العربية
Author Name: Michael H Randall
Description:
There is a growing trend within secondary and post-secondary institutions to offer information technology (IT) certification programs as instructional vehicles to provide students with viable skills needed by the workforce, to satisfy state skill standards, and to prepare students for postsecondary IT studies. The use of IT certification programs in a formal education setting carries a number of salient issues and implications for educational institutions, IT teachers, administrators, students, and, ultimately, the IT workforce. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the perceived attitudes toward IT certification programs; the perceived need for a particular type of IT certification program; and the perceived need for a state-wide IT certification data collection effort among secondary school educators and business and industry IT professionals in Ohio. Additionally, this study investigated effects of selected demographic characteristics on perceived levels of attitude and need surrounding IT certification in secondary education. The population for this study utilized a census of three different populations that consisted of: a) all IT teachers in the state of Ohio working at either comprehensive high schools or area career centers, b) all principals in the state of Ohio, associated with the IT teachers, and c) all business and industry IT professionals from the state of Ohio who participated in the development of IT skill standards for the Ohio Department of Education during the 2005-2006 academic year. Three parallel descriptive cross-sectional questionnaires were developed by the researcher and sent out to IT teachers, principals, and business and industry IT professionals. The study showed: a significant difference in attitude toward IT certification programs between educators and IT professionals; a perceived need for vendor-neutral certifications programs that prepare individuals to work in multi-vendor environments; and confirmed a high perceived need for a centralized data source on IT certification program and student data. The findings also indicated that while teachers and IT professionals showed no significant differences among males and females on perceived attitude toward IT certification, principals showed significant differences. Strong significant differences were found between certified and non-certified IT professionals on perceived attitude toward IT certification.
Reference: Randall, M. H. (2006). Information technology certification programs and perceptions of attitude and need by high school principals, information technology teachers, and information technology professionals in Ohio. United States Of America: Ohio State University.