1. Concerns Of Administrators and Teachers In The Diffusion Of IT In Schools: A Case Study From Turkey Petek Askar & Yasemin Usluel Faculty of Education Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey

2. Introduction Diffusion of an Innovation IT is an innovation. Use of information technology is a diffusion process. Innovation: “any idea practice or object that is perceived as new by an individual or other unit of adoption”. ( Rogers, 1995)

3. Introduction IT as a relatively new building block in the educational system causes innovations which ranges from way of communications, & teaching and learning.

4. Turkey’s Experience Before 1998 10 % ( 5 000 of the schools have computers. Basic Education Project (World Bank): 1998-1999/1842 schools-2210 IT classrooms 1999-2000/5510 schools-6612 IT classrooms 2000-2001/5511 schools-6613 IT classrooms Total: 16 243schools 18 815 IT classroom

5. The Structure of Educational System in Turkey

6. Therotical Framework This research is based on four main elements in the diffusion of innovations defined by Rogers (1995); and seven stages of concern by Hall and Hard (1987)

7. Diffusion of Innovation (Rogers 1995 ) Innovation characteristics, Communication channels, Time, Social system.

8. Stages of Concern (Hall&Hard 1987) Awareness ( Contextual), Information, Personel, Management, Consequence, Collaboration, Re-focusing

9. The Study In this study, 27 teachers, 3 principals and 3 deputies from three schools were interwieved.

10. Method The data were analysed qualitatively. Content Analysis was used and coding categories were created.

11. Profile of Schools ( Elementary schools) School A, a private school. It has been using computers for seven years. School B, a public school, is a curriculum laboratory, which has received computers three years ago. School C, a public school, has started to use computers in the beginning of this year.

12. Profile of Administrators Gender Four male, two female Age Between 40-49 IT familiarity 1 of them approx. 20 years 2 of them more than five years 3 of them approx. ten years

13. Profile of Teachers Gender 1 male, the others females. Age 3 teachers 20-29, 5 teachers 30-39, 14 teachers 40-49 fourteen, 2 teachers 50-59 IT familiarity 15 teachers between 6-10 years, 2 teachers between 11 16, 1 teacher 20 years. Subject taught 12 general, 7 science and maths., 3 art, 2, social sciences, 1 sport

14. Findings Innovation Characteristics ( the degree to which an innovation is perceived as advantageous) 1. Relative advantage 2. Compatibility 3. Complexity 4. Triability 5. Observability

15. Relative Advantage Administrators All except one find IT as a useful in managament Teachers More than half of the teachers agree that using computers is an advantage for many tasks. Only one teacher stated its advantage for teaching.

16. Compatibility Administrators Yes 1, No 2, Little 2 Teachers Yes 2, 13 Medium, 12 Little Physical conditions, training, crowded classrooms, overload, support

17. Triability As a management tool IT is perceived as triable. All administrators Most of the teachers. School A all teachers School B and C most of them.

18. Complexity Administrators and teachers Could be categorized in two groups: Complex and easy. Age is an important factor. Complexity ratings increase as age increases.

19. Observability Administrators and teachers Most of them stated that computers are around in their environment ( home, office) As a management tool, preparing lesson plans, grading... As an instructional tool, teachers haven’t observed enough examples.

20. Findings 2. Communication ( participants create and share information with one and another in order to reach a mutual understanding)

21. Communication ( Obstacles) Administrators The negative attitudes of teachers who have no knowledge Not interested in Insufficient teacher and labs. Ministry of Education

22. Communication ( Obstacles) Teachers Insufficient computers and labs. ( All schools) No time for extra work ( School A and B) Not interested in ( School B and C) No support ( School B and C) No computer coordinator ( School B and C) Not enough information ( School C)

23. Reasons Reasons for deciding to use IT Information Age Students know Easy and quick way of doing things

24. Findings (Stages of Concern) Overall 30% teachers has no concern about computers as a management tool.(Most of them are at School B) 40% teachers are between awareness and management stages (Most of them are at school A- C) 30% teachers are at the management stages (Most of them are at school A). Only one teacher is at the consequence stage.(School A) No teacher or administrator at higher levels ( Consequence, Collaboration, Re-focusing)