh Tabatabaii University, Dehkade Olympic, Tehran, Iran b
Abstract This research is accomplished for the purpose of IT Expansion Plan assessment from the viewpoint of Tehran high school teachers. The questionnaire of researcher is used to assess IT Expansion from the viewpoint of teachers in order to observe and evaluate readiness condition of primary substructure of Information Technology functions and data managing. The statistic population of the research is high school teachers in all Tehran’s 19 areas of education office who are teaching in 13881389.Stratified random sampling method is taken. In this manner, geographical regions of Tehran’s education office are divided into four regions (north, south, east and west). And one area is chosen randomly from each regional division and then, two high schools (a boy’s and a girl’s) are chosen randomly by draw a lot from each selected area. And also inferential statistics methods (mono group-t) are used for data analysis. Results show that human factors (teachers, managers, curriculum planners…), economic factors, technologic factors (facilities) and educational factors (purposes, books, contents…) have a great impact on IT Expansion Plan in Tehran’s high schools. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: IT Expansion Plan, high school teachers, human factors, economic, technologic, educational
Introduction In modern competitive world, organizations need to knowledge management for their survival Anunimous.2009, March, 2001). It goes without saying that in the 21st century, the issue of knowledge is an indispensable component of all organizations and they will succeed in providing the necessary infrastructures for its implementation and in designing the required framework Choy.2008. Estiv viler, 2000, Jang, 2005)So far, information technology (IT) has been able to have the highest share in knowledge management (Hlari, & Shirmilari, 2009). In fact, all states intend, in spite of financial limitations, to provide citizens with the most comprehensive training. Establishment of an
1 * Parvi aftabi, tel: +989149180198, E-mail addrewss: [email protected]
1877–0428 © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.04.230
3000
Parvi aftabi et al. / Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 15 (2011) 2999–3001
institution called Educational Communication and Information Technology Organization in many European countries is an evidence for this claim ( Lan 1993, Lay, & Perat, 2007). The effect of IT on human life might not be felt in any area as much as education, and nowadays, evolution of education as a result of powerful emergence of IT has risen. Using IT, learners will be able to take in a great deal of information in the short time. Research projects reveal that since the advent of IT in the field of education, motivated and creative learners have been attracted by education to a great extent (Norris, & Soloway, ,2003). Dissemination of IT in education is feasible through leading the power of IT so that schools turn into dynamic, creative educational institutes and the attitude and ability of everlasting learning will cultivate in students. IT encourages students and gives them some kind of power to learn on their own and also instils high motivation in them toward learning, and helps them nurture the habit of self-learning, which is useful for their lives, within themselves. Ever-increasing expansion of IT in the world raises the necessity for its employment in the country, especially in education (Page, 2002). What seems more important is laying the suitable ground for enhancement of IT (Shoka, 2005) Different social strata especially students should become aware of the positive effects and advantages of IT in the future of country and know that it is the only way for continuity of movement toward an information society. They should also adapt themselves to living conditions (Koray,1998) Nowadays, teaching basic skills has gone beyond reading, writing, calculating and reasoning, and teaching information and communication technology skills forms the center of many educational systems round the world. Thus, this study, emphasizing factors in growth and development of IT, seeks to provide the necessary conditions for applying of this technology in education (Norris, & Soloway, 2003). Description of the necessity for such a study entitled “Investigating CT Developmental Project in Tehran Senior High Schools” also becomes clear Jensen, 2008, Kaningham, 2000). Material and Methodology Methods employed in this study include description and survey. The statistical population comprises teachers serving in 19 educational districts of Tehran senior high schools in the academic year 2009-2010. The city of Tehran is divided into 19 districts in terms of Department General of Education, and the researcher, due to extensiveness of the population in question, had to divide Tehran into four regions, namely, the north, the sough, the west and the east, and randomly select a region out of these ones. Sampling process was conducted through random stratified method and had such features as the condition of chance versus members of the target society and the condition of independence. Therefore, some samples of this project were predicted from the list of Department of Education (out of districts and schools). Results - Human factors (teachers, managers, curriculum developers…) have considerably affect IT development project in senior high schools, and this study is in conformity with the studies carried out by Prensky(2001), Kapel. (2000), Hasselbring, & Williams-Glaser, (2000). -
