A STUDY ON COMPUTER FUNCTIONAL LITERACY AMONG HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS (CFL)

International Journal of Teacher Educational Research (IJTER) Vol.4 No.10 October, 2015 ISSN: 2319-4642 www.ijter.com Impact Factor:3.430

A study on Computer Functional Literacy among Higher Secondary School Students (CFL)

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A STUDY ON COMPUTER FUNCTIONAL LITERACY AMONG HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS (CFL)

Mr . S. RAJA KUMAR, Mr. S. DETCHANAMURTHY, Assistant Professor, Assistant Professor, Sri Venkateswara College of Education, Sri Venkateswara College of Education, Karaikal, Puducherry UT, Karaikal, Puducherry UT E-mail - [email protected]. E-mail - [email protected].

ABSTRACT

The present study focuses on Computer Functional Literacy of Higher Secondary School students.

Computers are continuously being applied to new careers and used in innovative field all the occasion. The

skill not only to use computers, but to adapt to progress and added changes in computing technology is

essential to any professional-minded person. This ability to apply old information to latest milieu not just

allows for the use of computers but can enhance productivity and even pleasure in one's work. This study

steps to truly make aware the students for a computer intensive future and this study results revealed that

computer functional literacy of higher secondary school students is in moderate level. Normative survey

method was used in the present study and Random sampling technique was used. Variables such as types

of management, medium of instruction, computer knowledge and locality of the students are significantly

differ in this study.

Keywords: Computer, Literacy, Computer Functional Literacy, Higher Secondary School students.

INTRODUCTION

In the developing countries, particularly in India, waves of interest in computer technology are

making their way into the schoolhouse as instructional devices for the improvement of the teaching and

learning process. Students and teachers alike need to acquire computer knowledge and skills to improve

their chances of employment or retaining jobs. In the words of Ellis & Odell (1990), the microcomputer

represents the first significant advance in technology that a developing country can adopt with relatively low

capital investment and without prior knowledge in other technologies. Computer illiteracy, analogous to

reading illiteracy, is an intellectual impediment in the information age. Unfortunately, this new technology

represents not only an opportunity if properly used, but a threat if ignored. Computers have made their way

into the classroom environment starting in the early 1980’s. At that time, there were few, perhaps only one

computer in an entire school. In 1983, the student to computer ratio was 125:1 (Sherry & Sherry, 1997).

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Usually, these were used for tutoring using Computer-Aided Instruction (CAI) or used for demonstration or

simulations (Eisenberg & Johnson, 1996).

Hoffman, Blake, McKeon, Leone, and Schorr, (2005) provide an expanded definition of computer

literacy that encompasses both “information literacy, the ability to evaluate information found online, and

critical computer literacy, the ability to incorporate computing technology in support of critical thinking.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The following are the objectives of the present study

1. To study the Computer Functional Literacy among Higher secondary school students.

2. To find out whether the boys and girls differ in their Computer Functional Literacy.

3. To find out whether higher secondary school students differ in their Computer Functional

Literacy with respect to Locality.


Literacy with respect to Medium of Instruction.


Literacy with respect to Type of Management.


Literacy with respect to Computer Course Attended.


Literacy with respect to their Computer Knowledge.

METHOD OF THE STUDY

Normative survey method was used in the present study.

SAMPLE OF THE STUDY

Random sampling technique was used for the selection of sample of 260 Higher Secondary School

students. This sample was taken from 6 Higher Secondary Schools situated in Karaikal District of

Puducherry UT, India.

TOOLS

In the present study the investigator used Computer Functional Literacy Scale developed by Ellis

and Odell (1990) rated against 3 point scale. It consists of form dimensions namely General Computer Skills,

Word Processing, Spread Sheet, and Database. It consists of 27 items.



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TECHNIQUES USED IN THE STUDY

Statistical techniques serve the fundamental purpose of the description and inferential analysis. The

statistical techniques used in the present study were

1. Description Analysis.

2. Differential Analysis.

ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

COMPUTER FUNCTIONAL LITERACY WITH RESPECT TO ENTIRE SAMPLE:

Table.1 Mean Scores and Standard Deviations (SDs) of Overall Computer Functional Literacy with respect to

the entire Sample

Variable N Mean SD Mean

Percentage

Computer Functional Literacy 260 35.98 13.80 59.97

Table 1 inferred that the mean and standard deviation of the Computer Functional Literacy of higher

secondary school students for the 260 sample were 35.98 and 13.80 respectively. Also the table revealed

the mean percentage of Computer Functional Literacy is 59.97.

