ATTITUDES AND PERCEPTIONS OF SOUTH AFRICAN MILITARY ACADEMY STUDENTS TOWARDS INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMPUTERS

Abstract

The proliferation of computer technology in both our personal andprofessional lives, and particularly during the last decade, has created anenvironment in which there are varying perceptions of, and ideas about, the value ofInformation and Communication Technology (ICT) and computers. In order tobenefit from this, especially in a defence environment, a realistic perception aboutthe worth of computers needs to be established. This paper presents the findings ofa survey that was conducted to determine attitudes towards ICT/computers amongstudents of the SA Military Academy. Two hypotheses were tested: (1) There aresignificant differences in attitude towards computers between students of differentArms of the Service; gender; academic year groups; ranks; those having previousexperience with computers; and those owning a personal computer (PC); (2) Thereare significant differences in perception towards the value of ICT/computersbetween students within these groupings. In brief, the study concluded that therewas a significant difference between experienced and less experienced students inthe perceived value of ICT/computers in the work place and their personal lives.