Social Context Variables Affecting the Implementation of Microcomputers

Abstract

Although technological innovations have been widely adopted in elementary schools, efforts to implement these have generally not been successful. Past research on innovation has largely ignored the social context in which implementation occurs. This research examines how the implementation of the microcomputer is affected by traditional social context variables of socioeconomic status (SES), school size, and grade span as well as by “content specific” social context variables such as the type of computer, the length of time schools have owned computers, and student to computer ratio. Findings from the study of implementation in a random sample of 128 elementary schools indicate that SES and student to computer ratio have a strong, significant impact on the level of computer implementation. SES also interacts with school size and grade span to affect the progress of implementation.