An Examination of Teacher Acceptance of Handheld Computers

As states and federal legislation have invested in integration of new technologies into education, the teacher's role as the user of such technologies in the classroom becomes more prominent (Telecommunications Act of 1996). However, relevant prior research suggests that teacher resistance to new technologies remains high. This study explores teachers' acceptance of handheld computer use, and identifies key intention determinants for using this technology based on a modified version of the technology acceptance model. The new model with five constructs--(1) perceived ease of use, (2) perceived usefulness, (3) subjective norms, (4) intention to use, and (5) dependability--was tested using the handheld computer acceptance survey responses from 45 special education teachers grouped into four groups by experience of using technology for data collection. The results showed that the direct effect of two constructs, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, on intention to use a handheld computer was statistically significant. The dependability factor, which was not included in any prior technology acceptance literature, had a statistically significant effect on perceived ease of use and usefulness, and intention to use a handheld computer, respectively. Groups of participants differed on only subjective norm. Theoretical and practical implications were also discussed. (Contains 2 figures and 5 tables.)