The relationships among computer usage, experience with the computer, computer anxiety, and attitudes toward computers for secondary agricultural education teachers in the United States

The purpose of this study was to integrate the theories by developing a model incorporating the constructs of computer usage, experience with the computer anxiety, and attitudes toward computers. This study examined the causal process of how computer usage, and experience with the computer impact the attitudes of secondary agricultural education teachers toward computers through computer anxiety.; This study tested the following hypotheses: (a) the model provides a representation of the causal process, (b) computer usage does not influence computer anxiety, (c) experience with the computer does not influence computer anxiety, (d) computer usage does not influence attitudes toward computers, (e) experience with the computer does not influence attitudes toward computers, (f) computer anxiety does not influence attitudes toward computers, and (g) computer usage does not influence experience with the computer.; The study was correlational in design and used a mailed questionnaire to gather data. The population for this study was all secondary agricultural education teachers in the United States. A systematic random sampling technique with a random entry point was used to select the sample. Questionnaires were mailed to a sample of 400 teachers, and a return rate of 77% was obtained. LISREL was used in the data analysis.; The proposed model did not support the hypothesis that the model provides a plausible presentation of the causal process. One modified model was proposed after examination of the standardized residuals and modification index from the LISREL. This modified model was established by moving the anxiety variable into attitudes toward computers. The modified model provided an overall acceptable fit.; The results of the study indicated that experience of the secondary agricultural education teachers with the computer had a statistically significant impact on their attitudes toward computers. Computer usage of the secondary agricultural education teachers had a statistically significant correlation with their experience with the computer.; It was concluded that the more data typed in the last year, number of current types of software proficient in using, and typing skill of secondary agricultural teachers, the more positive were their computer liking, computer confidence, and use of the computer as an instructional medium, and the less negative was their computer anxiety.