Exploring Computer Usage, Attitude and Self-Efficacy of Teachers in Jose Rizal Memorial State University – Dipolog Campus, Dipolog City

Abstract

This study determines and explores how teachers use the computer, their best and worst attitudes towards computers, and their confidence and self-efficacy in using the computers. Using a three-part questionnaire accessed in the Integrated Virtual Learning Environment (IVLE) from the De La Salle University website, it was administered to 50 members of the faculty of Jose Rizal Memorial State University in Dipolog City. Results revealthat teachers sometimes use the computer in 22 different uses where a few includes uses for software visualization, music, voice, images, graphics, videos, outlining programs, graphic presentation, electronic mail, and social spreadsheets like the Facebook. Teacher-respondents have varied uses of the computer at work which could improve their knowledge and experience in teaching and learning and would eventually make an impact in education. Teachers’ attitudes show unanimous agreement in regard to their use of the computers as they agreed that computers help improve their work better, that computers made it possible to work more productively, and that computers could enhance the presentation of their work to a degree which justifies the extra effort rendered. Teachers have mostly agreed that they are confident enough and are selfefficacious in computers as they feel confident when confronted with the following computer dilemmas: working on a personal computer, escaping/exiting from a program or software, handling a USB flash disk correctly, copying a disk, moving the cursor around the monitor screen, and using the computer to write a letter or essay. All these imply that the teachers are open-minded enough to receive knowledge in the use of computers for the benefit of good and quality teaching and learning experience and that all the basic functions of the computer were very much explored by the teacherrespondents that they all feel to have confidence in doing and manipulating the technology by themselves. On a similar note, teachers acknowledged the importance of in service training to preparethem tointegrate computers into the classroomand curriculum.The findings suggest that these concerns need to be addressed when administrators design technology related training sessions.