Having an attitude toward technology : Rethinking PATT studies from a theoretical perspective to study students’ attitudes toward technology

Abstract

Attitudes are complex and consist of emotions, beliefs, and behavior. The overall aim of this thesis is to contribute to a theoretically anchored understanding of attitudes toward technology by exploring the three components of attitudes: affective, cognitive, and behavioral among 12-15-year-old students in Sweden.This thesis includes three research papers (I, II, III) and one book chapter (Paper IV) that are based on data from two studies. Data (student interviews N=6 and survey N=173) from the first study was used in Papers I, II and IV, and data (student survey N=485) from the second study were used in Paper III.In Paper I, an existing attitude survey (PATT) is validated for use in a Swedish context. In Paper II, an instrument to quantify students' perceptions of technology and technology education is developed This instrument is used to study the cognitive component of attitudes and is named the Mitcham Score. In Paper III, the methods developed in Paper I and II are used to study the relationships among the affective, cognitive, and behavioral components of attitudes. In Paper IV, students' perceptions of technology are discussed as a starting point for teachers, when planning and teaching technology.The methods developed throughout the thesis prove useful to research the different components of attitudes. The Mitcham Score can give insights into students' perception of technology as well as be used as a construct of the cognitive component of attitudes. The PATT survey categories called Boredom and Interest measure students' feelings (affect), while the category called Career was seen as assessing the behavioral component. The affective component, Interest, was related to both the cognitive component and the behavioral component. A high Mitcham Score, or in other words a broad perception of technology, seems to be a key concept for girls to consider technological careers.