Adults learning to use the Internet: A longitudinal study of attitudes and other factors associated with intended Internet use

• Main Authors: Klobas, J.E., Clyde, L.A.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc. 2000
• Subjects: Iceland
• Online Access: https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/22334/

This longitudinal study, carried out between November 1993 and 1998, investigated the reasons that adult learners in Iceland gave for wanting to learn about the Internet, and their attitudes to it. Data were collected through a short open-ended electronic mail survey delivered to participants in Internet training courses held in Iceland over a three-year period. The authors describe the three stages in the research: identification of elements of an analytical framework; testing of a behavioral intention model of Internet use based on the theory of planned behavior; and use of the model to identify attitudes to the Internet, social influences on Internet use, perceived control of Internet use, and changes in these factors as the Internet became more widely known. They observed that learners' intended uses of the Internet became more specific between 1994 and 1996. While the influence of the media and the general community increased in this period, attitudes remained relatively stable. Participants found the Internet interesting and useful, with positive advantages over other media. They were positively disposed toward it as a source of information. For some, use was constrained by perceptions that they needed to have more knowledge or understanding in order to use the Internet better.