The Effect of Technology Self-Efficacy and Personal Engagement on Students’ and Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Technology Use in Education

The influx of technology into K-12 education coupled with preparing students for entry into a global workforce led many school systems to mandate the integration of technology into daily instruction. This mixed method study investigated teachers’ and students’ technology self-efficacy and attitudes toward technology usage and the affect on technology implementation in the classroom. Previous studies addressed teacher beliefs, attitudes, and barriers to technology use; the inclusion of students’ views added a dimension missing from the earlier literature. Venkatesh, Morris, Davis, and Davis’ (2003) Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology was used as the underlying conceptual framework along with four key constructs predictive of technology usage complied by Gu, Zhu, and Guo (2013). The merged model incorporated technology self-efficacy and attitudes toward use as measures affecting integrated technology. Through focus groups and online surveys, participants indicated high engagement with technology for personal use. Additionally, teachers and students identified increased efficiency afforded by the use of technology for instructional purposes. This study found that despite students’ high technology self-efficacy and positive attitude towards its use, current technology use is dictated by teachers’ technology self-efficacy and knowledge of technology integration within the curriculum.