Arab Educational Information Network

Information and communication technology (ICT) has widely spread in all the fields of life including education. The inclusion  of ICT in teaching and learning has become a necessity to cope with the latest technological developments and to improve the quality of the educational system of any society. Accordingly, this study aimed to explore the overall attitudes of two hundred (100 males and 100 females studying at four centers, two in Upper Egypt and two in Lower Egypt) Egyptian EFL post-graduate students  enrolled at the Educational Qualification Diploma organized by the Faculty of Education, Al-Azhar University, towards ICT and their perceptions of four variables: computer attributes, perceptions of computer relevance to the Egyptian society and schools, computer competence, and computer access, and, then, analyze them in terms of gender, geographical location, and employment status. Findings revealed that students as a one group have positive attitudes toward ICT, positive perceptions of computer attributes and relevance, but with a low level of computer competence due to  the existence of some barriers such as lack computer sets, lack of software, lack of training, lack of technical support, lack of ample time, and low income. Besides, results indicated that most of students get computer access at home on their own, half of them get access at school, and a few students get access at Internet cafes. The study also indicated that gender is an insignificant factor regarding students' attitudes towards ICT and their perceptions of computer attributes, relevance to Egyptian society and school, and competence. As far as the geographical location is concerned, the study revealed significant differences in terms of attitudes towards ICT and computer competence in favor of Lower Egyptian students and insignificant differences in terms of computer attributes and relevance. Finings also showed that the employment status of participants is insignificant in terms of attitudes towards ICT and perceptions of computer attributes and relevance and  significant in terms of computer competence  in favor of unemployed students. (Published abstract)