Investigation of Teachers’ Attitudes towards Computer Use in Primary Education in Kurdistan

Abstract

Technological advances have pervasively changed our behaviours, beliefs and approaches in working, socialising and entertaining. Educators, including those in primary education, have acknowledged the positive effects of computer use in the classroom in various ways. With regard to pedagogical consideration, primary school teachers have adopted computer use in teaching pupils with emphasis on student-centred teaching techniques. The integration of computers in the primary curriculum has been applied in many countries, from developing (Chile) to developed nations (the US and UK). With regard to Iraqi Kurdistan, in particular, the education sector has undergone a major reform in order to improve the regional education standards and, as part of a new curriculum, the computer element has been embedded alongside the mathematics subject. Since the reform occurred, no academic study has been conducted to not only evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of computer use in primary schools in Kurdistan, but also to investigate teachers’ attitudes towards the use of computers in their teaching approach. Hence, the present study aims primarily to explore the general background of primary school teachers as well as their experiences, skills and pedagogical attitudes towards computer use in primary education.

Keywords: Computer use, technology, primary schools; teachers; pedagogical approaches