Off-campus UNL users: To download campus access dissertations, please use the following link to log into our proxy server with your NU ID and password. When you are done browsing please remember to return to this page and log out.
Non-UNL users: Please talk to your librarian about requesting this dissertation through interlibrary loan.
Computer competencies needed for the certification of secondary school business teachers
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to identify and determine the importance of computer competencies needed for the certification of secondary school business teachers in the United States. More precisely, this study was conducted in order to (a) identify important computer competencies, (b) determine the degree of importance of the competencies, (c) rank the categories of competencies, and (d) determine those who should develop computer competency programs for teachers. A random sample of 150 heads of business education programs was selected from a total population of 251 NABTE-member institutions. The competency questionnaire, comprising three sections and utilizing Flanagan's critical incident technique, was mailed to the program heads. A total of 108 usable responses was received. The reliability of the instrument using Cronbach's coefficient alpha was established. An analysis of the data utilizing descriptive statistics, AN0VA, and a t-test revealed a number of findings. Of the 56 competency items: (a) 50 were judged to be important, (b) six were determined to be of little or no importance, (c) 14 competencies were of extreme importance, (d) 33 were of high importance, and (e) three were felt to be of average importance. Most professors who utilize computers today were self-taught. A ranking of 11 competency categories revealed that Computer Terms and Concepts ranked first in importance, Software was second, and Hardware was ranked third. Teacher training institutions are believed to have the major responsibility for developing computer competency programs for secondary school business teachers. Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations were made: (a) a replication of this study should be made periodically; (b) teacher training institutions should exercise a leadership role in the development of competency programs for teachers; (c) business education curriculum planners at teacher education institutions should emphasize the competencies identified in this study; (d) the 14 competencies that were determined to be of extreme importance in this study should be given a greater consideration during classroom work or curriculum planning.
Subject Area
Business education|Teacher education
Recommended Citation
Iwu, Hilary Opara, "Computer competencies needed for the certification of secondary school business teachers" (1988). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI8824936.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI8824936