Abstract
Fifty‐four elementary and secondary school teachers participated in focus‐group discussions and completed a survey to examine barriers and supports to computer integration. Although teachers used computers at home and school, they were not wholly comfortable with the technology. Familiarity with computers predicted greater comfort with technology and greater comfort was related to greater integration in the classroom. Thematic analysis of the focus groups yielded six major themes, including issues related to: support, teachers, context and access, students, computer hardware and software problems, and external or other priorities. The discussion of computer integration also inspired substantial emotional responses on the part of teachers. Together, the survey and focus‐group findings yielded a framework for identifying individual and environmental issues which impact on computer integration.
Acknowledgements
Funding for this research was provided by grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and from the Canadian Language and Literacy Research Network. Additional support was provided through the Waterloo Region District School Board. We wish to extend our thanks to the members of the Computers Across The Curriculum Committee at the Waterloo Region District School Board for all of their input.