A Study of Computer Phobia among School Teachers

INTRODUCTION

With the expansion of advance technologies in education, from past two decades (Albirini, 2004; Bakar & Mohamed, 2008) computer became a central tenet which gave a new outline to the parameter of teaching and learning. Computers as a powerful tool to teachers, enhance and improve their teaching competencies, but limited skills and no use of computer technology is a challenge for some teachers that creates a fear or anxiety among them. Computer phobia is a noteworthy limitation to the utilization of computers. Computer phobia characterized as protection from discussing computers or notwithstanding thinking about computers, fear or anxiety toward computers, and hostile or forceful contemplations about computers. Computer phobia is allied to computer anxiety while using learning computers skills or avoidance to use of computers that also alludes to negative sentiments related with the utilization of computers. Jay (1981); Rosen and Weil (1992) characterize computer phobia as a negative attitude toward computer that a result of computer anxiety. Review of literature have shown that computer anxiety associated with individual‘s age (Namlu & Ceyhan, 2002); frequency of computer use (Necessary & Parish, 1996); computer experience (Yaghi & Ghait, 2002); neuroticism (Anthony, Clarke & Anderson, 2000) and appraisal of computing situation (Crable, Brodzinski, Scherer & Jones, 1994). Saade and Kira (2009) concluded that disappointment, frustration, worry affect the use of computer as well as the productivity of individual‘s learning social relations and welfare. Literature also explained that teacher‘ attitudes towards computer attributes and competence result of their vision towards technology that consequently scattering educational practice. SalihBirişçi and Karakaş (2009) found no significant contrasts in genders, secondary school type, monthly pay, computer preferring, computer anxiety and utilization of computers in training/guidance. Further they revealed that teachers‘ attitudes towards computer enjoying and utilization of computers in training/guidance were at mid-level and computer anxiety was at abnormal state.Ursavas and Karal (2009) assessed the levels of computer phobia levels among pre-service teachers in terms of gender and their experience and found that computer phobia of male pre-service teachers does not statistically depends on their gender and there is a negative and intensive relative between computer experience and computer anxiety. Chen (2012) found that lower computer phobia among elementary EFL teachers of Taiwan who frequently used computers. Qasim and Huri (2014) investigated computer phobia among higher school teachers and found a significant gender and board (CBSE, U.P. board and I.C.S.E board) difference among them.

the walls. So, the present study is important for teachers as in the process of enabling the teachers with computer literacy, it is important to know the abilities and issues related to utilization of computer as educationalists. The finding of the study may help the school administrations to solve the computer related problems of teachers as well as to provide them opportunities to computer training.

The present research is aimed to study: • The levels of Computer Phobia among secondary school teachers. • The significant difference in Computer phobia of male and female teachers. • The significant difference in Computer Phobia among Arts and Science teachers. • The significant difference in Computer Phobia among School Teachers having Under Graduate and Post Graduate Qualification.

For the present study following hypotheses are formulated: • There exists no significant difference in Computer phobia of Male and Female teachers. • There exists no significant difference in Computer phobia of among teacher of Arts and Science stream. • There exists no significant difference in Computer phobia among teachers having Graduates and Post Graduates qualification. Research Method: Descriptive Survey Method is used for the Present Study. Instrument: For the Present Study, Computer Phobia scale by S. Rajasekar and P.Vaiyapuri Raja (2010) is used for data collection. The scale is 5 point Likert scale, having 29 statements (20 negative and 9 positive), consisting in 3 factors: 1) Personal Failure 2) Human vs. Machine Ambiguity, & 3) Convenience. The scale has 0.88 split half reliability and has 0.94 intrinsic validity. The scores for positive statements are 4, 3, 2, 1, 0 and reverse scoring for the negative statements on the alternative strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, & strongly disagree. The lower scores on the scale indicate the existence of higher computer phobia.

Table 1 indicates that the maximum school teachers (64.25%) reported neutral level of computer phobia, 18.5% reported low level of computer Phobia and 12% reported very low computer phobia, whereas only 3% school teachers reported high level of computer phobia, 2.25% reported very high computer phobia.

Table 2 shows t value 2.48 (p=.000), indicates a significant difference in computer phobia of male and female secondary school teachers at the 0.05 and 0.01 level. So, hypothesis 1, “There exists no significant difference in Computer phobia between male and female secondary school teachers‖, is rejected. Further, the table shows female school teachers have higher computer phobia than their counterpart‘s male school teachers. Similar result found by the Prakash (2016) that female teachers have higher computer phobia than their male counterparts.

Table 3 shows t value 1.003 (p=0.000) indicates significant difference in computer phobia among arts and science secondary school teachers at the 0.05 and 0.01 level. So, hypothesis 2, ―There exists no significant difference in Computer phobia of arts and science of secondary school Teachers‖, is rejected. Further, the table shows that secondary school teachers of arts stream have higher computer phobia than the secondary school teachers of science stream. The finding is supports by the result of Parkash (2016) teachers of arts stream possessed with high computer phobia.

Table 4 shows t value 2.94 and p value 0.089 which indicates no significant difference in computer phobia of school teacher having graduation and post graduation qualification at the 0.05 level. So, hypothesis 3, ―There exists no significant difference in Computer phobia of under graduates and post graduates of secondary school Teachers‖, is accepted. Further the table shows school teachers having post graduation have more computer phobia than the graduates teachers.

The finding of the present study depicted that female secondary school teachers and faculty of arts have more computer phobia. It is observed from the study that teachers are more conscience to learn computer but due to lack of opportunities such as training, practice, and time create anxiety among teachers that increase computer phobia. On the basis of findings it is recommended that computer training should be must for the teachers and increase the opportunities, support and computer facilities as well as computer based teaching may reduce the computer phobia among teachers.

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Research Scholar, Department of Education, Guru Kashi University, Talwandi Sabo, Punjab