The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology TOJET January 2009 ISSN: 1303-6521 volume 8 Issue 1 Article 4
HOW DOES STUDENT ABILITY AND SELF-EFFICACY AFFECT THE USAGE OF COMPUTER
TECHNOLOGY
Prof. Dr. Aytekin İŞMAN Sakarya University
Gülsün Ersoy ÇELIKLI
Eastern Mediterranean University
ABSTRACT
The main aim of this research was to find out the self-efficacy level among participant students and analyze their beliefs. This
study showed that male students are more confident comparing to female student, similar to research of Bimer (2000), the
computer usage has been known as biased toward the interests and fashion of men, this research also showed that females are
not as confident as men are to computers. Awoleye & Siyanbola (2005), Bimer (2000), indicated that computers have some
gendered attributes that favor man in some way so that men are more likely to use computers and they are more confident.
Therefore it can be said that many studies has been support the gender factor in self-efficacy, but this research also showed
that this changes are more likely to be depend on the complexity of the task and the year of computer usage of the particular
student as Busch (1995) has been found the similar results. Similar to the study of Compeau, and Higging (1995), it is found
that self-efficacy shapes the individuals beliefs and behaviors as well. It is not surprising to find out that students have different
computer levels and this affects their self-efficacy. Also some students have advance computer knowledge, therefore they
complain about the level of the computer courses offered to them. In addition to this it can be said that students with different
computer skills shows different self-efficacy levels as well.
INTRODUCTION
Computer technology is involved in many aspects of our daily lives. In universities teachers' expectations from students about
their computer abilities has been increasing. Most of the teachers do not accept hand written projects, they usually prefer
presentations prepared on computers, and they also expect their students to do further studies, comparisons of their subject
with different authors results. Basically all departments at Eastern Mediterranean University, Faculty of Education, has basic
computer literacy courses given to their students in order to provide equal opportunities to all their students to gain the ability
of efficient computer usage for their projects, and presentations. On the other hand as much as university intention to help
students to gain computer abilities, the students self-efficacy is also important to be able to apply what they have learned to
real situations.
THE AIM OF RESEARCH
This study is about the students' self-efficacy to use computers. Usually project based assignment need, further research about
subjects and there is a need for computer to be used to do researches about the subject, to type the project, or to do
presentations, or both. The students' self-efficacy to use computer beneficially as a tool can be a matter of discussion in the
universities, where it can be considered that students need this technology more than their previous level of studies. The main
problem is that many students can not efficiently benefit from computers, for some students it is an extra work to involve
computers in their assignments. For this reason this project aim is to measure the student's self-efficacies or levels of using
computers beneficially.
There are 4 research questions that this paper answers;
1- What is the student's self-efficacy level at Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU), faculty of education?
2- Is there a difference about computer self-efficacy based on the years of computer usage?
3- Is there a difference about computer self-efficacy based on gender?
4- Is there a difference about compute self-efficacy based on having computer at home?
IMPORTANCE OF THE RESEARCH
The results of this study might be so surprising; there are many students at the EMU, who have very poor computer abilities.
Even though all the departments are offering computer courses, mostly in their first years of study, students still face with
difficulties to improve and transfer their knowledge to the next levels. Most of the students still have difficulties preparing
presentations by using computers, or even typing their reports efficiently by using computer. The importance of this study is
that it focused to investigate where students have problems about their computer self-efficacy or if they have any problems at
all as it is observed by instructors. The suggested reason for poor computer abilities in this study is that, since students are so
much focused on their major area of their studies, they don't put much effort to learn maximum from their computer courses.
This leads most of them to face lack of computer usage knowledge and poor abilities to use it as a tool for their assignments.
, The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology TOJET January 2009 ISSN: 1303-6521 volume 8 Issue 1 Article 4
Simpson and Payne suggests that if teachers perceive computers as a powerful tool in both teaching and learning than it is
expected from them to use it more frequently in their own teachings as well (1999). It can be said that computers are part of
people's life. Universities are where students and teachers are using computers for researches and assignments, therefore it is
considered to be a very helpful tool for them. Therefore self-efficacy toward computers especially among students plays a
very important role in motivation of students as well as their performance.
METHOD
Operational Definition of Variables
This study was designed to examine students' self-efficacy toward computer usage, based on their departments and genders.
