Factors Underlying Agriculture Teachers' Attitude Toward Using Microcomputers For In-Service Education

Abstract

Agriculture teachers are facing rapid changes in both the knowledge base and technology available to help them work with young people and adults. Cetron and Davies (1989) indicated that the present level of technical knowledge will represent only one percent of the knowledge that will be available in 2050. Advances in technology such as computers, lasers, and robots will open many new avenues for providing and enhancing innovative ways of teaching. These technological changes will have a dramatic impact on agricultural education, including the way teacher educators deliver in-service education. One way that technology can impact in-service education is through the interactive capability of microcomputers, namely electronic mail and computer conferencing. Norton and Stammen (1990) described computer conferencing as an innovative form of in-service training that addresses many barriers agriculture teachers face when attempts are made to take college courses to further their education. Such barriers include demands of work and family, long commutes to class, and conflicts with time schedules. Martin & Lundstrom (1988) suggested that attitudes toward educational technology can play an important role in the acceptance of an innovation such as microcomputers.