Full Length Article Perceptions of teachers regarding the implementation of the internet in education Lazar Stošic ´ a,⇑ , Irena Stošic ´ b a College for Professional Studies Educators, Aleksinac, Serbia b Primary School ‘‘Jovan Jovanovic Zmaj” Vranje, Serbia article info Article history: Received 20 April 2015 Revised 28 June 2015 Accepted 14 July 2015 Keywords: Perception of teachers Implementation of the Internet Internet in education Innovation abstract This paper aims to examine how much teachers are interested in using the Internet and how much they are trained to use the Internet in teaching and in their personal development, as well as to examine the perceptions of teachers regarding the implementation of the Internet in education. The study included 143 primary and secondary school teachers. The variables of this study were the type of school, work experience and profession. In order to assess the perception the teachers have regarding the use of the Internet in education, a five-point Likert scale intended for teachers was designed. The scale consisted of 45 claims and is intended for determining teachers’ attitudes regarding the implementation of the Internet in education. The results of the research show that teachers are interested in using the Internet in education. Ó 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Nowadays, the modern society places new demands for schools, moving boundaries and the focus of education from traditional teaching to the modern multi-disciplinary approaches and the implementation of information and communication technology (ICT). With the development of ICT, educational institutions are trying to restructure its educational programs. This process of restructuring enables development in specific areas, promotes the importance of learning and improves professional productivity (Tomei, 2005). This productivity is reflected in the fact that stu- dents learn in an easier way and that they are willing to accept work with the new technologies (Koert, 2000). Today, with using modern technology, education is not only the transfer of knowl- edge from the teacher to the students. With the use of modern technology education is work in groups, work on projects, sharing ideas with their peers, and much more (Zhang, de Pablos, & Zhou, 2013). Lytras and Ordóñez de Pablos (2011) in his work note that technology must serve to the achievement of Knowledge Society through knowledge based information systems. Pupils, teachers and parents consider that ICT has a positive impact on pupils’ learning. In Europe, 86% of teachers state that pupils are more motivated and attentive when computers and the Internet are used in class (Korte & Hüsing, 2006). By means of using ICT, teachers can improve the interaction with students. This interaction can be achieved through several levels: presentation, demonstration, drill and practice, interaction, and collaboration (Haddad & Draxler, 2002). Because of these new interactions, education cannot remain immune to the new changes, but must come to grips with them and with current educational trends. As far as the impact of ICT on education is concerned, it can be said that major research was conducted in the work of Harrison et al. (2002), Ramboll Management (2006) and Machin, McNally, and Silva (2006). The Internet, as well as educational and computer software, are used very little in our schools, mainly due to outdated hardware platforms but also because schools are not sufficiently equipped for the implementation of the Internet in the classroom. Machin et al. (2006) state in their study, that it is difficult to provide a link between the use of ICT and education results. Unlike them, (Kessel, 2005) states that with the implementation of ICT, teachers become more confident in their work. Moreover, teachers who use the Internet tend to give more complex multimedia tasks to their stu- dents (Becker, 2001). A new generation of teachers and theoreti- cians of education are facing a great challenge of improving and modernizing the existing educational practices. One of them is a survey conducted by Stevanovic ´ and associates (2010), where they came to the conclusion that teachers like to use the Internet, but that it is just occasionally used for communication. Either way, the computer has become a routine auxiliary tool for teachers http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.07.027 0747-5632/Ó 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. ⇑ Corresponding author at: Prvi Maj 18, 17500 Vranje, Serbia, Europe. E-mail addresses: lstosic@vsvaspitacka.edu.rs (L. Stošic ´), irenastosic@yahoo.com (I. Stošic ´). Computers in Human Behavior 53 (2015) 462–468 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Computers in Human Behavior journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/comphumbeh