This study investigates the attitudes of school students toward computers using the Bath County Computer Attitudes Scale and a sample of 644 students in Lebanon. The properties of the scale were explored in relation to a cultural environment that was not investigated before. The reliability and factor analysis of the scale were reported and compared with the findings of other studies that were conducted in other countries using the same scale. In addition, factorial analysis of variance procedure was conducted to investigate the effect of gender and home ownership of computers on students' attitudes. Differences in the means of students' attitudes who used computers differently or received different computer training were compared.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
KulikJ. A.BangertR. L., and WilliamsG. W., Effects of Computer-Based Teaching on Secondary School Students, Journal of Educational Psychology, 75, pp. 19–26, 1983.
2.
BearG. G.RichardsH. C., and LancasterP., Attitudes toward Computers: Validation of a Computer Attitudes Scale, Journal of Educational Computing Research, 3: 2, pp. 207–218, 1987.
3.
BannonS. H.MarshallJ. C., and FluegalS., Cognitive and Affective Computer Attitude Scales: A Validity Study, Educational and Psychological Measurements, 45, pp. 679–681, 1985.
4.
LoydB. H. and GressardC., Reliability and Factorial Validity of Computer Attitude Scales, Educational and Psychological Measurement, 44, pp. 501–505, 1984.
5.
LoydB. H. and LoydD. E., The Reliability and Validity of an Instrument for the Assessment of Computer Attitudes, Educational and Psychological Measurement, 45, pp. 903–908, 1985.
6.
ReeceM. J. and GableR. K., The Development and Validation of a Measure of General Attitudes toward Computers, Educational and Psychological Measurement, 42, pp. 913–915, 1982.
7.
RiggsI. M. and EnochsL. G., A Microcomputer Beliefs Inventory for Middle School Students: Scale Development and Validation, Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 25: 3, pp. 383–389, 1993.
8.
CharltonJ. P. and BirketP. E., The Development and Validation of the Computer Apathy and Anxiety Scale, Journal of Educational Computing Research, 13: 1, pp. 41–59, 1995.
9.
A. Cummings, Change, Organization, and Achievement: Teachers' Concerns in Implementing a Computer Learning Environment, Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 17, pp. 141–163, 1988.
10.
ElkinsR., Attitudes of Special Education Personnel toward Computers, Educational Technology, 25: 1, pp. 31–34, 1985.
11.
KlueverR. C.LamT. C. M.HoffmanE. R.GreenK. E., and SwearingenD. L., The Computer Attitude Scale: Assessing Changes in Teachers' Attitudes toward Computers, Journal of Educational Computing Research, 11: 3, pp. 251–261, 1994.
12.
KoohangA. A., A Study of the Attitudes of Pre-Service Teachers toward the Use of Computers, Educational Communication and Technology Journal, 35, pp. 145–149, 1987.
13.
WoodrowJ. E., The Influence of Programming Training on the Computer Literacy and Attitude of Preservice Teachers, Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 25: 2, pp. 200–219, 1992.
14.
ColleyA. M.GaleM. T., and HarrisT. A., Effects of Gender Role Identity and Experience on Computer Attitude Components, Journal of Educational Computing Research, 10: 2, pp. 129–137, 1994.
15.
FrancisL. J., Measuring Attitude toward Computers among Undergraduate College Students: The Affective Domain, Computer Education (UK), 20: 3, pp. 251–255, 1993.
16.
FrancisL. J. and EvansT. E., The Reliability and Validity of the Bath County Computer Attitude Scale, Journal of Educational Computing Research, 12: 2, pp. 135–146, 1995.
17.
KatzY. J.EvansT. E., and FrancisL. J., The Reliability and Validity of Hebrew Version of Bath County Computer Attitudes Scale, Journal of Educational Computing Research, 13: 3, pp. 237–244, 1995.
18.
RainerR. K.Jr. and MillerM. D., An Assessment of the Psychometric Properties of the Computer Attitude Scale, Computers in Human Behavior, 12: 1, pp. 93–105, 1996.
19.
KayR., An Analysis of Methods Used to Examine Gender Differences in Computer-Related Behaviors, Journal of Educational Computing Research, 8, pp. 277–290, 1992.
20.
EriksonT. E.LoweryL. L., and BlombergJ., The Blomberg-Erickson-Lowery Computer Attitudes Task, Lawrence Hall of Science, Berkeley, California, 1988.
21.
GardnerD. G.DukesR. L., and DiscenzaR., Computer Use, Self-Confidence, and Attitudes: A Casual Analysis, Computers in Human Behavior, 9, pp. 427–440, 1993.
22.
ProctorR. M. and BurnettP. C., Computer Attitudes and Classroom Computers, Computers in the Schools, 12: 3, pp. 33–41, 1996.
23.
AyersmanD. J., Effects of Computer Instruction, Learning Style, Gender, and Experience on Computer Anxiety, Computers in the Schools, 12: 4, pp. 15–30, 1996.
24.
VermetteS. M.OrrR. R., and HallM. H., Attitudes of Elementary School Students and Teachers toward Computers in Education, Educational Technology, 26: 1, pp. 41–47, 1986.
25.
ShashaaniL., Gender-Based Differences in Attitudes toward Computers, Computers & Education, 20, pp. 169–181, 1993.
26.
YaghiH. M., Computer Education in Lebanon (CD-ROM), ASEE (American Society for Engineering Education) Annual Conference Proceedings, Washington, D.C., Session 2660, June 23–26, 1996.
27.
NorusisM. J., SPSS Professional Statistics 6.1, SPSS Inc., Chicago, 1994.
28.
DyckJ. L. and Al-AwarSmither J., Age Differences in Computer Anxiety: The Role of Computer Experience, Gender, and Education, Journal of Educational Computing Research, 10: 3, pp. 239–248, 1994.
