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Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 59 (2012) 709 - 714
UKM Teaching and Learning Congress 2011
ICT infrastructure, technical and administrative support as correlates
of teachers' laptop use
Priscilla Moses^*, Kamariah Abu Bakarb, Rosnaini Mahmudb and Su Luan Wongb
aFaculty of Educational Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia bInstitute for Mathematical Research, Universiti Putra Malaysia
Abstract
The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the facilitating conditions associated with teachers' laptop use. Questionnaires were collected from 412 teachers. This study found two of the facilitating conditions [technical (r = .171, n = 412, p = .001) and administrative support (r = .213, n = 412, p <.0005)] to have a small but definite relationship with laptop use. The relationship between ICT infrastructure (r = .036, n = 412, p = .463) and laptop use was insignificant. Hence, more emphasis should be given on technical and administrative support to ensure teachers' use of laptops.
© 2011PublishedbyElsevier Ltd. Selection and/orpeer reviewedunderresponsibilityofthe UKMTeachingand LearningCongress 2011
Keywords: Administrative support; facilitating conditions; ICT infrastructure; laptop; technical support
1. Introduction
Realising the important feature of instructive and learning landscape through Information and Communication Technology (ICT) (Granger, Morbey, Lotherington, Owston, & Wideman, 2002), the Malaysian government has began to invest profoundly in the education system to open a wider scope of ICT and create a dynamic ICT environment for learning. In the quest to become a technological literate country, learning institutions in Malaysia are integrating ICT into the curriculum to boost the teaching-learning practices. The ICT has been found as an effective tool to improve the teaching-learning process (Bakar, Ayub, Luan, & Tarmizi, 2010; Yee, Luan, Ayub, & Mahmud, 2009; Wong, Jalil, Ayub, Bakar, & Tang, 2003). It has the ability to transform and create innovative pedagogical approaches in the instructional process (Chen, 2007; Luan, Atan, & Sabudin, 2010). Simultaneously, the MoE sought the teachers to work in the midst of the latest ICT (Pillay & Thomas, 2004) and to be sufficiently equipped in utilizing ICT for instructional purposes (Luan & Teo, 2009; Wong & Hanafi, 2007). In line with this, laptops were provided to the school teachers to incorporate ICT in their lessons (Khambari, Luan, & Ayub, 2010; Moses, Khambari, & Luan, 2008).
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +6-012-484 0-640; fax: +6-03-8943-5386 E-mail address: prismo6@yahoo.com
1877-0428 © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer reviewed under responsibility of the UKM Teaching and Learning Congress 2011 doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.09.335
To press forward the wider utilisation of ICT in education, the Malaysian government is pursuing every endeavour to create an ongoing ICT environment for the teachers to use the laptops in the teaching-learning process. However, what are the facilitating conditions that are associated with the teachers' use of laptops? Teo, Lee, and Chai (2008) defined facilitating conditions as "factors that are present in the environment that exert an influence over a person's desire to perform a task" (p. 132). Based on the literature, it was found that ICT infrastructure, technical and administrator support can act as facilitating conditions to influence teachers' use of ICT.
1.1 ICT Infrastructure
According to Vanderlinde and van Braak (2010), ICT infrastructure measures the perceived availability and suitability of the ICT tools such as hardware, software and peripheral equipment provided in the school. In Pelgrum's (2001) study, ICT infrastructure refers to the availability of equipment, software, Internet access and other similar resources in the school. Additionally, recourses and facilities in schools are designed and enabled in the direction of supporting continuous transformation and development of various learning approaches (Anderson & van Weert, 2002).
In the year 1998, Krysa conducted a research to determine and examine regularly occurring factors that affect the implementation of the technology among the school teachers. A qualitative study among four school teachers was carried out to identify the factors. Based on the findings, it was reported by one of the teachers that the outmoded hardware limits the use of computers in instruction (Krysa, 1998). The teacher was not able to integrate technology into instruction due to the old and outdated hardware. Conversely, one of the informants stated that limited software act as one of the antecedents that prevents the use of computers as an instructional tool (Krysa, 1998).
