ICT Knowledge Research Articles

The Adoption and Usage of ICT in Teaching and Learning in Tanzanian Secondary Schools: A Systematic Review

This systematic review aims to enhance understanding of the level and factors affecting the adoption and use of ICT in teaching and learning in Tanzanian secondary schools over a 10-year period from 2015 to 2024. The review involved a comprehensive literature search across various online research databases and institutional library sources for studies published within this timeframe. Extracted data included year of publication, level of ICT adoption and use, geographical scope, factors influencing adoption and use, target population, and type of school ownership. A total of 544 records were identified from different databases and repositories, with 266 screened, 48 full-text articles assessed for eligibility, and 17 articles ultimately meeting the inclusion criteria for analysis. The qualitative analysis of these studies revealed that, overall, the adoption and use of ICT in Tanzanian secondary schools remained low. Key factors affecting effective integration of ICT included insufficient ICT infrastructure (94.1%), limited ICT skills and knowledge among teachers (47.1%), inadequate teacher training (29.4%), teacher attitudes, perceptions, and experience (23.5%), and a lack of technical support (23.5%). The review concludes that ICT adoption and usage in Tanzanian secondary schools is at a low level. It is recommended for an increased investment in ICT infrastructure to ensure that public secondary schools, in particular, have access to the necessary technological resources for teaching and learning.

ICTS as Tools for Local Development: Santa Elena Province; A View from the SDGs

Introduction: Currently, there are social problems that affect humanity, one of them is the gap between knowledge of ICTs and their application in social networks for access to information in a timely manner in order to contribute to personal and professional development and contribution to the development of the community. The State provides opportunities based on programs, projects and strategies to direct aid and educate the population in the digital age. Objective: The research objective is to determine the way in which ICTs are used as tools for local - community development through the qualitative-quantitative approach to strengthen the development of the Amantes de Sumpa neighborhood in the Province of Santa Elena. Method: The methodological process applied in this topic is descriptive and deductive, as well as the types of documentaries, field; as well as the population that will be stratified in the neighborhood, which was investigated through the survey and the interview with the neighborhood leader. The reliability of the Likert-type instrument was also carried out by calculating Cronbach's Alpha, which was 0.833. Results and conclusions: The people participating in the research stated that it is important to develop care agreements, promote technological services, since access will allow improving the productive activities of entrepreneurs in the Amantes de Sumpa neighborhood, and promote an electronic commerce system that can be installed from public or community institutions in such a way that this serves for the permanent dissemination of the economic activities carried out by the neighborhood sector.

Digital Learning and Work Readiness among Marginalized Women

In the era of information communication and technology, all aspects of human life are influenced by ICT. In general, the aim of this research is to identify the readiness of marginalized youth in relation to the use of ICT (knowledge, attitudes, and preferences) in the workplace. The research was conducted in three marginalized communities in three provinces in Indonesia, namely 1) Kalibaru in North Jakarta, 2) Getasan in Semarang Regency, Central Java, and 3) Sekotong in West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. This research applies a quantitative approach by conducting a household survey and a youth survey, and a qualitative approach by conducting a series of focus group discussions. The household survey participants were 220 families, and in the youth survey, the participants were 220 youth aged 18-29 years. Questionnaires are used in household and youth surveys. For FGD, an FGD protocol was developed. The results of this research indicate that youth unemployment is considered an important policy in Indonesia. Certification for internships is important to recognize the qualifications and skills of the employees trained and mentored in the company. In addition, considering the limited number of job opportunities in the market, the intense competition, and the limited skills and education of marginalized young people, it seems important to encourage young people to become entrepreneurs. Data obtained from the field shows that only one-third of the participants in this study had attended vocational courses or training provided by any training provider. One of the reasons is that the distance between where they live and the training location is far, while transportation costs are not covered by the training provider. Apart from that, parents also forbid teenagers, especially girls, from going far outside the village to take part in job training. This study shows that young people understand the existence of differences in gender treatment in the workplace. The difference lies in the position of the worker, the regulations, and the salary/wages given to the worker.Men are expected to have higher positions, heavier work responsibilities, and higher salaries/wages than women. There are also gendered jobs, such as sewing and hairdressing for women, while technical jobs are reserved for men. The causes of this segregation are largely rooted in a patriarchal culture that places men as superior. This research shows that the participants have gadgets to communicate with each other. However, only a few of them use sophisticated gadgets to carry out online trading, which can be caused by a lack of knowledge and skills in digital trading and marketing, as well as online management and supply chains. This means that people have sophisticated gadgets just to communicate on social media and play games just to fill their time. They do not use it for economic activities.

