Patterns of Arizona high schools' organization and use of instructional microcomputers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the patterns of organization and use of microcomputers in Arizona high schools. More specifically, the study was designed to determine the number and types of instructional computing applications being used in Arizona high schools, the level and types of system support for microcomputers, the amount and types of training for faculty and students using microcomputers, the number and types of equipment commonly used, the arrangement and control of microcomputer facilities, and the availability and use by faculty and students. A survey instrument was used to gather data from the target population, which consisted of librarians, principals, and/or computer coordinators from 150 public high schools in Arizona. These three groups were viewed as equivalent sources of information for the purposes of this study. The survey questionnaire was reviewed by a sample of librarians, principals, and computer coordinators for completeness and feasibility. The procedures used for testing the eight hypotheses were (1) Pearson product moment correlation coefficients and (2) frequency distributions. Significant results were found for the analysis of data of one hypothesis. Student use of microcomputers increased with the number of computers available for use by all students. Findings also included information about the most common computing applications, dedicated support for microcomputers, amounts and types of training for faculty and students, and arrangement and use of microcomputers within Arizona high schools. Recommendations for additional investigation were included.