Date of Award

2011

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Curriculum & Instruction

First Advisor

Smith-Gratto, Karen Dr.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of school, teacher and student characteristics on student acquisition of computer skills. The theory of affordance is used to provide a theoretical framework for explaining how 1) school characteristics (e.g., access to computer, attendance rates, suspensions), 2) teacher characteristics (e.g., license status of teachers, years of teaching experience, teacher turnover rates), and 3) student characteristics (e.g., socio-economic status and minority status) are associated with the attainment of computer skills in 8th grade level of middle schools. s. A correlational research design is used to test the proposed research hypotheses. Regression analysis is used to analyze any interacting and causal relationships among the study’s variables. The findings indicated that attendance, lower rates in behavioral problem incidents, and access to computers significantly helped to improve computer skills exam success. Teacher licensure status was the only teacher characteristic that significantly helped to improve computer skills exam success. In contrast, minority and economically disadvantaged status was associated with lower computer skills exam success rates.

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