Computer Self-Efficacy as a Predictor of University Teachers' Perceived Use of ICT in Teaching and Research: Evidence from Public Sector Universities in Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

The need for the confidence of faculty members in computers and information and communication technology (ICT) for teaching and research in the University are growing. This paper aims to find out the relationship between the computer self-efficacy of teachers (CSE) and their perceived use of ICT in teaching (PTS) and research (PRS) by administering a questionnaire on primary data to 15 public sector universities of Punjab province in Pakistan with 923 teachers. A quantitative and correlational survey design was used in the study and the computer self-efficacy scale (CSE) used was adapted from Murphy (1989) and added with questions that measure perceived teaching and research use of ICT (overall Cronbach's alpha = 0.98). The outcomes show that teachers' computer self-efficacy and perceived ICT use in teaching and in research is moderate (Some Confidence) on a five-point scale with means of 3.42, 2.99 and 2.97 respectively. Pearson correlation revealed that perceived ICT use in teaching is moderately and positively correlated with perceived ICT use in research (r = .573) as well as strong positive correlation between computer self-efficacy and perceived ICT use in teaching (r = .798) and perceived ICT use in research (r = .782). Factors that were discovered to be significantly related to self-efficacy and ICT uses were younger age, higher teaching experience, ICT training, gender, discipline, computer ownership and use of laptop computers. The findings of this research work reaffirm computer SE as a vital and malleable factor of effective instruction and research in the HE level using ICT and offer practical guidelines for faculty-development planners.

Keywords: computer self-efficacy; ICT; teaching skills; research skills; higher education; Pakistan; Bandura