Table 2 Significance of the difference between the Means of the Computer Functional Literacy of the various

categories of the Sub-Samples

VARIABLES

N

M

SD

‘t’ Value

SIGNIFICANCE LEVEL

Gender

Boys 133 36.86 14.08 1.04 p>0.05

Girls 127 35.07 13.50

Locality Rural 133 34.14 13.12

2.23 p<0.05 Urban 127 37.92 14.28

Medium of instruction Tamil 121 32.18 14.12

5.02 p<0.01 English 139 40.36 12.08

Computer Course Attended 147 37.37 13.68

1.86 p>0.05 Not attended 113 34.18 13.82

Computer Knowledge Good 114 45.08 9.09

11.54 P<0.01 Fair 146 28.88 12.66



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From the table 2 inferred that the mean value of Computer Functional Literacy was high for boys

(36.86) and low for (35.07) for girls. From the table also inferred that t-value of boys and girls did not differ

significantly in the Computer Functional Literacy even at 0.05 level.

It is inferred that the mean value of computer functional literacy was high (37.92) for urban higher

secondary school students and low (34.14) for rural higher secondary school students. From the table as well

revealed that t-value of rural higher secondary school students and urban higher secondary school students

differed significantly in the Computer Functional Literacy at 0.05 level.

The result inferred that the mean value of Computer Functional Literacy was high (40.36) for English

medium higher secondary school students and low (32.18) for Tamil medium higher secondary school

students. From the table it may also be inferred that t-value of the English medium higher secondary school

students and Tamil medium higher secondary school students differed significantly in the Computer

Functional Literacy at 0.01 level.

The result exist that the mean value of Computer Functional Literacy was high (37.37) for the higher

secondary school students who have attended computer course and low (34.18) for those who haven’t. From

the table also be inferred that t-value of the higher secondary school students who have attended computer

course and those who haven’t did not differ significantly in the Computer Functional Literacy even at 0.05

level.

The outcome it may be inferred that the mean value of Computer Functional Literacy was high

(45.08) for the higher secondary school students with good Computer knowledge and low (28.88) for those

with Computer knowledge is fair. From the table it also be inferred that t-value of the higher secondary school

students with Computer Knowledge and without, differed significantly in the Computer Functional Literacy at

0.01 level.

Table 3 Significance of the difference between the Means of the Computer Functional Literacy with

respect to type of school management

VARIABLE N M SD F Ratio SIG. LEVEL

Computer Functional Literacy

Government 90 32.16 13.72

11.11 p<0.01 Aided 90 41.17 11.17

Private 80 34.46 14.91



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Table 3 result inferred that the mean value of Computer Functional Literacy higher secondary school

students was highest (41.17) for aided institution and low (32.16) for government institution. The F-ratio

calculated for the overall Computer Functional Literacy with respect to type of school management revealed

that the higher secondary student differed significantly at 0.01 level.

MAJOR FINDINGS

1. The over all computer functional literacy of higher secondary school students is in moderate level.

2. There is no significant difference between boys and girls with respect of their computer functional

literacy.

3. There is no significant difference between Computer Course attended and Computer Course not

attended with respect of their computer functional literacy.

4. There is significant difference between Government, Government aided and Private school students

in respect of their computer functional literacy.

5. There is significant difference between Tamil medium and English medium school students respect

of their computer functional literacy.

6. There is significant difference between Computer Knowledge good and Computer Knowledge fair

students in respect of their computer functional literacy.

7. There is significant difference between Rural and Urban area students in respect of their computer

functional literacy

CONCLUSION

The above findings are revealed that Computer Functional Literacy (CFL) of higher secondary

school students is in moderate level. Variables such as types of management, medium of instruction,

computer knowledge and locality of the students are significantly differ in this study.

REFERENCES

Ellis, P.M. & Odell, K.S. (1990) Perceived Microcomputer Education Needs of International Students Enrolled

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Kay, R.H. (2003). A practical research tool for assessing ability to use computers: The computer ability

survey (CAS). Journal of Research on Computer in Education, Vol. 26, (1) 16-28.

McMillan, S. (1996). Literacy and Computer Literacy: definitions and comparisons, Computers & Education,

27(3/4), pp. 161-170.



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Mitra, S. & Rana, V. (2001). “Children and the Internet: Experiments with minimally invasive education in

India”, The British Journal of Educational Technology, 32(2), 221-232.

Snow, C. E., Burns, M. S., & Griffin, P. (Eds). (1998). Preventing reading difficulties in young children: A

report of the National Research Council. Washington, DC: Academy Press.

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