CONCORDANCE OF MICROCOMPUTER USES IN EDUCATION

WILLIAM ROBERT FELLMY, Purdue University

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if administrators, computer-using teachers, non-computer-using teachers, computer experts, and bankers showed agreement when ranking the salient elements of a computer education program, the curricular uses of microcomputers, and the administrative uses of microcomputers. Based on a review of the literature and input from a selected panel of nine recognized experts in the field of educational computing, the "Microcomputer Salient Element Identification Instrument" was developed. Participants for this study included 65 administrators, 59 computer-using teachers, 55 non-computer-using teachers, 10 computer experts, and 10 bankers. The administrators and both teacher groups were drawn from a population of 47 school corporations in Indiana which employed at least 200 staff members. Kendall's Coefficient of Concordance, W, and the Kruskal-Wallis test were used to test the association of ranks. General agreement was evident within all five groups of the study. Agreement was also found among the eight school corporations. When specific groups were considered, however, agreement with the computer experts was found only with the non-computer-using teachers in ranking the curricular uses of microcomputers. The data further suggested a trend toward agreement between the computer experts and the administrators, computer-using teachers, and bankers. Administrators and bankers agreed in ranking curricular and administrative uses of microcomputers. Several conclusions were drawn. (1) Overall, computer literacy was ranked as the most important educational goal and in-servicing teachers, second. The computer experts, however, ranked "using the computer as a problem-solving tool" as most important. (2) "Keyboard familiarization" was ranked as the most important curricular use with applications software, programming, and word processing following in order. The computer experts ranked keyboard familiarization in a tie with word processing. The computer-using teachers rated BASIC programming as most important. (3) Overall, the most important administrative use was student recordkeeping and grade reporting; financial accounting and reporting was rated second; payroll and student scheduling tied for third and fourth. The computer experts ranked word processing as the most important administrative use of microcomputers. Several implications were drawn from the findings and have been reported in the text.

Degree

Ph.D.

Subject Area

School administration

COinS