ICT feasibility study to empower ethnic craftswomen to transit to intangible heritage under digital technology disruption and SDG’s: "Leave no one behind"

This study is qualitative research employing e-interviews, focus group discussions, and observations among the selected 15 key informants of craftswomen from three main ethnic tribes in Chiangmai province, North of Thailand named Karen, Akha, and Hmong together with the relevant stakeholders. Objectives are to study: 1) the socio-economic contexts of the three main ethnic craftswomen; 2) challenges and needs in terms of ICT and entrepreneurship skills; and 3) ICT and entrepreneurship skills needed to support the ethnic craftswomen to transit their intangible heritage. Findings found 1) similar demographic and socio-economic contexts among most of the three main ethnic craftswomen groups in their marginalized with least of formal education, less opportunities than male, but having a very important role to transit most of their tribal heritages both tangible and intangible heritages; 2) least of ICT knowledge and skills because of their misperceptions about ICT i.e. ICT is difficult, ICT is only designed for males and for the educated ones, and ICT is expensive. They need more ICT’s knowledge and skills to manage their own e- shops especially in e-banking, e-financial management, and e- orders respectively; 3) ICT needs found three main issues respectively : (1) ICT for documenting all crafts heritages; (2) ICT to transmit all the heritages through the new generations; and (3) more functional ICT for their better life and better entrepreneurship i.e. e-marketing, e-PR aims to be more visible and more functional in a better living, inclusion, and heritages’ pride.

A Study on Technology Integration Practices in Arts Instructors: Exploring the Mediating role of Value and Ability Beliefs

Teachers are the crux of every developing mind of newly blooming pupils in the education institutes and it is a universal factor in the learning process of every nature or aspect of study. Nowadays, the use of innovative technologies has become an essential practice in learning and teaching systems of every subject including art studies which indicates the constant incorporation of technology in instructional communication and reflects an advancement in the teaching process. Quantitative research design was implemented to assess the cause-and-effect relationship among variables. Primary data was collected through the survey strategy and a close-ended questions comprised questionnaire was designed. The researcher disbursed 350 questionnaires and finalized 331 questionnaires for the data analysis. The study encountered significant results for all synthesized associations except for the mediating role of ability beliefs. The present result hold numerous theoretical and practical implications. This study extends the growing body of literature regarding technology integration practices through the professional development, ICT knowledge and technical assistance. However, the study also provides practical implications as beneficial insights can be provided through which professional development can be fostered through technology integration practices. Research limitations and future indications have also been explained to increase the generalizability of this research.

Can ICT be Driving Force behind the Acceleration of Small and Medium Enterprise Profitability: Evidence from Nepal

