A field study was designed to explore the processes involved with the assimilation of computers into the K-12 instructional program in the state of Washington. The study examined patterns of microcomputer adoption and implementation in both rural and urban school districts. Specific research objectives were to describe: (1) actual computer…

The author describes a 2-year study of the process of microtechnological innovation in two schools, based on teacher interviews and classroom observation. Interviews covered practices, attitudes, and policy development. Observation focused on resource use. Results suggest that teachers need further training in microtechnology to transform certain…

Answers teachers' hypothetical objections to computers in the classroom, especially their concerns about programing skills, time limitations, software, suitability, and proper usage. Compares future societal impact of computers to that of earlier technological advances like automobiles, telephones, and mass communication systems. (MLH)

This study identified teachers' attitudes about educational computing and investigated the effects of a university-offered inservice teacher education course on these concerns. Affective changes in teachers enrolled in the course were measured using the Stages of Concern Questionnaire, and implications of the findings for designers of such courses…

Discusses the impact of microcomputer use on curriculum and instruction in the Hinsdale school district in Illinois during the first year of use. Data from teachers and administrators were gathered by means of questionnaires and interviews. (JJD)

An instructional program was developed and implemented to help four first-grade students use an Atari 800 microcomputer. To determine the extent to which the four students and 40 teachers were familiar with computers and to judge their attitudes toward using them in classrooms, a survey was administered. While teachers' responses varied, all…

This study traces the introduction of microcomputers in two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school in San Diego County, California. To determine whether or not the process of introducing microcomputers in education includes the necessary elements for change outlined by S. Saranson--i.e., a positive concept of the change,…

This study was designed to examine how teachers' beliefs and values influence the successful integration of microcomputers into the curriculum. Semi-structured interviews with 20 teachers were conducted in elementary, middle, and high schools in one urban and one suburban district in New York State and responses were categorized into four groups:…

Implementation of educational computing in schools is dependent upon teachers' attitudes toward computers as well as their expertise. Most inservice activities focus on increasing teacher expertise, while paying little attention to teachers' attitudes towards the technology. To investigate teachers' concerns about educational computing, two…

The adoption process for personal computers by faculties in business administration and teacher education at the graduate college and university level was studied. Diffusion Theory (Roberts, 1962) was tested as it related to the adoption of an innovation and the adoption process as the individual passed through the stages of the process…

This paper presents findings from a recently completed study of the use of computers in primary classrooms as one source of evidence concerning the role technology can play in school restructuring efforts. The sites for the study were selected by Apple Computer, Inc. in the spring of 1988 and included 43 classrooms in 10 schools in 6 large, mostly…

A study of teachers in the United Kingdom's Open University who used a computer mediated communications system called Cosy in 1988 was conducted to document their experiences with and attitudes toward the system. The results of interviews and analysis of log sheets revealed that: (1) the sample of teachers (n=10) showed a range in usage of the…

This study, which examined the factors that promote or hinder the successful implementation of microcomputer use in primary schools in England, focused on the attitudes of teachers and administrators. (9 references) (CLB)

In 1980-81, 10 microcomputers were introduced into seven elementary schools and one junior high school in Hinsdale, Illinois. This article reports a survey of 22 educators' reactions, perceptions, and needs in relation to the new microcomputer program. Journal availability: P.O. Box 535, Cupertino, CA 95015. (SJL)

This study used the Stages of Concern Questionnaire to investigate concerns of elementary and secondary school teachers at the onset of the process of implementing microcomputers in their schools. Results are discussed in terms of gender and teaching grade level differences, and the design of effective inservice education. (MBR)