International Technology Education Association

International Technology Education Association Gallup Poll 2004 PowerPoint Presentation

The Second Installment of the ITEA/Gallup Poll on What It Reveals as to How Americans Think About Technology

Background: • 1st ITEA/Gallup Poll in 2001-2002 • Research funded by National Science Foundation and National Aeronautics and Space Administration • Process for this research: • Developed questions (based on Standards for Technological Literacy and 1st ITEA/Gallup Poll) (January 2004) • Gallup conducted survey in March 2004 (800 interviews, random sample by telephone) • Analyzed data and wrote report (Summer, 2004) • Released report in September 2004 issue of The Technology Teacher • Five questions from 2001-2002 ITEA/Gallup Poll were repeated in 2004 survey (#1, 2, 5, 13, 15)

ITEA/Gallup Poll Survey Committee • Larry Bell, Senior Vice President, Research, Development, and Production, Museum of Science, Boston, MA • William E. Dugger, Jr., Director, Technology for All Americans Project, Blacksburg, VA • Dan Engstrom, Assistant Professor, California University of Pennsylvania, California, PA • Dale Hanson, Principal, Wilson Middle School, Appleton, WI • Ethan Lipton, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs Planning and Resources/Dean, Educational Support Services, California State University Los Angeles, CA • Donald McCoy, Program Manager, IBM Multicultural People in Technology, Research Triangle Park, NC

ITEA/Gallup Poll Survey Committee (Cont.) • Jon D. Miller, Professor and Director, Center for Biomedical Communication, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL • Greg Pearson, Program Officer, National Academy of Engineering, Washington, DC • Sharif Shakrani, Deputy Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board, Washington, DC • Kendall Starkweather, Executive Director, International Technology Education Association, Reston, VA • Len Sterry, Senior Curriculum Associate, Center to Advance the Teaching of Technology and Science, Reston, VA • Joyce Winterton, Associate Director of Education Programs, USA TODAY, McLean, VA

Survey Demographics were also Analyzed by: • Gender • Age • Education • Ethnicity • Region of Country

Gallup Poll Major Categories of 16 Questions • The Public’s Concept of Technology • The Importance Assigned to Being Knowledgeable about Technology • The Impact of Technology on our Daily Lives and on the World Around Us • What People Want to Know and What They Know About Technology

Gallup Poll Major Categories of 16 Questions (Cont.) • Decision Making Regarding Technology and Technological Literacy • Differences Based on Gender • Technology and Education

The Public’s Concept of Technology

Table 1. When you hear the word “technology,” what first comes to mind? (an open-ended question)

The Importance Assigned to Being Knowledgeable about Technology

Table 2. Just your opinion, how important is it for people at all levels to develop some ability to understand and use technology? Would you say it is:

Table 3. How important is it to you to know how various technologies work? Is it very important, somewhat important, not very important, or not important at all?

Table 4. How important is it to you, personally, to know each of the following? Is it very important, somewhat important, not very important, or not important at all?

Table 4. How important is it to you, personally, to know each of the following? Is it very important, somewhat important, not very important, or not important at all? (Continued)

The Impact of Technology on Our Daily Lives and on the World Around Us

Table 5. Now, tell me whether you strongly agree, mostly agree, mostly disagree, or strongly disagree with each of the following statements.

Table 5. Now, tell me whether you strongly agree, mostly agree, mostly disagree, or strongly disagree with each of the following statements. (Continued)

Table 6. Please tell me what extent you agree or disagree with the following statements about technology. Would you strongly agree, mostly agree, mostly disagree, or strongly disagree?

What People Want to Know and What They Know About Technology

Table 7. (Asked in 2001) Just based on your understanding, tell me if each of the following statements is true or false. How about:

Table 8. Please tell me if you think the following statements are absolutely true, probably true, probably false, or absolutely false.

Decision Making Regarding Technology and Technological Literacy

Table 9. How much of an interest do you, yourself, have in the following topic? Are you very interested, somewhat interested, not very interested, or not interested at all?

Table 10. Now, as I read these topics again, please tell me how informed you feel you are about each. Would you say you are very informed, somewhat informed, not very informed, or not informed at all?

