A Theoretical and Empirical Survey of Computer Attitudes

For years, research on the impact of students' attitudes on learning has maintained a spot amongst the most highly discussed topics in education. Particularly, over the past decades, researchers have made great strides in better understanding attitudes toward computers. This article presents a critical review of the current state of research by re-examining how attitudes toward computers have been studied. First, the review introduces an overview of the theoretical foundations and the origins of research on attitudes toward computers. Then, the article summarizes previous literature and knowledge about computer attitudes and provides a review of major findings from research on the effects of some factors affecting the formation of computer attitudes. The discussion reveals a number of major issues and challenges, which include unclear characterization of computer attitudes, problems with measurement tools, and the lack of studies using methods other than brief questionnaires. The unsolved problems cause conflicting, inconsistent and inconclusive results and affect interpretation in the study of computer attitudes. The article also suggests the main recent and future directions of research on attitudes toward computers. Finally, it concludes by providing implications for educators.