According to Shiue (2007), teachers will perceive greater control to employ technology into instructional use when they have the necessary hardware and software resources. Cowie and Jones (2005) reported with the ICT infrastructure provided, the teachers were able to access school network, the Internet and laptop accessories (printer, digital camera, data projector, large TV screen, scanner and video camera). Hence, the educators have more prospects to utilize instructional technology when the ICT infrastructures are provided in a well manner. Past research studies have shown clearly that ICT infrastructure can be one of the factors that influence the technology use among the teachers (Cowie & Jones, 2005; Krysa, 1998; Shiue, 2007).
1.2 Technical Support
Resta (2002) defines technical support as specialised skill personnel who are able to support and assist the educators in implementing technology into instruction. Meanwhile, Dexter, Anderson, and Ronnkvist (2002) have characterized the technical support as the access, operation and troubleshooting of hardware, software and network resources. According to Frost and Sullivan (2006), technical support includes ICT facilities vendor and internal helpdesks provided within the education ministry.
Technology support has an encouraging impact on educators' own uses of ICT (Moses et al., 2008), and their integration of ICT into the teaching-learning practices as well (Dexter, Seashore, & Anderson, 2003). For this reason, it is essential to provide guidance, support and services as parts of the technology applications (Haslaman, Mumcu, & Usluel, 2008). In the integration of the ICT, technical support is needed for technology use throughout the curriculum because the lack of it may create difficulties and result in diminished support for the curriculum (Resta, 2002). At the same time, Resta (2002) also suggested giving more technical support to overcome the identified barriers.
It is evident that technical support is important to teachers. Research studies have shown that technical support has an impact in enhancing the use of laptop among teachers (Dexter et al., 2003; Resta, 2002). Therefore, technical support is required in schools to facilitate the educators to use the laptop effectively in their teaching practices.
1.3 Administrative Support
Administrative support is stated as the presence of encouraging ICT using role models, such as the principal (Baylor & Ritchie, 2002). These principals need to become proficient in the use ICT in order to provide technology leadership in administrative, instructional, and learning functions (Afshari, Bakar, Luan, Samah, & Fooi, 2008). The
existence of support by the principals motivates the teachers to incorporate ICT in their teaching (Ali, Nor, Hamzah, & Alwi, 2009). Thus, the presence of the administrative support is vital in promoting the teachers to utilise the laptops as a tool to deliver their instruction (Moses et al., 2008).
According to Baylor and Ritchie (2002), administrators' support plays a role in influencing the teachers to use the technology. It appeared that the administrators who support the use of technology not merely in words but also in action lead to accept the use of technology as a culture. Based on this, Baylor and Ritchie concluded that if administrators were to cultivate a technology culture, they would need to figuratively ''roll up their sleeves and join in'' instead of sitting by the side (p. 412). As such, the success of integrating ICT into teaching-learning practices is largely dependent upon the support provided by the principal of the school (Samuel & Bakar, 2006).
Based on the literature review, administrative support can therefore influence the success of integrating ICT into the teaching-learning process among the school teachers (Ali et al., 2009; Baylor & Ritchie, 2002; Samuel & Bakar, 2006). Therefore, administrative support is crucial in the infusion of ICT in a school environment.
1.4 Aim of the study
The purpose of this quantitative study is to explore the facilitating conditions that are associated with teachers' laptop use in terms of ICT infrastructure, technical support, and administrative support in a school setting. This paper sought to determine the relationship between the three dimensions (ICT infrastructure, technical support, administrative support) and laptop use among the secondary school teachers who utilize the laptops in the teaching-learning practices.
2. Methodology
2.1 Research design
The correlational research design was employed for this study using a descriptive survey method. It was selected as the most appropriate type of methodology in accomplishing the aim of the study.
