Designing a Framework for Training Teachers on Mobile Learning in Sub-Sahara Africa

Abimbade Oluwadara ,Bello Lukuman Kolapo ,I.c Esobi

doi:10.7176/jep/11-32-07

Abstract

Mobile technology has the potential to enhance the capabilities of students and educators in effective teaching and learning process. Understanding the factors that hinder integration of mobile technology in instructional delivery is key to the effective uptake of mobile technology for instructional purposes. The benefits of using mobile technology in the classroom can only be fully harnessed when teachers and other educational stakeholders are guided by framework that captures factors that enhance and hinder it use. It is against this background that this study seeks to design a framework for training teachers in the uptake of mobile learning in classrooms in Sub-Sahara Africa. The interactions among the factors considered suggest that Personal and Societal beliefs, Ownership of devices, Cost of devices and Type of devices contribute significantly to the teachers’ technology self-efficacy, mobile phone self-efficacy and readiness to use mobile learning for instruction. Training on pedagogy could also enhance uptake, likewise, technical, and instructional support need to be considered in content development, delivery and evaluation. Feedback constitutes an important variable throughout the process leading up to uptake. Therefore, these factors need to be properly considered in the uptake of mobile learning in classrooms in sub-Sahara Africa. This would engender seamless integration of mobile learning in instructional delivery at different levels of education. Keywords: Mobile learning, readiness, pre-service teachers training, mobile learning model, self-efficacy DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-32-07 Publication date: November 30 th 2020

Highlights

Technology has widened access and offered students all over the world especially from developing country opportunity to compete for good jobs
The analysis shows that Personal & Societal beliefs, Ownership of devices, Cost of devices and Type of devices all contribute to the prediction of teacher’s readiness towards uptake of mobile devices for instruction
Figure1: Variables interactions The findings reveal that teachers in Sub Sahara Africa have high level of readiness to use mobile learning for instructional delivery

Summary

Introduction

Technology has widened access and offered students all over the world especially from developing country opportunity to compete for good jobs. With the exponential growth experienced in the mobile technology industry over the years especially in Africa and other developing countries, efforts are growing to use mobiles to train both pre and in-service teachers; who are in low supply compared to the large number of students they have to teach. Africa has largely been left behind in designing a context-specific framework that suits the practical needs, socio-cultural, pedagogical demands and training of pre and in-service teachers in the uptake and use of mobile technologies for instructional purposes. Many institutions design their training approach based on frameworks adopted from America and OECD countries (UI DL Mobile Class, School OnThe Air, UX Mobile). The qualitative report was acquired using Focus group Discussion (FGD)

Data Analysis

Evaluation

Discussion