Economic factors have a significant impact on IT development project in senior high schools. As studies indicate, teaching IT skills to the staff, whether directly or indirectly, leads to an increase in the economic power for companies and states. Teaching this skill to the personnel remarkably saves time and budget, which causes economic growth in an organization (Resta, 2002, February, 2000). Of course there relationships are mutual; in other words, enhancing the IT development project in organizations (both in terms of buying hardware and in terms of supplying the budget for educational course and also other expenses), demands allocation of regular credits; and this shows that in order for IT development project to expand in schools, those responsible should provide schools with enough budget (Rozjoli, 2004, Anunimous, 2009). Technological (equipment) and educational factors (goals, content of textbooks…) have a great impact on IT development project in senior high schools. Given the foregoing findings, it can be concluded that education can be regarded as one of the major centers of IT development project in schools. Evidently, as long as teachers do not receive training in a systematic and applied fashion, implementation of IT development project will be impossible. Designing suitable educational courses and
Parvi aftabi et al. / Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 15 (2011) 2999–3001
3001
developing practical textbooks which are easy to understand for teachers can be effective in enhancement of the project. References Anunimous, L. J. (2009, March). The k-12 technology coordinator. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Eastern Educational Research Association, Sarasota, FL. Apyion, C. A. (2001). Using technology to enhance the writing processes of students with learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 29, 344–354. Choy, H (2008). The influence of computer and internet use on teachers’ pedagogical practices and perceptions.Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 31(4), 356–384. Estiv viler, A. (2000). Empowering students with technology. Arlington Heights, IL: Skylight Hasselbring, T. S., & Williams-Glaser, C. H. (2000). Use of computer technology to help students with special needs. Children and Computer Technology, 10(2), 102–122. Hlari, J., & Shirmilari, J. B. (2009). Teaching and learning with technology (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education Incorporated. Jang, H. J. (2005). Who’s wired and who’s not: Children’s access to and use of computer technology. The Future of Children:Children and Computer Technology, 10(2), 44–75. Jensen, C. (2008). The need for a computer/media coordinator in a public school system. TechTrends: For leaders in education & training, 32(5), 16-19. Kaningham, J. (2000). Leading teacher educators to a new paradigm:Observations on technology integration. AACTE Briefs, 21(10), 4–6. Kapel. R. (2000). Collecting data by in-depth interviewing. British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, University of Sussex at Brighton. Retrieved December 12, 2009, from http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/documents/000001172.htmColey, L. N. (1997, September). Technology’s impact. Electronic School, A30-A33. Karelson, B., & Gadio, D. (2002). Diagramming a logic strategy: Effects on difficult problem types and transfer. Learning Disabilities Quarterly, 13(3), 168–182. Koray, D. (1998). The technology coordinator. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education. Lan, D. (1993). Meaningful Learningwith Technology (3rd ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Incorporated. Lay, I. A., & Perat, C. P.(2007). Enhancing fourth graders’ ability to interpret graphical representations through the use of microcomputerbased labs implemented within an inquiry-based activity sequence. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 26(1), 75– 99. Norris, C., Sullivan, T., Poirot, J., & Soloway, E. (2003). No access, no use, no impact: Snapshot surveys of educational technology in K-12. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 36(1), 15–27. Shoka, ardashir, J. (2005). Leading teacher educators to a new paradigm:Observations on technology integration. AACTE Briefs, 21(10), 4–6. Norris, C., Sullivan, T., Poirot, J., & Soloway, E. (2003). No access, no use, no impact: Snapshot surveys of educational technology in K-12. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 36(1), 15–27. Office of Technology Assessment. (1995). Teachers and technology:Making the connection (No. OTA-EHR-616). Washington, DC:Government Printing Office. Page, M. (2002). Technology-enriched classrooms: Effects on students of low socio-economic status. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 34(4), 389–409. Poter, R. C., & Keramer, D. E. (2009), The computer as an educational tool (5th ed.).Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Incorporated Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5), 1–6. Professional Development.Henri, B., & Makfadan, J. (2000). Reforming and strengthening America’s schools for the 21stcentury, [Press Release]. Retrieved November 22, 2009 from http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/education/Fact_Sheet_Education_Reform_Speech_FINAL.pdf. Resta, R. (2002, February). The preparation and role of technologyleadership for the schools. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the EasternEducational Research Association, Clearwater, FL