Students attitudes towards technology

Technology is more present than ever. Young people are interested in technological products, but their opinions on education and careers in technology are not particularly positive (Johansson in Mathematics, science & technology education report. European Round Table of Industrials, Brussel, 2009). If we want to stimulate students’ attitudes towards technology we need to have a better understanding of the factors which determine attitudes. Different studies (e.g. Volk and Yip in Int J Technol Des Educ 9:57–71, 1999; Jones et al. in Sci Educ 84(2):180–192, 2000; George in Int J Sci Educ 28(6):571–589, 2006; Salminen-Karlsson in Int J Sci Educ 29(8):1019–1033, 2007) have proven that students’ characteristics correlate with their attitudes towards technology. As these studies often focus on effects on a specific aspect of attitude; the total effect cannot be interpreted correctly because attitude is a multi-dimensional concept (Osborne et al. in Int J Sci Educ 23(5):441–467, 2003). This study focuses upon six aspects of attitude namely: interest, career aspirations, boredom, consequences, difficulty and gender issues. Therefore a multivariate model has been set up. This allows us to answer the main research question: What is the predictive power of students’ characteristics with regard to aspects of their attitudes towards technology? The revalidated version of the Pupils Attitude Towards Technology instrument (Ardies et al. in Des Technol Educ 18(1):8–19, 2013) was used in a large (n = 2,973) scale investigation of 12–14 year old students (Grade 1 and Grade 2 of secondary education). Given the multilevel nature of the data and that students are allocated to specific teachers, we analysed the data with a multivariate multilevel approach. The results of the study show a decline in interest in technology from the first to the second grade of secondary education. This finding appears to be stronger for girls. Interest in technology is significantly positively related to the amount of time that technology is taught for, as well as to the teacher. Parents have a positive influence on several aspects of attitude to technology when mothers and/or fathers have a profession related to technology. Equally, the presence of technological toys at home is a significantly positive characteristic. As the results confirmed previous, fragmented studies in related disciplines like science education, this study contributes to the wider body of knowledge concerning students’ attitudes towards technology and how this can be investigated.[1]


Students’ attitudes; a report of the Syracuse University reaction study.

This is a comprehensive study of student attitudes based on the Reaction Study at Syracuse University in 1926. The authors indicate factors bearing on the local situation in light of the intervening time and also contributions to the broader interests. The problems involved in questionnaire procedure and attitude studies are clearly discussed and the facts interpreted in the light of the same. The following factors are studied in detail: reasons for coming to college; selecting a certain college and remaining in same; college activities; curricular work; personal ideals of students; need for personal advice; choosing a vocation; fraternities; snobbishness; cribbing; co-education and moral standards of the sexes; religious beliefs; religious observances and attitudes towards churches; and changes in religious beliefs and practices during college life. The religious factors investigated are based upon the College of Liberal Arts group only. Fraternity and non-fraternity student attitudes are compared. The details of the study correlated very closely with findings of former specific studies both locally and generally. Fraternity men are divided into “institutionalist” (majority) and “individualist” (minority) types, with their respective attitudes as expressed by these terms. The changes in religious attitudes show a gradual change as over against the usual idea, or the more commonly expressed idea, of a sweeping collapse in beliefs and practices. A part of the general summary gives suggestions relating to psychology, sociology and political science in the way of recommending the procedures used for further investigation. The appendix includes a statement of the techniques of attitude measurement and a summary of college attitude studies with bibliography.[2]


Teacher and Teaching Effects on Students’ Attitudes and Behaviors

Research has focused predominantly on how teachers affect students’ achievement on standardized tests despite evidence that a broad range of attitudes and behaviors are equally important to their long-term success. We find that upper-elementary teachers have large effects on self-reported measures of students’ self-efficacy in math, and happiness and behavior in class. Students’ attitudes and behaviors are predicted by teaching practices most proximal to these measures, including teachers’ emotional support and classroom organization. However, teachers who are effective at improving test scores often are not equally effective at improving students’ attitudes and behaviors. These findings lend empirical evidence to well-established theory on the multidimensional nature of teaching and the need to identify strategies for improving the full range of teachers’ skills.[3]


University Students’ Attitudes Towards Entrepreneurship: A Two Countries Comparison

There is general agreement that attitudes towards the entrepreneur, entrepreneurial activity, and its social function are determinant factors for university students to decide an entrepreneurial career.

This empirical study aims at assessing and comparing the attitudes of university students towards entrepreneurship and enterprise formation in Catalonia and Puerto Rico, using a sample of 837 and 435 students, respectively. Results reveal a positive entrepreneur’s image. Both samples have a favorable perception of desirability of new venture creation, although the perception of feasibility is by far not so positive and only a small percentage has the firm intention to create a new company.[4]


Slovakian Students’ Attitudes toward Biology

Students’ attitudes toward science significantly alter their achievement in science. Therefore, identification and influence of attitudes became to be an essential part of educational research. This study has been initiated by the idea that; research in students’ attitudes toward science often involves science in general, but particular disciplines like biology or chemistry have been overlooked. Thus, this study is about Slovak students’ attitude toward biology through six dimensions; interest, career, importance, teacher, equipment and difficulty. The study used a 30-item Biology Attitude Questionnaire (BAQ) to measure students’ attitudes toward biology education. The data were obtained from 655 secondary school students attending eight typical elementary schools in Slovakia. Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) revealed a negative effect of age whereas the effect of gender was not significant. Univariate results, on the other hand, indicated that there is a significant interaction of students’ interest in relation with grade and gender. One of the findings of the study is that, students’ attitude toward biology teacher is strongly affected by teacher identity. This can be taken as a hint for future research. That effect of teacher should be included as a parameter to be considered for the studies related to student attitude.[5]


Reference

[1] Ardies, J., De Maeyer, S., Gijbels, D. and van Keulen, H., 2015. Students attitudes towards technology. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 25(1), pp.43-65.

[2] Katz, D., Allport, F.H. and Jenness, M.B., 1931. Students’ attitudes; a report of the Syracuse University reaction study.

[3] Blazar, D. and Kraft, M.A., 2017. Teacher and teaching effects on students’ attitudes and behaviors. Educational evaluation and policy analysis, 39(1), pp.146-170.

[4] Veciana, J.M., Aponte, M. and Urbano, D., 2005. University students’ attitudes towards entrepreneurship: A two countries comparison. The international entrepreneurship and management journal, 1(2), pp.165-182.

[5] Prokop, P., Tuncer, G. and Chudá, J., 2007. Slovakian students’ attitudes toward biology. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 3(4), pp.287-295.