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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 354 235 SP 034 356 AUTHOR Cardinale, Loretta A. Female Preservice Teachers' Prior Experience with TITLE Computing. PUB DATE 92 NOTE 6p.; Paper presented at the Annual Conference of Research on Women in Education (18th, Norfolk, VA, November 13, 1992). PUB TYPE Reports Research/Technical (143) Speeches /Conference Papers (150) EDRS PRICE MFO1 /PCO1 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Computer Literacy; Computer Oriented Programs; *Computer Science Education; Computer Uses in Education; *Educational Experience; Elementary Secondary Education; *Equal Education; *Females; Higher Education; Males; *Microcomputers; Preservice Teacher Education; Prior Learning; Surveys IDENTIFIERS Preservice Teachers ABSTRACT This study was conducted to investigate the microcomputer experience of female preservice teachers. A questionnaire developed to evaluate prior computer experiences of teacher education students enrolled in an educational technology and media course was administered during the first week of class. The sample included 40 males and 215 females. During the weeks that followed, informal interviews adddressed items on the questionnaire, and responses were recorded in writing. Findings suggest that the majority of female preservice teachers lack extensive prior experience with computing, reflecting a dearth of opportunity in elementary and secondary education. This implies that equitable access to computers and classes is critical; support for females to enter technical careers that require computing must be given before college; buying computers for females is essential; incorporating activities into the classrooms that appeal to females as well as males will encourage computer use by females; using E-mail, spreadsheets, creating mailing lists and mail merge with a database demonstrate practical activities that are meaningful to males and females. If opportunities for females are not provided, the gap between male and female computing experience will widen. (Contains 14 annotated references.) (LL) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * from the original document. *********************************************************************** FEMALE PRESERVICE TEACHERS' PRIOR EXPERIENCE WITH COMPUTING by Loretta A. Cardinale, Ph. D. Old Domirlion University Norfolk, Virginia -PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS U.S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION BY Office of Educational Research and Improvement MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION 42L-,4/./-iigj CENTER (ERIC) L C' This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organizatiOn originating II f."! Miner changes have been made to improve reproduction quality TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE; Points of view or opinions staled rn this docu merit do not necessarily represent olitc,at INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) OERI position or policy 2 EST COPY AVAILABLE Female Preservice Teachers' Prior Experience with Computing Loretta A. Cardinale, Ph.D Old Dominion University Norfolk, Virginia Presented to the 18th Annual Conference: Research on Women in Education on November 13, 1992 teacher general computer use remains in ABSTRACT question. In a study conducted at the State University of New York at Buffalo, over 50% The use of microcomputers in the of 324 preservice teachers never used a classroom has been shown to enhance computer during their college experience In addition, the use of technological learning. (Beaver, 1990). This may be due to a lack of applications has permeated managerial duties equitable opportunity (Smith, 1987), a lack of and all content areas. The majority of self efficacy (Miura, 1987), societal pressure pre-service teachers at this southeastern (lagacinski, LeBold, & Salvendy, 1988), or university were female and lacked extensive prior experience with computing. This stereotyped prerequisites for success (Demetrulias & Rosenthal, 1985; Siann, reflects a lack of opportunities in elementary-, If Durndell, Macleod, & Glisssov, 1988). middle-, and secondary- school education. Ultimately, the inequities and causes that opportunities for females are not provided, the contribute to the lack of computing experience gap between male and female computing experience and role models will increase. The become cumulative when teachers, predominantly female, do not use or most common computing experiences were encourage the use of computers in the playing games and word processing. Less than classroom (Chambers & Clarke, 1987). 30% of the students reported that they used spread sheets and less than 10% reported using databases, electronic mail, or programming in Methods any language. Most of the 30% who reported This study investigated the computing owning computers actually used systems experience that 215 female preservice teachers purchased for male members of their reported. The role of other factors including households. The perception of education as a age, computer ownership, and prior computing completely non-technical field is not accurate. classes were considered. A check-list type of questionnaire was completed at the beginning Background of a required course. The resulting frequencies were analyzed using chi- square Many teacher educators agree that it is goodness-of-fit tests. The questionnaire also imperative that pre-service teacher preparation identified individual characteristics and this provides an appropriate experiential base in information was cross-tabulated with the educational