| The purpose of this study was to determine the status of electronic data processing in accounting curriculums of public secondary schools of Arkansas during the school year 1982-83. The study included the following items related to electronic data processing: (1) identification of topics covered in accounting programs and their relative importance as perceived by accounting teachers; (2) acquisition of data on enrollment in schools, accounting programs, and other courses; use of equipment and textbooks in accounting classes; survey of accounting teachers' education, training, teaching practices, and attitudes; and (3) determination of the relationship between accounting teachers' education and training and the extent to which they integrated topics in accounting instruction.;Data were collected by use of a four-page questionnaire designed by the researcher. Statistical treatment consisted of frequency distributions, means, medians, modes, and standard deviations determined through utilization of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) computer program. Measures of association were also obtained by using the SPSS procedures.;Major findings were (1) 7.3 percent of the total student population represented in this study were enrolled in accounting. Instruction was combined with other subjects twice as often as in a separate data processing course. (2) Thirty-eight percent of the schools had equipment available to accounting students--microcomputers comprised 98 percent. The most popular textbooks were manufacturers' manuals. (3) Forty-one percent of accounting teachers had master's degrees, but less than 1 percent had specialist's degrees. None had doctor's degrees. (4) The most popular topics were general characteristics of computers, data processing systems, and data preparation for computers. (5) Teachers perceived broad, general categories of topics to be more important to accounting students than specific, technical facts.;Major recommendations were (1) the secondary school accounting curriculum should include coverage of computer concepts, and (2) inservice education for accounting teachers should include the study of computer topics.;The population of this study was all accounting teachers in the public secondary schools of Arkansas during the school year 1982-83. Usable data were obtained from 78.1 percent, or 300 teachers, representing 291 schools. |
