A STUDY OF MATRICULATION COMPUTER

SCIENCE STUDENTS’ KNOWLEDGE, ANXIETY

Submitted by

Ambreen Anis Nagori

B. Ed. Regular 2009-2010

Enrolment No:

An Educational Research Project Submitted as Partial fulfillment of the

Under the Supervision of

Mirza Arshad Baig

HAMDARD UNIVERSITY

December 2010
 CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL

This is to certify that Ambreen Anis Nagori D/O Mohammad Anis Nagori has completed

her project entitled “A Study of matriculation computer science student’s knowledge,

anxiety and attitude towards computer” under my supervision as partial fulfillment for the

degree of Bachelor of Education.

She is permitted to submit her project to HAMDARD INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION

AND SOCIAL SCIENCES, HAMDARD UNIVERSITY Karachi.

________________________

Research Supervisor

Mirza Arshad Baig

HAMDARD UNIVERSITY, KARACHI.

Page No

Table of Content i-v

Acknowledgement vi-vii

List of Tables PG - 01

List of Appendix PG – 01

Abstract PG – 01

Chapter 1

1. INTRODUCTION PG – 01

1.1. Statement of the Problem PG – 01

1.2. Significance of the study PG – 01

1.3. Objective of the study PG – 01

1.4. Hypotheses of the study PG – 01

1.5. Delimitations of the Study PG – 01

1.6. Definitions of the Terms PG – 01

Chapter 2

2. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE PG – 01

2.1. Section # 1 Computer, Computer Science and its Curriculum PG – 01

2.1.1. What Computers are? PG – 01

2.1.2. Use of computers PG – 01

2.1.3. Computer studies Computer science Information Science PG – 01

2.1.4. Secondary Education and Computers PG – 01

2.1.5. Curriculum of Computer Studies at Secondary level PG

– 01

2.1.5.1. Topics PG – 01
 2.1.5.2. Focus PG – 01

2.1.5.3. Focus PG – 01

2.1.5.4. Goals PG – 01

2.1.5.5. Programming PG – 01

2.1.5.6. Prerequisites PG – 01

2.1.5.7. Language PG – 01

2.1.5.8. Programming Style PG – 01

2.1.5.9. Facilities PG – 01

2.1.5.10. Access PG – 01

2.1.5.11. Library Programs PG – 01

2.1.5.12. Academic Credit PG – 01

2.1.6. Developing Countries and Computer Studies PG – 01

2.1.6.1. Objectives of the Curriculum of Computer

Science Education in developing Countries PG – 01

2.1.7. UNESCO Guideline for Computer Science Curriculum PG – 01

2.1.7.1. Objective of Computer Science / Informatics

Curriculum at Secondary Level according to UNESCO PG – 01

2.1.7.2. Curriculum Proposed by UNESCO PG – 01

2.1.7.3. Resource Facilities Recommended by UNESCO PG – 01

2.1.8. Computer Science in Pakistan at Secondary Level PG – 01

2.1.8.1. Objectives of Computer Science at Secondary Level PG – 01

2.1.8.2. Teachers Qualification PG – 01

2.1.8.3. Physical Facilities PG – 01

2.1.8.4. Curriculum Development PG – 01

2.1.8.5. Delivery of the Curriculum PG – 01

2.2.1. Knowledge of Computers PG – 01

2.2.2. Factors affecting the Knowledge of Computers PG – 01

2.2.3. Researches regarding Students Knowledge of Computer PG – 01

2.3. Section # 3 Attitudes, Attitude Towards Computers

and related Researches PG – 01

2.3.1. Attitude PG – 01

2.3.2. Components of Attitudes PG – 01

2.3.3. Formation of Attitudes PG – 01

2.3.4. Methods of Measuring Attitudes PG – 01

2.3.5. Attitude Scales PG – 01

2.3.6. Attitude Towards Computers PG – 01

2.3.7. Attitude Towards Computer Scales PG – 01

2.3.8. Factors affecting the Attitude Towards Computers PG – 01

2.3.9. Researchers related to Attitude Towards Computers PG – 01

2.4. Section # 4 Anxiety, Computer Anxiety and related Researches PG – 01

2.4.1. Anxiety PG – 01

2.4.2. Psychological Components regarding Anxiety PG – 01

2.4.3. Types of Anxiety PG – 01

2.4.4. Kinds of Anxiety PG – 01

2.4.5. Computer Anxiety PG – 01

2.4.6. Effects of Computer Anxiety PG – 01

2.4.7. Categories of Computer Anxiety PG – 01

2.4.8. How to Measure the Computer Anxiety PG – 01

2.4.9. Factor affecting the Computer Anxiety PG – 01

3. PROCEDURE AND METHODOLOGY PG – 01

3.1. Population of the study PG – 01

3.2. Sample of the study PG – 01

3.3. Instruments of Study PG – 01

3.4. Computer Knowledge Test PG – 01

3.4.1. Item Construction PG – 01

3.4.2. Validation PG – 01

3.4.3. Pilot Testing PG – 01

3.4.4. Item Analysis PG – 01

3.4.5. Validation of the Final Version of the test Reliability PG – 01

3.5. Computer Attitude Scale PG – 01

