Managing Teacher Acceptance of New Technology: The Case of Robotics Kit

This quantitative research aims to identify a model for the acceptance of an educational robotics kit among primary school teachers, providing educators, administrators, and policy makers practical insight for planning design. This study collected the opinions from a population of 871 in-service teachers of mathematics, science, and technology, at public and private primary schools in Phatthalung province. Purposive sampling and quota sampling were applied, generating a total of 488 responses, collected via questionnaire. The data were analyzed using a structural equation modeling method, generating a structural model to predict the behavioral intent for the adoption of the educational robotics kit. The model comprised of 4 independent variables – perceived ease of use; technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge; perceived usefulness; and facilitating conditions. The model explained 88.2 percent of the variance in behavioral intentions. The findings revealed that perceived usefulness had the strongest direct effect on behavioral intentions. Perceived ease of use had the strongest indirect and total effect on behavioral intentions; moreover, it produced a direct effect on perceived usefulness. In addition, perceived ease of use could be predicted by technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge. The implications discussed include the suggested managerial actions to stimulate the intention to adopt educational robotics kits in accordance with the findings

Teachers' Perceptions of Interactive Boards for Teaching and Learning in Public and Private High Schools in the Arab Education System in Israel

Interactive boards are becoming an integral part of the educational scene in schools in the western countries and are not considered just an additional aid to teaching. In Israel too, interactive boards are becoming gradually part of the educational scene, so evaluation is needed for various aspects of teachers' teaching and students' learning with these new tools. One such important aspect is teachers' perceptions of the interactive board as a tool for teaching and learning. This research intended to examine the difference between teachers’ perceptions of four aspects of the interactive boards: pedagogic, didactic, technical-pedagogic, and technical-didactic aspects. We examined teachers' perceptions of these aspects in public and private schools. In addition, we examined the difference between the perceptions of those who use the computer for teaching and those who do not. Further, we examined the reasons that prevent teachers from using the interactive boards in public schools as compared to private schools. The data was collected through a questionnaire which examines teachers’ perceptions of four aspects of using the interactive boards. The participants were 217 high school teachers (157 public high school teachers and 60 private high school teachers). The research findings show that there exist significant differences between teachers’ perceptions of the interactive board for teaching and learning regarding (1) type of school, and (2) use of computers for teaching goals. No significant difference was found between reasons that prevent teachers from using the interactive boards in public and private school except one reason: the shortage of interactive board in every classroom. We discuss the findings and draw appropriate conclusions. It was also interesting to examine the reasons that prevent teachers from using the interactive boards, and whether there is difference in these reasons in public schools as compared to private schools

Teachers' Perceptions of Interactive Boards for Teaching and Learning in Public and Private High Schools in the Arab Education System in Israel

Interactive boards are becoming an integral part of the educational scene in schools in the western countries and are not considered just an additional aid to teaching. In Israel too, interactive boards are becoming gradually part of the educational scene, so evaluation is needed for various aspects of teachers' teaching and students' learning with these new tools. One such important aspect is teachers' perceptions of the interactive board as a tool for teaching and learning. This research intended to examine the difference between teachersâ?? perceptions of four aspects of the interactive boards: pedagogic, didactic, technical-pedagogic, and technical-didactic aspects. We examined teachers' perceptions of these aspects in public and private schools. In addition, we examined the difference between the perceptions of those who use the computer for teaching and those who do not. Further, we examined the reasons that prevent teachers from using the interactive boards in public schools as compared to private schools. The data was collected through a questionnaire which examines teachersâ?? perceptions of four aspects of using the interactive boards. The participants were 217 high school teachers (157 public high school teachers and 60 private high school teachers). The research findings show that there exist significant differences between teachersâ?? perceptions of the interactive board for teaching and learning regarding (1) type of school, and (2) use of computers for teaching goals. No significant difference was found between reasons that prevent teachers from using the interactive boards in public and private school except one reason: the shortage of interactive board in every classroom. We discuss the findings and draw appropriate conclusions. It was also interesting to examine the reasons that prevent teachers from using the interactive boards, and whether there is difference in these reasons in public schools as compared to private schools