Self-efficacy as a construct for understanding teachers and students' engagement with Web 2.0 technologies

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of the design, application and validity of computer and internet self-efficacy scales.This work is part of a PhD study investigating teacher educators’ confidence with Web 2.0 technologies in University-led teacher education. Research in this field draws on the founding works of Bandura (1986), Schunk (1989) and Gist (1989) which supported the predictive validity of self-efficacy as a construct for identifying variables that influence people’s perceived ability to pursue tasks to achieve desired outcomes. Within Schools and in Higher Education training contexts, recent research using technology, computer and internet self-efficacy scales have focused on the following themes related to technology use: resistance, attitude, source evaluation and learning performance. This paper reviews the development and validity of self-efficacy scales to demonstrate qualitative changes in measurement design and implementation.