Independent and dependent variables of this study are as followed:
Independent Variables:
Characteristics of the students are the independent variables. There are 5 independent variables for this study.
1. Gender.
2. Having Computer in their homes.
3. Since how many years they are using computer.
4. Took a Computer course.
5. Department
Dependent Variables:
1. I am confident about my basic computer hardware knowledge.
2. I am confident about my ability to install any software.
3.1 am confident to format my own computer when it is necessary.
4. While I am using computer, if I get any error message, I am confident to solve the problem.
5. If any error occurs while I am using computer, I feel confident if get professional help to solve it.
6. I am confident about my Microsoft Word very abilities.
7. I am confident about my Microsoft Excel abilities.
8. 1 am confident about my Microsoft Power Point abilities.
9. I am confident to prepare my presentations on computer.
10. I avoid using computers as much as possible.
11. At the university they thought us basic computer usage very well.
12. I learned how to use computers with my own willing.
13. I am confident about my computer abilities.
14. I use computers only for internet.
15. I will be more confident if I have more computer related courses in my department.
16. I will be more confident if i improve my computer skills.
17. I believe that it is a must to know how to use computers.
18. I think computer courses given to us are useless.
19. The level of computer courses offered by our department is below our abilities.
20. I am scared to use computers.
Identification of the Population
The population of this study included undergraduate students of Eastern Mediterranean University, Faculty of Education,
Department of English Language Teaching (ELT) and Turkish Language Teaching (TLT) in fall 2007-2008 at Northern
Cyprus.
Sample
The sample of the study is selected by random sampling method, 70 students were selected with this method, among the
Eastern Mediterranean University, Faculty of Education undergraduate students, who are registered during fall 2007-2008. In
total 36 of the students were from English Language Teaching and 34 of them were from Turkish Language Teaching
department.
Instrument
For this research study. 5-scale Likert type of questionnaire is designed to analyze students' self-efficacy of computer usage.
There were 25 items in this instrument, 5 items were related to personal information, and 20 items related with self-efficacy
of computer usage are on a series five-point Likert-scale. (4-Strongly agree and 0-Strongly disagree). The reliability alpha
coefficients of the scale were 0.82 (20 items).
HOW DOES STUDENT ABILITY AND SELF-EFFICACY AFFECT THE USAGE OF COMPUTER
TECHNOLOGY
Prof. Dr. Aytekin İŞMAN Sakarya University
Gülsün Ersoy ÇELIKLI
Eastern Mediterranean University
ABSTRACT
The main aim of this research was to find out the self-efficacy level among participant students and analyze their beliefs. This
study showed that male students are more confident comparing to female student, similar to research of Bimer (2000), the
computer usage has been known as biased toward the interests and fashion of men, this research also showed that females are
not as confident as men are to computers. Awoleye & Siyanbola (2005), Bimer (2000), indicated that computers have some
gendered attributes that favor man in some way so that men are more likely to use computers and they are more confident.
Therefore it can be said that many studies has been support the gender factor in self-efficacy, but this research also showed
that this changes are more likely to be depend on the complexity of the task and the year of computer usage of the particular
student as Busch (1995) has been found the similar results. Similar to the study of Compeau, and Higging (1995), it is found
that self-efficacy shapes the individuals beliefs and behaviors as well. It is not surprising to find out that students have different
computer levels and this affects their self-efficacy. Also some students have advance computer knowledge, therefore they
complain about the level of the computer courses offered to them. In addition to this it can be said that students with different
computer skills shows different self-efficacy levels as well.
INTRODUCTION
Computer technology is involved in many aspects of our daily lives. In universities teachers' expectations from students about
their computer abilities has been increasing. Most of the teachers do not accept hand written projects, they usually prefer
presentations prepared on computers, and they also expect their students to do further studies, comparisons of their subject
with different authors results. Basically all departments at Eastern Mediterranean University, Faculty of Education, has basic
computer literacy courses given to their students in order to provide equal opportunities to all their students to gain the ability
of efficient computer usage for their projects, and presentations. On the other hand as much as university intention to help
students to gain computer abilities, the students self-efficacy is also important to be able to apply what they have learned to
real situations.