Background: SMEs are critical to a country's economic development; researchers are increasingly focusing on their adoption and use of information and communication technology. Previous research has revealed that the contribution of ICT to SMEs performance and profitability is not clear or certain. Objective: This study examines the adoption among SMEs in terms of the advanced stage from technology adoption to post-adoption. The mediating impact of performance on profitability is also being investigated. Method: The exploratory research design was chosen as the primary study model in order to find reality. To examine the data quantitatively, descriptive and inferential statistics were used. A convenience sampling with a sample size of 201 SMEs were chosen for the study based on practical experience and adequate ICT knowledge. Result: The study found that ICT usage and profit have a significant link. However, the performance of SMEs does not play a role in moderating the relationship between ICT usage and profitability because our study finds degree of utilization ICT usage doesn’t play any significant role in performance. Conclusion: ICT is still a new concept in SMEs that deserves to be given more attention. Employees and organizations must use ICT, technology system integration, and finally implementation across all functional areas to increase the profitability of SMEs. This study recommends that government should initiate ICT awareness programs in SMEs, provide subsidies and grants for ICT adaptation and use, education sectors should focus on technology skill manpower, and ICT should be used and integrated across all functional areas of SMEs to increase profit. Paper Type: Research Paper Key words: ICT, Small Medium Enterprise, Profitability, Performance JEL Classification: M41, M15, C88, D91, N95, C38

Digital Competencies in Higher Education Students: Analysis of Attitude, Knowledge, and Use of ICT

In the contemporary era, the convergence between education and digital technology demands an ongoing revision of pedagogical strategies, focusing on placing the student as the protagonist of the learning process. This study aimed to analyse the digital competencies of students from the Higher Technological Institute of Spain (ISTE) in Ecuador, considering their attitude, knowledge, and use of information and communication technologies (ICT), as well as how sociodemographic variables affect this context. Using a non-experimental, descriptive, cross-sectional research design with a correlational approach to variables, the ACUTIC questionnaire was applied to a sample of 156 ISTE students. The data was analysed with R Commander 4.3.1, first performing a descriptive analysis exploring trends in variables such as age and gender. Furthermore, the use of parametric and non-parametric tests depends on the data distribution. The results confirmed that there are no gender differences in attitude, knowledge, or use of these technologies (p-value > 0.05). While age does not correlate with ICT use (p = 0.1661) or attitude (p = 0.1173), it does relate to knowledge of them (p = 0.0182) and to the possession of computers and smartphones (p < 0.001 and p = 0.0059, respectively). There is a robust correlation between ICT knowledge and use (p-value < 2.2e-16). Geographical location corresponds with stable internet access (p = 0.0000) and computer ownership (p = 0.0028). In conclusion, the digital competencies of ISTE students in Ecuador are influenced by multiple sociodemographic factors and represent a crucial aspect of adapting to the changes and demands of education.

Conceptualizing the Digital Pedagogy in Arts Higher Education: Examining the Roles of Training, Technology Support, and Teacher Mindsets

In this concept paper, the propositions for incorporating professional development, ICT awareness, and technical support to introduce technology incorporation practices among College of Arts instructors are discussed. Drawing from past research in practice, this study’s conceptual framework posits value and ability beliefs as the mediators of technology integration practices. This research establishes professional development, ICT knowledge, and technical assistance as determinants of technology integration practices for learning in the study and looks at the value and ability beliefs and their impact on the instructors’ decision to integrate technology into the teaching practice. This work contributes to the generation of practical and theoretical knowledge for designing effective technology integration in arts education practices, underscoring the centrality of the multipronged perspectives of instructors’ belief, content, and practice knowing. In this case, this study seeks to improve the quality of arts education and better prepare College of Arts students for the job market of the still-growing technology focused era by raising the level of preparedness for integrating technology into lessons of the College of Arts instructors.

Predicting Teacher’s Information and Communication Technology-Enabled Education for Sustainability Self-Efficacy

