An examination of factors influencing Bruneian secondary teachers' use of information and communication technology in teaching: a survey exploration

An examination of factors influencing Bruneian secondary teachers' use of information and communication technology in teaching: a survey exploration

Examining teachers' attitudes/perceptions and their influence on behaviour can be an important step in understanding the psychosocial factors affecting teachers' use of Information and Communication Technology in teaching. This study attempted to provide such an understanding by elaborating Ajzen's theory of planned behaviour (TPB), a widely applied psychosocial theory in modeling behaviours. Basically, TPB explains a behaviour as a consequence of attitude towards the behaviour, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control. These three direct factors of TPB are, in turn, influenced by salient beliefs or indirect factors: behavioural, normative, and control beliefs, respectively. In this study, the TPB was modified by (1) decomposing each of the three types of beliefs into two dimensions respectively, and (2) incorporating external variables – age, sex, subject taught, teaching experience, teaching period, qualification, level of class, classroom access, and computer laboratory access. Using these predictor variables, an Information and Communication Technology Use Model (ICTUM) was developed for assessment and comparison in performance with the TPB. Using a survey questionnaire, data were collected from a total of 1,040 secondary school teachers in eighteen government schools in Negara Brunei Darussalam. Structural equation modeling, using AMOS 5.0 software, was employed as the major statistical analytic technique for a series of data analyses: measurement model assessment for validity and reliability tests; and assessments of the models, ICTUM and TPB. The proposed model, ICTUM, was found to fit only marginally and the modification efforts through beliefs decomposition and external variables incorporation provided only a small increase in the amounts of variance explained by the predictor variables. However, the TPB model of direct factors was found to be a good-fitting model showing attitude towards behaviour, and perceived behavioural control; as predictors of intention; and intention as a stronger predictor of use of ICT than perceived behavioural control. By demonstrating the significance of those factors as predictors of intention and use of ICT, this study suggests that augmenting teachers' positive attitudes towards the use of ICT and supporting them technically and personally could encourage teachers to increase the use of ICT in their teaching. This study also suggested a need for future research on the direct influence of salient beliefs on intention, and behaviour (use of ICT) respectively. Although the TPB model is theoretically and statistically justifiable, further testing with different samples is required. Through its use of a theoretical and statistical modeling approach, the current study represents an initial step towards uncovering fundamental mechanisms that explain teacher use of ICT in teaching.