The Effect of the Computer Anxiety Levels of Physical Education Teachers on Distance Education Competence: Structural Equation Model Analysis

The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of the computer anxiety levels of physical education teachers on distance education competencies during the Covid-19 pandemic process with a structural equation model. The study group consisted of a total of 141 physical education teachers, 60 of whom were female (42.6%) and 81 male (57.4%), who worked in private or public schools in Ankara, and who were selected with the convenient sampling method. In the study, the Distance Education Competencies Scale of Physical Education Teachers”, “Computer Anxiety Scale” and the Individual Information Form were utilized as the measurement tool. The “Distance Education Competencies Scale of Physical Education Teachers” that consisted of two sub-dimensions of “Planning and Technology Use” and “Implementation and Evaluation” consisting of 18 items in a 5-point Likert structure. In addition, the “Computer Anxiety Scale” that consisted of 10 items, 5 positive and 5 negative, as well as the Individual Information Form, which was prepared by the researcher to collect data in the study. Frequency Analysis, Kolmogorov Smirnov Test, Independent Groups t-test and One-Way Analysis of Variance were used in the analysis of the data, regression and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the effects of computer anxiety on distance education competencies. Also, Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficients were obtained to determine the reliability levels of the scale and its sub-dimensions; and it was found that the reliability of the scale and its sub-dimensions was at a sufficient level. Analyzes were performed by using the SPSS 20.0 and Amos 16.00 Software at a 95% Confidence Interval level. When the study findings were evaluated, no significant differences were detected between computer anxiety levels and distance education competencies in different age groups, education levels and institution types. According to the gender variable, the computer anxiety levels of male teachers were found to be at significant levels higher than those of female teachers. When the comparisons according to the branches were examined, the computer anxiety levels differed at significant levels according to the branch types (p<0.05) and the sub-dimensions of the distance education competency scale did not differ at significant levels according to the branch types (p>0.05). When the other variables were examined, the sub-dimensions of the distance education competency scale differed at significant levels according to school levels and professional seniority years (p<0.05) and the computer anxiety scale scores did not differ at significant levels according to school levels and professional seniority years (p>0.05). According to the regression model that was created to determine the effects of computer anxiety levels on distance education qualifications, it was found that computer anxiety did not have any significant impacts on planning and technology use, implementation and evaluation sub-dimensions (p>0.05).