Attitudes, Familiarity and Willingness of Using YouTube in Middle Schools

by

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background of the Study1

Problem Statement2

Research Aim and Objectives3

Significance of the Study4

Research Questions4

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW5

Traditional Teaching Tools5

21st Century Teaching Tools5

YouTube6

Computer-related Technology in Education and Potential Impact on Student Learning6

Theoretical Framework7

Factors that Influence Adoption of Computer-related Technology in Middle Schools8

Attitudes9

Familiarity10

Willingness10

REFERENCES12

Chapter 1: Introduction

Background of the Study

Technology is considered because many students already have access or experience working with computers according to the report A Nation Online (NTIA, 2004). The report revealed that “90% of children between the ages of 5 and 17 use computers plus 65% of 10-13 year olds use the Internet,” (p. 4). The United States Department of Education released a report stating:

Technology is the way we communicate. More than half of young adults in the United States send or receive text messages daily. Three out of four teens between the ages of 15 and 17 own cell phones. And almost eight of 10 teens say they've helped an adult do something online that the adult could not do him- or herself. (p. 1)

Each academic area's supporting organization encourages the use of technology to enhance student learning. The National Council of Teachers of English/Language Arts (NCTE) has twelve standards that guide the development of curriculum and instruction (2006). The eighth standard stated, “Students use a variety of technological and information resources to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge,” (p. 2). The National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) has thematic strands, one of which is science, technology, and society (2006). The NCSS looked at how technology is intertwined with science, how to gather data, conduct research, and record historical events.

In summary, the above-mentioned leading organizations encourage the use of technology in the classroom. After the technology has been installed in the classroom, teachers are in the forefront of the adoption process. One of these technologies that teachers use is YouTube. YouTube is a video sharing website which was founded in the year 2005. As YouTube is a relatively new phenomenon, researchers are interested in discovering its benefit in educational settings. The website contains videos related to topics studies in the classroom and if used in classrooms can enhance students' learning. Moreover, accessing videos is very easy and any internet user can access YouTube and search for videos. These videos provide unlimited opportunities to enhance knowledge regarding a huge variety of subjects. To use YouTube in classroom, teachers can save videos for lessons in their favorite section, and students can access them and view those videos. However, while using YouTube in classroom, teachers should remain in control and monitor all YouTube searches as some of the material posted online may not be appropriate for students. This affects the attitude of teachers' using YouTube in middle school setting.

However, there is limited availability of research on teacher attitudes, familiarity and willingness of using YouTube in middle schools. It is imperative to determine what factors promote or prevent teachers from adopting and using YouTube for middle school ...