Using computers in early childhood classrooms

To better prepare early childhood teachers for computer use, more information about their current skills and classroom practices is needed. Sampling from a large metropolitan public school system in the USA, the study surveyed 297 state pre-kindergarten teachers, gathering information about their attitudes, skills, and instructional methods related to computer use. Statistically significant relationships indicate that attitudes, skills, and practice are interrelated variables. Results also suggest that aspects of teacher technology competence vary as a function of number of years teaching, role as lead or assistant teacher, home computer access, and length of in-service training. Implications for increasing training effectiveness for early childhood teachers include increasing support for classroom implementation, extending in-service training, and diversifying training to accommodate varying levels of teacher expertise.