(IJACSA) International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, Vol. 8, No. 12, 2017 143 | Page www.ijacsa.thesai.org Factors Influencing the Adoption of ICT by Teachers in Primary Schools in Saudi Arabia Teachers’ Perspectives of the Integration of ICT in Primary Education Sami Alshmrany School of Computer Science, Engineering and Maths Flinders University Bedford Park, South Australia Brett Wilkinson School of Computer Science, Engineering and Maths Flinders University Bedford Park, South Australia Abstract—Information and communication technology (ICT) has become part of everyday life for the many people in business, entertainment, education and many other areas of human activity. Students in primary school are just beginning to learn and accept new ideas, show a maturing creativity, develop critical thinking and decision making skills. ICT enriches all these processes. In education, the successful integration of ICT into learning and teaching depends on teachers’ attitudes and their ability to use communication technologies, not just competently, but with skill and imagination. Experience is required with the medium, however, but ICT use in education has been largely ignored in Saudi Arabia. The study described here investigated the factors influencing the adoption of ICT as a teaching tool by teachers at Saudi Arabian primary schools. Analysis of the data showed computer literacy and confidence with technology registered a significant positive effect on the study, participants’ effort expectancy, which in turn positively influenced their behavioural intention to adopt ICT. On the other hand, Saudi culture, social conditions, system quality, and other obstacles discourage the uptake of ICT by primary school teachers. The findings of this study will assist the Saudi government to enhance the positive factors and eliminate or reduce the negative factors to ensure successful adoption of ICT in primary education by teachers. Keywords—Information and communication technology (ICT); primary education; Saudi Arabia; computer literacy; behavioural influence I. INTRODUCTION Information and communication technology (ICT) generally refers to the ‘diverse set of technological tools and resources used to communicate, and to create, disseminate, store, and manage information’ [1]. Although the components of ICT change and evolve rapidly, information and communication technologies of some sort are part of everyday life for many people worldwide in the business, social and education sectors. Kozma [2] has argued that in the field of education, investment in ICT supports economic growth, promotes social development, advances education reform and supports education management. While ICT cannot solve all the issues common to education systems, such as low literacy rates or lack of resources, it can provide novel solutions to the learning and teaching obstacles encountered in a traditional educational system by providing a platform for new teaching methodologies and efficient administration tools [3], [4]. Teachers can guide student learning in diverse subjects, arguments and theories with interactive ICT tools [5], [6]. The asymmetric communication offered by ICT can provide an easy way to share information on an ‘anytime, anywhere’ basis [7], and allows teachers to participate more fully in the learning process, while learners benefit from ready access to materials or assistance [4]. Dedicated channels of communication mean that ICTs can assist in the unification and bonding of students and schools while reinforcing good quality learning [8]. Students access information in a variety of ways, organise it and construct meaning from it. Thus, ICT in education can improve both individual and class academic performance [9]. At the primary level, young minds are open to new ideas, show creativity, develop critical thinking and above all, are ready to absorb surrounding information for informed decision- making at any later stage in life [10], [1], which makes exposure to ICT particularly important in primary education [1]. Realizing the importance and potential for accelerated or advanced learning, ICT has therefore been introduced in primary schools in many countries. The use of ICT has provided opportunities for primary school teachers to develop professionally [15], [16], and for education services to be improved in countries such as Belgium [11], China [12], and Korea [13]. Since it is the classroom teacher whose behaviour will have the greatest impact on the successful adoption and application of ICT for learning and teaching, the circumstances of its introduction for them is critical [14]. It is their acceptance, attitudes and intention to use ICT [17], [18], [19] that determine the quality of its integration into the school system and the success or failure of its use as a learning and a teaching tool. It is necessary therefore to understand the factors affecting teachers’ adoption of ICT as part of their everyday pedagogy by investigating them in the midst of their teaching context. In the context of education in Saudi Arabia, the use of digital technologies is new. The country does not have effective ICT programs like other developed nations, particularly for primary education. Although the government is making efforts to improve the whole education system, especially in terms of using ICT [20]-[22], it is a feature with which the nation has little historical experience.