Computer Use by School Teachers in Teaching-learning Process

Abstract

Developing countries have a responsibility not merely to provide computers for schools, but also to foster a habit of infusing a variety of ways in which computers can be integrated in teaching-learning amongst the end users of these tools. Earlier researches lacked a systematic study of the manner and the extent of computer-use by teachers. The current study examined a comprehensive investigation of 300 Central School teachers’ use of computers in India. Towards this end, a questionnaire was constructed that listed essential dimensions for teachers’ use of computers: Computer Aided Learning (CAL), Computer Managed Instruction (CMI), and Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI). The findings revealed that teachers often used computers to update subject knowledge and teaching skills, develop lesson plans, prepare additional instructional material, notify relevant information via internet, prepare question banks. They sometimes used computers for showing something in the class, showcasing students’ work on school-website, preparing test papers, simulations, games, students’ assignments. They had either rarely or never used computers for presenting entire lesson, students’ classroom presentations, tutorials, sharing information with parents, publishing homework, giving tests to students – either offline or online, maintaining students’ records, and individualized instructions. The analysis indicated that amongst the three categories of computer use, CAL was the most popular category of computer use whereas CAI was the least popular among teachers. The results help to demystify seeming inconsistency and variation with regard to computer use among teachers. The identification of comprehensive ways of computer use empowers stakeholders with vital information and may assist implementation of appropriate measures to fully infuse computers in teaching-learning process.