Dissertation Information for Sandra D. Andrews NAME: - Sandra D. Andrews
DEGREE:
- Ph.D.
DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science
SCHOOL:
- Florida State University (USA) (1997)
ADVISORS: - Thomas L. Hart
COMMITTEE MEMBERS: - Elisabeth A. Logan - Robert Reiser - F. William Summers
MPACT Status: Fully Complete
Title: A comparison of the roles of the school library media specialist and the computer/technology teacher within the same school environment in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System
Abstract: This dissertation compared and contrasted the roles of the school library media specialist and the computer/technology teacher within the same school environment by surveying the 50 largest school systems in the United States, in terms of enrollment, to discover how widespread the use of computer/technology teachers were and by conducting a work sampling study of the media specialists and computer/technology teachers in seven schools within the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System.
The national survey provided baseline data to explore the extent of the use of the computer/technology teachers in individual school sites within districts and to determine how those positions were being financed. Ninety-two percent of the respondents employed computer/technology teachers. The position was financed in a variety of ways, ranging from trading personnel positions to financing as an additional position.
The work of the media specialist and the computer/technology teacher was compared using the technique of work sampling. A list of tasks that the media specialist or the computer/technology teacher might do during a normal work day was compiled. Seven pairs of media specialists and computer/technology teachers were asked to record the work they performed by using a task analysis card and a random alarm mechanism. This list focused on the technology tasks that both positions might reasonably be expected to perform. Samples of their work were taken over a twenty day period at a rate of 2.5 samples per hour.
The two positions had seven specific tasks that were significantly different from each with all other tasks not being significantly different. There was a large range of percentages for the amount of work performed in each category between schools. This study points out the need to form cooperative relations between the media specialist and the computer/technology teacher when the two positions occur in the same school.
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