INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVE REGARDING ONLINE RISK BEHAVIORS IN SCHOOL AGE

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate primary school ICT teachers’ perceptions regarding students’ online risk behaviors and their responses to relevant hypothetical scenarios. In addition, it examined the network of relationships among ICT teachers’ perceptions and their responses to scenarios to predict their perceived likelihood of intervention. One hundred and thirty-eight (138) ICT teachers (60 men, 78 women), selected randomly from schools all over Greece, participated in the study. The sample completed a set of self-reporting questionnaires online. According to the results, ICT teachers declared that they do not feel confident to manage students’ online risk behaviors, regardless of their awareness and sensitization on the issue. The same perspective was also reflected in their responses to the scenarios. Path analyses showed that ICT teachers’ perceptions regarding this issue (e.g., high perceived awareness) directly and positively predict their perceived seriousness of the scenarios and their perceived confidence to intervene. However, ICT teachers’ likelihood of intervention in the scenarios seemed to be predicted only indirectly (and positively) by their perceptions, through how serious they perceived the scenarios to be and their self-confidence to intervene. The above findings constitute a basis for modifying/designing new training actions for ICT teachers regarding the prevention of children’s risk cyber‑navigation.

Keywords: Online risk behavior, Primary school students, ICT teachers, Perceptions, Hypothetical scenarios

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