THE AIM OF RESEARCH
This study is about the students' self-efficacy to use computers. Usually project based assignment need, further research about
subjects and there is a need for computer to be used to do researches about the subject, to type the project, or to do
presentations, or both. The students' self-efficacy to use computer beneficially as a tool can be a matter of discussion in the
universities, where it can be considered that students need this technology more than their previous level of studies. The main
problem is that many students can not efficiently benefit from computers, for some students it is an extra work to involve
computers in their assignments. For this reason this project aim is to measure the student's self-efficacies or levels of using
computers beneficially.
There are 4 research questions that this paper answers;
1- What is the student's self-efficacy level at Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU), faculty of education?
2- Is there a difference about computer self-efficacy based on the years of computer usage?
3- Is there a difference about computer self-efficacy based on gender?
4- Is there a difference about compute self-efficacy based on having computer at home?
IMPORTANCE OF THE RESEARCH
The results of this study might be so surprising; there are many students at the EMU, who have very poor computer abilities.
Even though all the departments are offering computer courses, mostly in their first years of study, students still face with
difficulties to improve and transfer their knowledge to the next levels. Most of the students still have difficulties preparing
presentations by using computers, or even typing their reports efficiently by using computer. The importance of this study is
that it focused to investigate where students have problems about their computer self-efficacy or if they have any problems at
all as it is observed by instructors. The suggested reason for poor computer abilities in this study is that, since students are so
much focused on their major area of their studies, they don't put much effort to learn maximum from their computer courses.
This leads most of them to face lack of computer usage knowledge and poor abilities to use it as a tool for their assignments.
, The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology TOJET January 2009 ISSN: 1303-6521 volume 8 Issue 1 Article 4
Simpson and Payne suggests that if teachers perceive computers as a powerful tool in both teaching and learning than it is
expected from them to use it more frequently in their own teachings as well (1999). It can be said that computers are part of
people's life. Universities are where students and teachers are using computers for researches and assignments, therefore it is
considered to be a very helpful tool for them. Therefore self-efficacy toward computers especially among students plays a
very important role in motivation of students as well as their performance.
METHOD
Operational Definition of Variables
This study was designed to examine students' self-efficacy toward computer usage, based on their departments and genders.
Independent and dependent variables of this study are as followed:
Independent Variables:
Characteristics of the students are the independent variables. There are 5 independent variables for this study.
1. Gender.
2. Having Computer in their homes.
3. Since how many years they are using computer.
4. Took a Computer course.
5. Department
Dependent Variables:
1. I am confident about my basic computer hardware knowledge.
2. I am confident about my ability to install any software.
3.1 am confident to format my own computer when it is necessary.
4. While I am using computer, if I get any error message, I am confident to solve the problem.
5. If any error occurs while I am using computer, I feel confident if get professional help to solve it.
6. I am confident about my Microsoft Word very abilities.
7. I am confident about my Microsoft Excel abilities.
8. 1 am confident about my Microsoft Power Point abilities.
9. I am confident to prepare my presentations on computer.
10. I avoid using computers as much as possible.
11. At the university they thought us basic computer usage very well.
12. I learned how to use computers with my own willing.
13. I am confident about my computer abilities.
14. I use computers only for internet.
15. I will be more confident if I have more computer related courses in my department.
16. I will be more confident if i improve my computer skills.
17. I believe that it is a must to know how to use computers.
18. I think computer courses given to us are useless.
19. The level of computer courses offered by our department is below our abilities.
20. I am scared to use computers.
Identification of the Population
The population of this study included undergraduate students of Eastern Mediterranean University, Faculty of Education,
Department of English Language Teaching (ELT) and Turkish Language Teaching (TLT) in fall 2007-2008 at Northern
Cyprus.
Sample
The sample of the study is selected by random sampling method, 70 students were selected with this method, among the
Eastern Mediterranean University, Faculty of Education undergraduate students, who are registered during fall 2007-2008. In
total 36 of the students were from English Language Teaching and 34 of them were from Turkish Language Teaching
department.
Instrument
For this research study. 5-scale Likert type of questionnaire is designed to analyze students' self-efficacy of computer usage.
There were 25 items in this instrument, 5 items were related to personal information, and 20 items related with self-efficacy
of computer usage are on a series five-point Likert-scale. (4-Strongly agree and 0-Strongly disagree). The reliability alpha
coefficients of the scale were 0.82 (20 items).