3.5.1. Transformation PG – 01

3.5.2. Validation PG – 01

3.5.3. Pilot Testing PG – 01

3.5.4. Scoring Reliability Translation PG – 01

3.5.5. Demographic Section of the instrument for Students PG – 01

3.6. Demographic Performa for the Heads of Instruments PG – 01

3.7. Data Collection PG – 01

3.8. Analysis of the Data PG – 01

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
It is a moment of great pleasure for the researcher to write this acknowledgement. There is a

long list to which she is thankful for the completion of her ambition. All praise to Allah

Almighty, Merciful, Beneficial, Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient who bestowed the

researcher with the courage, determination and persistence to complete this study.

Fruition of this project can be attributed to the expertise of Mirza Arshad Baig whose unusual

help, inspiration, patience, scholarly guidance encouragement and constant personal

involvement made it possible for the researcher to complete this study.

A special note of thanks goes to Dr. Hameed-ur-Rehman Of Hamdard University for his

expert opinion and guidance.

The researcher is highly obliged to the Principal and concerned staff of the Secondary

Schools included in the study for data collection. It was impossible to complete this study

without their cooperation.

Researcher extends her appreciation to her husband Hashsham Rasool Qadri who compelled

her to join B.Ed and who was most desirous for the completion of her Bachelors without his

boost she could never achieve this success.

Researcher is grateful to her teachers and parents in law especially brother in law Mohtasham

Rasool Qadri, B.Ed class fellows and friend Ms. Amna Karim for their prayers and moral

support start through end of this work.

LIST OF TABLES

Table # Page #
 1 Chart Showing the UNESCO’s Recommendations PG – 01

Regarding the Curriculum of Informatics/Computer PG – 01

Science at Secondary level. PG – 01

2 Population of SSC Students in UC-06 Karachi PG – 01

3 Number of Students PG – 01

4 Summary of Items Analysis PG – 01

5 Summary of Data Analysis PG – 01

ABSTRACT

This study attempted to find out the relationship between SSC computer science anxiety and

attitude towards computers. The study also focused to explore the effect of different
demographic variables on student’s knowledge, anxiety and attitude towards computers. It

was also intended to compare the available physical facilities at coeducation secondary

schools at Gulshan-e-Iqbal with those given in UNESCO guidelines. Twenty-four null

hypotheses were formulated in the study. Sample of the study were 1068 SSC computer

science students including male, female, SSC pert 1 and SSC part 2 from the selected schools

of Karachi. Student’s knowledge of computers was assessed through a researcher’s made

test. Attitude and anxiety were measured through C.A.S. Demographic information

regarding students were collected through demographic section of the scale while information

regarding teacher’s qualification and physical facilities at secondary schools were collected

through a Performa filled out by the principal’s of the secondary schools. Analysis of data

was done by applying parametric statistics through S.P.S.S. The key conclusions based on

descriptive and inferential statistical analysis indicated that majority of the students had no

previous knowledge of computers and no home computer while secondary schools had

teachers and insufficient physical facilities. It was revealed that there was a positive

correlation between knowledge and attitude and negative correlation between anxiety and

attitude. The study explored that gender, physical facilities and teacher’s qualification

significantly affected student’s knowledge, anxiety and attitude towards computers. It was

also indentified that personal computers significantly affected the knowledge and anxiety,

grade significantly affected the anxiety and previous knowledge significantly affected the

anxiety. It was explored that although there was no significant affect of grade on knowledge

and attitude, personal computer on attitude previous knowledge on knowledge and attitude

but there was a tendency which showed some affect of these variables on student’s

knowledge, anxiety and attitude towards computers.