technology (Bush & Cobb, 1984). frequencies and subjected to chi-square Pre-service experience should enhance the goodness-of-fit tests for significance. integration of microcomputers into classroom Niess (1990) describes several teaching. competencies which should allow a teacher to Students A questionnaire was administered to 255 "demonstrate familiarity with the everyday students enrolled in an undergraduate operation of computer software and hardware education technology and media course at Old in order to troubleshoot minor problems and Dominion University during the first week of with various computer labs structures and their class. The course was required for students management (p. 13)." Brownell (1990) stated enrolled in education programs for elementary that it was once assumed that preservice schools, middle schools, and secondary teachers would begin their program with schools certification. The participants in the adequate computer knowledge but that a study were drawn from all sections of the general user of a computer needs specific course and not just from the investigator's However, the educational applications. sections. The 255 students included 16% quantity and quality of female preservice k ) (n=40) males and 84% (n=215) females. Table 1. Characteristics of female preservice Overall, 51% of the students were seeking students. certification for elementary or middle school teaching, 29% for secondary school teaching, Age group and 20% sought certification for teaching physical education, art education, or foreign 36+ Total 26-29 22-25 30-25 18-21 language education. Old Dominion University is an urban university with a minority student Total n= 215 99 50 38 16 12 population of approximately 12%. Due to the Own 66 presence of naval bases and NASA, ODU 37 4 7 7 11 Computer students are not necessarily from the immediate geographical area. Prior 22 20 104 8 51 3 Class Questionnaire Play 94 42 32 190 A questionnaire was developed for the 15 7 Games purpose of evaluating the prior experience of preservice teachers enrolled in an educational Word 29 172 37 86 15 7 technology course. The first open-ended set Process of questions identified the student's program, Spread 62 35 asked about ownership of a microcomputer, 6 10 10 1 Sheet the student's age, and asked if the student ever completed a prior class in computing. The Data 54 30 6 6 I I 1 next portion of the instrument posed a Base checklist of 6 different general-use experiences Program 56 33 4 with microcomputers. Students checked the 6 11 activities in which they had participated. E-Mail 25 4 14 5 1 I Interviews During the weeks that followed questionnaire administration, informal interviews addressed the items on the Microcomputer Ownership Probing questions followed questionnaire. While 31 % (n=66) of the females responses. Responses were recorded by the reported owning microcomputers, the investigator in writing on the questionnaires. interview results qualified that ownership. In All students agreed to participate when the response to questions during interviews, 33% purpose of the study was explained. They did (n=22) of these students reported that the not receive bonus points or other direct microcomputers they "owned" had been extrinsic motivation. purchased by male members of their household and that those males were the Results principal users. Students in that group reported that they were only "allowed to use The questionnaires yielded quantitative the computer to type term papers," "mostly data which was enhanced by qualitative played computer games with a spouse," or information received from the interviews "helped children with homework." During the About half of the female students (Table 1). interview, they all made comments that were between the age of 18 and 21 and half indicated performance by rote and an inability were 22 or older. Most of the females did not to troubleshoot minor problems. own computers. Playing computer games and The remaining female students who owned word processing were the leading computing computers reported that they "received it as a experiences with electronic mail and databases high-school graduation gift", "bought it in the least used applications. Of the female order to work at home", "bought the same students who had taken a computer class kind that was used in an outside job" or before enrolling in the education program, "bought it after taking a class I enjoyed". most of them were also between the age of 18 After discriminating among age groups and and 21. principal ownership, a significant majority of females who owned computers were between ..ospital computer system. the ages of 18 and 25. General Users The majority of female preservice Prior experience Games and word processing were the teachers who had taken other computing classes were within the 18-25 age group. most common computer applications. Of the Within this 18-25 age group, 29% (n=44) 54 students who reported using databases, 24 reported that they were the principal reported that they performed part-time job owners/users of microcomputers. These were functions by rote and did not set up the database they were using. For example, one also the same individuals who used word student said that she "did mail-merge" at her processing and spreadsheet applications. Twenty- five of these individuals also used job but that she "followed directions her boss electronic mail functions such as Compuserve wrote on an index card." The 30 students who and Prodigy, database applications, reported were within the 18-21 age group who owned performing mail merge functions and had computers reported that they learned how to programed