2.2 Population and sample
The target population of this study was secondary school Mathematics and Science teachers from the state of Selangor, Malaysia. The sample drawn from the population was 412 secondary school teachers who utilise the laptops for the teaching-learning practices. From the randomly selected participants, 47 were male teachers and 365 were female teachers. There were 169 teachers teaching Mathematics, 185 teachers teaching Science, and 58 teaching both the core subjects.
2.3 Instrumentation
In exploring the relationship between facilitating conditions and laptop use, four scales were used as the instrument of the study namely laptop use, ICT infrastructure, technical support, and administrative support. The questionnaire used the five point Likert scale and these scales had 11, 8, 8, and 7 items respectively. The items were constructed by the researchers based on a comprehensive literature review. The content validation of the instrument was done by four educational technology experts. The reliability of the instrument was pilot tested on 38 teachers who were not involved in the actual study. The overall Cronbach's alpha values for all the scales were reported to be .70 and higher (laptop use — .93; ICT infrastructure — .70; technical support — .86; administrative support — .83), indicating good internal consistency.
2.4 Data analysis
Data generated by the four scales were analysed using quantitative techniques. Preliminary test analyses were carried out by the researchers and found that there were no violation of the assumptions of normality, linearity, and homoscedasticity. Descriptive statistics such as mean values and standard deviations were reported. Furthermore,
the relationships between each of the three facilitating condition dimensions and laptop use were analysed using inferential statistics namely Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient. The data were analysed using the SPSS Version 16.0.
3. Findings
Descriptive statistics results are presented in Table 1. Data presented reveals that technical support has the highest mean score, M = 4.13 (S. D. = 0.50) followed by administrative support, M = 3.42 (S. D. = 0.61). The other two scales reported a lower mean values, M = 2.87 (S. D. = 0.56) and M = 2.84 (S. D. = 1.04) for ICT infrastructure and laptop use respectively.
Table 1. Descriptive Statistics
Variables N Mean values S. D.
Laptop use 412 2.84 1.04
ICT infrastructure 412 2.87 0.56
Technical support 412 4.13 0.50
Administrative support 412 3.42 0.61
Correlation coefficients between the three dimension of facilitating conditions (ICT infrastructure, technical support, administrative support) are displayed in Table 2. Based on the findings, this study found two of the facilitating conditions [technical (r = .17, n = 412, p = .001) and administrative support (r = .213, n = 412, p < .0005)] to have a small but definite relationship with laptop use. The relationship between ICT infrastructure (r = .036, n = 412, p = .463) and laptop use was negligible and insignificant.
Table 2. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient between three facilitating conditions and laptop use
Facilitating conditions Laptop use Sig. (2-tailed)
ICT infrastructure .036 .463
Technical support 171** .001
Administrative support .213** .000
** p < .01 (2-tailed)
4. Discussion and Conclusion
The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between facilitating conditions (ICT infrastructure, technical support, administrative support) and laptop use among the secondary school teachers. The results in the present study provide evidence that administrative and technical support were found to have a small but significant relationship with teachers' use of laptops for the teaching-learning practices. The present data are in support of results from previous studies for technical support (Dexter et al., 2003; Resta, 2002) and administrative support (Ali et al., 2009; Baylor & Ritchie, 2002; Samuel & Bakar, 2006); but not for ICT infrastructure (Cowie & Jones, 2005; Krysa, 1998; Shiue, 2007). The relationship between ICT infrastructure and laptop use was found to be not significant. It can be concluded that this recent study emphasizes the importance of facilitating conditions such as administrative and technical support. Hence, the authorities in schools and the Ministry of Education need to pay more attention and give more emphasis on both technical and administrative support to ensure that teachers will use the laptops in the teaching-learning environments. These facilitating conditions should be well prepared for the teachers in order for them to successfully integrate ICT in the classrooms.
In any survey, there will be limitations as the data reported are self-report data. Therefore, the results from the present study may not be generalised to other education setting because this research was conducted merely in secondary schools. Future research can be conducted in different settings such as pre-school, primary school and university level. Qualitative and longitudinal research study may also be carried out to obtain more in-depth results regarding how ICT infrastructure, technical and administrative support relate to teachers' laptop use.
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