ERIC Number: ED494972
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2005
Pages: 8
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Students' Attitudes towards Computer: Statistical Types and their Relationship with Computer Literacy
Saparniene, Diana; Merkys, Gediminas; Saparnis, Gintaras
Online Submission, Paper presented at the European Conference on Educational Research, University College (Dublin, Ireland, Sep 7-10, 2005)
Purpose: The purpose of this article is to identify and define the existing students' statistical types by their attitudes towards a computer (emotional-motivational relationship with a computer) and to disclose the connection with factual computer literacy using multidimensional statistical methods. Methodology: The empirical-experimental part of the present study is based on a series of diagnostic studies of 1004 surveyed Lithuanian students. A test (theoretical and practical) on computer literacy and 2 anonymous closed type questionnaires "Student and computer" and "Student and studies", which was comprised of a series of questions on computer literacy and studies, were designed (Saparniene, 2002). In this article the respondents' answers to the questions on emotional-motivational relationship with a computer (questionnaire "Student and Computer") and the results of the test on computer literacy are being analysed. Results: In order to divide the respondents into groups by their emotional-motivational relationship with a computer cluster analysis was made. As the number of the surveyed and of the objects to be classified was considerably big, k-means (k-number of clusters) cluster analysis was chosen. The factually existing statistical types of students by their emotional-motivational relationship with a computer were revealed: functionalists, computer fans and enthusiasts, computerphobes. In the course of the study a statistical correlation between clusters and computer literacy level has been tested. The results state that students having formed a positive attitude towards a computer usually demonstrate higher computer literacy level, whereas persons expressing a negative attitude are of lower computer literacy level. For the data analysis it has been worth studying how the gender aspect is intervening into the statistical interaction of the two variables discussed above. Conclusions: The study indicates that students' computer literacy is only affected by the emotional-motivational relationship with a computer. The study data has revealed that students having formed a positive contact with a computer (both male and female) usually demonstrate higher computer literacy level, whereas persons expressing a negative attitude are of lower computer literacy level. The research data has shown that the usage of a cluster analysis method, searching for statistical types of students' population by the variation of their attitudes toward the computer, has served its purpose. During the research the factually existing statistical types of students by their emotional-motivational relationship with a computer were revealed: functionalists, computer fans and enthusiasts, computerphobes and the relation with their factual computer literacy were also determined. Qualitative description of "pure" statistical groups, depending on the expression of features and the determination of these groups by percentage in the general population, is essential information with which the process of formation of computer literacy should be optimized and promoted. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Lithuania
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