in BASIC during their high-school use a database during high- school computing computing course. Of the students over the courses. These individuals also maintained age of 25, 15% (n=10) regularly used a personal databases for various functions such microcomputer purchased by a male member as keeping track of audio cassettes, books, o. of the household to play games, word process, personal mailing lists. and maintain financial records using a Identifying applications according to age spreadsheet. This results in a total of 54 Fifty-six percent further quantified the results. independently performing general-users out of (n=35) of the 62 students who reported the the total 215 female preservice teachers, or they used spreadsheets were within the 18-21 25% of the sample. Interview reports indicated that age group. these individuals were also principal owners of microcomputers. They reported that they Discussion routinely used integrated software packages Brownell (1990) suggested that, in a which featured word processing, spreadsheet, computer education course, preservice and database applications. The remaining teachers should expand from general computer 44% (n=27) reported using spreadsheet However, the use to educational applications. applications at a job or for joint financial results of this study place the quality of management with a male member of the general computer use by female preservice household. Further questioning of 18 teachers in question. From his survey, over individuals indicated that interactions were 90% of participating teacher educators initiated and/or supervised by a male member suggested that a classroom teacher should be of the household. The remaining 9 individuals able to use word processing, data base, and who reported using spreadsheets at a job Yet, only 25% followed instructions by rote and could not spreadsheet applications. (n=54) of the 215 female preservice teachers independently set up a spreadsheet. in the subject population were able to use those applications. Prior Classes These recommendations and results Interview results indicated that students highlight the problems found in the within the 18-21 age group took a computing relationship between gender and computing. class in high school. Eleven students within This low number of general users could be the 22-25 age group had a computing class as attributed to generally negative attitudes and a part of their high school curriculum. lack of self-efficacy held by females (Collis & Thirty-one students who were older than 25 Williams, 1987). This lack of positive reported taking a class in a community attitudes and self-efficacy is directly college, a job training program, or had attributable to a lack of experience (Chen, majored in a technical field and changed to 1986). Smith (1987) showed that, as female For example, one student started a education. teachers became more experienced with computer science program but reported that it computers, their self-efficacy increased and Another individual "wasn't very interesting." attitudes became positive. These teachers also was changing careers from nursing to teaching showed stronger feelings for equity in and had completed a training session with the 1 64. 495-518. computer use and career choices for females. Since teachers as role models play an Chen, M. (1986). Gender and computers: important part in their students' attitudes about The beneficial effects of experience on computers arid technical careers, competency Journal of Educational Computing attitudes. is imperative. Research, 2(3), 265-282. Impiications Collis, B.A. & Williams, R. L. (1987). Cross-cultural comparison of gender Teacher preparation programs must not differences in adolescents' attitudes toward only provide for general use of computers but computers and selected school subjects. also for the specialized educational Journal of Educational Research, (81), 17-27. Unfortunately, the applications of technology. scope of an educational computing course is Culley, L. (1990). Option choice and careers limited by time and space and cannot be Gender and computing in guidance: expected to remediate inequities in Western European secondary schools. elementary-, middle-, and secondary-school Education, 21(4), p 41-53. preparation. Equitable access to computers and classes is critical. Support for females to enter Demetriulias, D.M. & Rosenthal, N.R. technical careers that require computing must Discrimination against females and (1985). Buying computers be given before college. minorities in microcomputer advertising. for females is essential for their success. Computers and the Social Sciences, 1(2), Incorporating activities into the classroom that 91-95. appeal to females as well as males will 4 encourage computer use by females. Using Jaginski, C.M., LeBold, W.K., Salvendy, G. e-mail to correspond with other students, Gender differences in persistence in (1988) learning how to create and follow a budget . Journal of computer-related fields. using a spreadsheet, creating a mailing list and Educational Computing Research, 4(2), mail merge with a database demonstrate 185-202. practical activities that are meaningful to males and females. Providing a warm, interactive Miura, I.T. (1987). The relationship of classroom environment with opportunities for self-efficacy expectations to computer interest cooperative learning and group achievement Sex Roles, and course enrollment in college. foster positive attitudes. 16(5-6), 303-311. References Niess, M. L. (1990). Preparing computer- Beaver, J.F. (1990). A profile of using educators for the 90s. 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