Factors that may influence or hinder use of instructional technology among accounting faculty

Abstract

PurposeTo determine what factors influence faculty's decisions to use technology in their classes, what factors prevent them from use, and whether there are differences among faculty by gender, ethnicity, rank, sub‐areas, etc. in using instructional technology.Design/methodology/approachA survey instrument was used to measure attitudes toward technology among accounting educators. The instrument included three separate sections. The first section was devoted to examining factors that could influence faculty's opinion to use technology for teaching. The second section focused on issues that could possibly discourage faculty from use of technology. For these two sections a five‐point Likert scale was developed with possible responses ranging from “not important” to “critically important”. The third and final section was designed to provide demographic information for classification purposes and testing of the research questions.FindingsThe results demonstrate that while accounting faculty value technology greatly and do use it in teaching, significant differences exist in their views toward it. Several factors were found to influence faculty's attitudes toward integration of technology. Conversely, there are other factors that tend to hamper widespread integration.Research limitations/implicationsThe research was conducted among US accounting faculty, which perhaps limits its usefulness elsewhere or in other disciplinesPractical implicationsUniversity‐sponsored incentive programs and financial support could encourage faculty to further incorporate technology and its various dimensions in their classes. Furthermore, administrators should make the necessary arrangements for faculty to attend training seminars designed to provide them with technical support.Originality/valueThis study provides empirical evidence that is useful to both faculty and administrators in integrating technology in education.

The determinant of faculty attitude to academic (over-) work load: An econometric analysis

“…The research evidence suggested that computer-related tasks and performance are independent of gender. The finding was also consistent with Ahadiat (2005). In a study, Ahadiat (2005) examined the influence of socio-demographic factors of the (Accounting) faculty's decisions to use instructional technology in the USA.…”

“…The influence of gender on computer-related attitudes in higher education institutions is discussed in a few studies too (Ahadiat, 2005;Sieverding & Koch, 2009). In the Free University of Berlin (Germany), Sieverding and Koch (2009) examined the influence of gender on performance expectations, attribution of success, perceived computer competence, and self-evaluations of computer competence.…”

IRRODL Volume 15, Number 3

“…Females, the elderly, and those with low education levels had poorer attitudes toward technology than males, the young, and the highly educated, respectively (Ahadiat, 2005). Several studies demonstrated that male teachers are typically more interested in technology use in the classroom than female teachers (Ahadiat, 2005;Vekiri, 2010 Online Instruction Questionnaire (PPEOIQ) (see Appendix) in this study was defined using seven dimensions, namely, (a) instructional design (e.g., "I can design assignments to enhance students' interactions"), (b) facilitating learning (e.g., "I can facilitate participants' discussion and help them focus on the related learning goals"), (c) learning assessment (e.g., "In order to match the course instructional goals, I can plan appropriate evaluation formats"), (d) technology use (e.g., "According to instructional goals, I can choose technology appropriately for my online course"), (e) administrative management (e.g., "I can meet with e-tutors regularly in order to ensure the online instruction well-quality", (f) content expertise (e.g., "I can prepare my instructional material in advance in order to deliver content to participants"), and (g) research development (e.g., "Based on instructional pedagogical theories, I can develop research issues related to the online instruction"). Responses to each item associated with each dimension were on a four-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 for "strongly disagree" to 4…”

“…Many studies have identified differences in attitudes toward technology use based on gender, age, and education level (Ahadiat, 2005;Sieverding & Koch, 2009). Females, the elderly, and those with low education levels had poorer attitudes toward technology than males, the young, and the highly educated, respectively (Ahadiat, 2005).…”

A Theoretical Analysis of Factors Influencing the Decision of Faculty to Use Educational Technologies in the Context of Institutions of Higher Education

“…Neyland (2011) found factors such as institutional support as well as micro factors such as teacher capability of using computer and computer related programs influencing the use of online learning. Ahadiat (2005) added ethnicity, rank, sub-areas, as influential factors in using instructional technology by the instructors. Teachers' characteristics (e.g.…”