Identification of Application Contexts of Information Technology by Educators of Applied Science and Technology Institutes in Agriculture and Natural Resources Filed

مجله اقتصاد و توسعه کشاورزی

Article 3, Volume 24, Issue 2, July 2010   

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.22067/jead2.v1389i2.3930

Authors

A. Asadi^* ; A. Karimi; F. Karami

Tehran University

Abstract

The main objective of present study was Identification of Application Contexts of Information Technology by educators of applied science and technology institutes in agriculture and natural resources filed. the study was discriptive – corralation research that carried out through survay method. statistical population of study consisted of (N=2569) educators of applied science and technology institutes in agriculture and natural resources fild in iran. multi steps samplin was employed and 138 members of educators selected from six regions of country. Questionnaire was employed for data collection. Questionnaire validation verified by the group of experts and professors of department of agricultural education and extension of Tehran university. A pilot study with the 30 numbers of questionnaire was conducted to determine the reliability of research tools, and was estimated the Cronbochs alpha that different parts of questionnaire were suitable for study. The collected data were analyzed by the SPSS software. The results of correlation showed that there was significant and positive correlation between the number of IT application contexts by instructors with computer familiarity and its skills, internet familiarity and its skills, English language skills, advantages of using of IT, the average use of internet and the average use of computer at level of 0.95 and it had significant and positive correlation with the numbers of review articles and the numbers of scientific papers at 0.99 level. To identify the most important of IT application contexts by educators in agricultural and natural resources applied science and technology institutes, the R-Type Factor Analysis was employed. Results indicated the variables were categorized in four factors include of: development of intra and inter organization relations, to making easy the educational process. Increasing of the educators professional skills, and facilitation of the organization process. These four factors estimated about 72 percent of variances of IT application contexts by educators of applied science and technology institutes in agriculture and natural resources fild.

Keywords

Information Technologies; Applied science and technology Education; Educator; Internet; Computer; Contexts