Table 11. How much influence do you think people like yourself have on decisions about such things as the fuel efficiency of cars, the construction of roads in your community, and genetically modified foods? Would you say a great deal, some, very little, or no influence?

Table 12. Thinking about things such as fuel efficiency of cars, the construction of roads in your community, and genetically modified foods, how much confidence do you have in experts in these fields to make the right decisions for your community?

Differences Based on Gender

Drawing from various questions in the ITEA/Gallup Poll some of the similarities of responses of males and females are: • 73% of men and 75% of women say it is very important to understand and use technology. • Regarding the same three issues, 67% of men and 64% of women have either a great deal or some confidence in the ability of experts to make the decisions (about technology). • 97% of men and 99% of women believe, given the broad definition of technology, that its study should be part of the schools’ curriculum. • 88% of men and 88% of women believe questions designed to determine how much students are able to understand and use technology should be included in federally-mandated tests.

Areas in which there seem to be differences based on gender in relation to technology are reflected to the type of knowledge desired and its application: • 61% of men but only 45% of women say it is very important to be able to fix a light switch or other household product if it stops working. • 67% of men but only 58% of women say it is important to be able to diagnose why something doesn’t work so that it can be fixed. • 67% of women and only 62% of men believe it is very important to know whether it is better to repair products or better to throw them away.

Turning to the question designed to find out what people actually know about technology in their daily lives, men appear to have the edge: • 32% of men and 38% of women are correct in saying that the statement that antibiotics kill both viruses and bacteria is absolutely false; however, • 37% of men as compared to 18% of women are correct that a statement that a cordless phone in a bathtub creates the possibility of being electrocuted is absolutely false. • 37% of men as compared to 24% of women are correct in absolutely agreeing with a statement saying that the Internet and the World Wide Web are the same thing;and • 36% of men as compared to 19% of women are correct in absolutely agreeing with a statement that fuel cells are being used with gasoline and diesel engines to power cars.

It may be that similarities and differences are related to differing interests. Several survey responses touched on that matter: • 29% of women and 24% of men are very interested in knowing about the modification of plants and animals to supply food. • 39% of women and 35% of men are very interested in knowing about space exploration. • 27% of men as compared to 11% of women are very interested in the use of robotics and other technologies in engineering. • 40% of men as compared to 30% of women are very interested in new construction of homes and buildings.

This survey was not specifically intended to explore gender differences in relation to technology, its importance, and its uses. However, the data support the following findings: • Men and women are in agreement on the importance of understanding and being able to use technology. • There is general agreement among men and women that they have little influence on major decisions related to technology, and both men and women express confidence in the experts who make those decisions. • Men have a greater interest in being able to fix things than do women. • Women have a somewhat greater interest in being able to make decisions and utilize technology around the house. • Men are somewhat more informed than women about the way common technologies work.

Technology and Education

Table 13. Using a broad definition of technology as “modifying our natural world to meet human needs,” do you believe the study of technology should or should not be included in the school curriculum? Note: In response to a follow-up question in 2001, 63% of those saying it should be included chose integration into other subjects in lieu of being taught as a separate subject. Of those choosing “a separate subject,” 51% said the offering should be required, while 49% said it should be optional.

Table 14. I am going to read a number of things that high school graduates might or might not know or be able to do. As I read each, tell me how important it is that high school students understand and are able to do each.

Table 14. I am going to read a number of things that high school graduates might or might not know or be able to do. As I read each, tell me how important it is that high school students understand and are able to do each. (Continued)

Table 15. When a national shortage of qualified people occurs in a particular area of technology, which of the following solutions would you feel is the most appropriate course of action for the US to take?

Table 16. The federal government requires that students be tested in science, mathematics, and reading. In your opinion, should these tests include or not include questions to help determine how much these students understand and know about technology?

A Full Report of the ITEA/Gallup Poll is in the September 2004 The Technology Teacherand on the Web (www.iteawww.org).

ITEA encourages additional research based on this Gallup Poll (complete set of data tables available)(www.iteawww.org)

Summary URL: http://www.iteawww.org Email: standards@itea-tfaap.org Thank you!

International Technology Education Association