The relationship among CEIT prospective teachers' lifelong learning tendencies, computer self efficacy beliefs and attitudes towards computer

This study aims to examine the relationship among Computer Education and Instructional Technology (CEIT) prospective teachers' lifelong learning tendencies, computer self-efficacy beliefs and attitudes towards the computer. The CEIT prospective teachers (n=150) majoring at the Computer Education and Instructional Technology (CEIT) Department at Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University, Faculty of Education in the spring semester of 2016 - 2017 academic year formed the study group of this study. In the study, three data collection instruments were used in order to examine the relationship among CEIT prospective teachers' lifelong learning tendencies, computer self-efficacy beliefs and attitudes towards the computer. In this regard, to measure the lifelong learning tendencies of the CEIT prospective teachers, "Lifelong Learning Tendencies Scale" developed by Coşkun Diker (2009); to measure the computer self-efficacy beliefs of the CEIT prospective teachers, "Perceived Computer Self Efficacy Scale" developed by Aşkar and Umay (2001); and attitude towards computer of the CEIT prospective teachers, "Computer Attitude Scale" developed by Şerefhanoğlu (2007) were used for data collection. For the analysis of the data collected during the study, SPSS 20 Program was used. Through SPSS 20 Program, the frequency and percentage values, and the mean and standard deviation scores of the items in the scales were calculated and Independent Samples t-Test and One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used. Additionally, Mann - Whitney U Test, Kolmogorov- Smirnov Test, Kruskal - Wallis H Test were performed, and the Spearman Correlation Coefficient was calculated. The findings of the study indicated that CEIT prospective teachers had a moderate level of lifelong learning tendency, had a high level of computer self-efficacy beliefs, and had a high level of attitudes towards the computer. Additionally, when the findings of the study are examined in terms of the gender of CEIT prospective teachers, while a significant difference was found in favor of the female CEIT prospective teachers when their lifelong learning tendencies are concerned, and a significant difference was found in favor of the male CEIT prospective teachers when their computer self-efficacy beliefs were examined. There was no significant difference when CEIT prospective teachers' attitudes towards computer were the focus of attention. In the meantime, when CEIT prospective teachers' lifelong learning tendencies, computer self-efficacy beliefs and attitudes towards computer were examined considering the variables namely, the types of high school graduated and the grade level, no significant difference was found. The findings of the study revealed a positive, low level, significant relationship between CEIT prospective teachers' lifelong learning tendencies and computer self-efficacy beliefs; and also revealed a positive, moderate level, significant relationship between CEIT prospective teachers' lifelong learning tendencies and attitudes towards computer and a positive, high level, significant relationship between CEIT prospective teachers' computer self-efficacy beliefs and attitudes towards computer.