This study focused on the development of a teacher self-efficacy measurement addressing the contextualization of information and communication technologies (ICTs) with education for sustainability (EfS) using principal component analysis. Furthermore, this study, with the participation of 1815 teachers, examined the predictive value of some hypothesized predictors of the ICTeEfS self-efficacy construct such as gender, school setting, years of teaching, knowledge of education for sustainability, knowledge of ICTs, and experience in using ICTs to support the integration of education for sustainability in teaching and school curricula using multiple regression analysis. The research results revealed that gender did not explain any statistically significant variance of teachers’ ICTeEfS self-efficacy; contrary to this, teachers possessing a high level of knowledge on issues about sustainability and ICT competence explained most of the extracted variance. However, a gap remains in utilizing these skills pedagogically. This study also discusses the varying levels of self-efficacy among teachers based on their workplace location, finding that urban teachers demonstrate higher self-efficacy compared to their rural counterparts. This could be attributed to the disparities in resources and support systems, thereby affecting their capacity to employ ICT in EfS effectively. It was also found that novice teachers exhibited higher predictive power to ICTeEfS self-efficacy, possibly due to their recent exposure to ICT training. This study assumes that a profound understanding of EfS, coupled with ICT tools, bolsters the creation of contextualized curricula and enriches the teaching and learning experience towards sustainability.

Design of a Booking Management System, with Responsive Design Web Appointments, to Reduce Time and Improve the Quality of Health Care Services

Technology is playing an important role, especially in the current need for technological solutions focused on the health sector. There is currently much room for improvement, for example: reducing the long waiting time for patients to book an appointment according to availability in the specialty and doctor. However, there are still health centers that lack technological solutions focused on this, because most of the population does not yet have the knowledge of technology. Given this, and taking into account the needs of users with low knowledge of ICT and contribute to the health sector, will be launched the design and development of a specialized responsive website for the management of medical appointments that will solve in part the order and time of attention of each appointment requested, whose purpose is to improve the quality of care of public health services.

Restructuring of human resource development in IIT libraries of North India in new digital era

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the restructuring of human resources development processes in Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) libraries in North India, emphasizing the essential information and communications technology (ICT) skills for both recruits and existing staff. Design/methodology/approach The study used a survey research design, with two different sets of structured questionnaires used to collect data. The first set, which was distributed to all heads of seven IIT libraries in North India, received a 100% response rate. Simultaneously, the second set was distributed to library users, yielding a 92% response rate (680 responses out of 700 distributed). The collected data were analyzed and tabulated, with suitable interpretations. Findings The findings of the study reveal that all examined libraries have implemented skill development programs. Moreover, advanced ICT skills are considered essential for staff appointments, and specific institutes (IIT Kanpur, IIT Delhi, IIT Jodhpur and IIT Ropar) took the initiative to provide ICT training to their employees. Trained employees exhibited enhanced performance, attributed to advanced ICT knowledge. The study suggests restructuring selection criteria and introducing structured ICT training programs for library staff, ensuring a more adept workforce for current demands. Research limitations/implications The study can increase the impact globally on human resource development by incorporating soft skills, job satisfaction and leadership development while exploring research opportunities through cross-institutional comparisons and the integration of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality. Originality/value This study collected primary data from IIT libraries in North India using self-designed questionnaires. The findings provide useful insights into how libraries might restructure human resource development in the digital age.

Design of a Booking Management System, with Responsive Design Web Appointments, to Reduce Time and Improve the Quality of Health Care Services

Technology is playing an important role, especially in the current need for technological solutions focused on the health sector. There is currently much room for improvement, for example: reducing the long waiting time for patients to book an appointment according to availability in the specialty and doctor. However, there are still health centers that lack technological solutions focused on this, because most of the population does not yet have the knowledge of technology. Given this, and taking into account the needs of users with low knowledge of ICT and contribute to the health sector, will be launched the design and development of a specialized responsive website for the management of medical appointments that will solve in part the order and time of attention of each appointment requested, whose purpose is to improve the quality of care of public health services

Issues and Challenges Faced by the Teachers During Integration of Ict in Teaching-learning Process of Darrang District in Assam

In this modern era, it is very important for the students to get opportunities to learn and apply 21st century skills. From many researches, it is found that integration of ICT into scholarly activities improves teaching and learning methods. It encourages and motivates students to participate and enhance learning. The use of ICT in classroom is very important as the world is moving towards the digital era. Therefore the main purpose of the study is to analyze the issues and challenges faced by the teachers in integrating ICT in the classroom. For this study, a quantitative research design with a questionnaire was used to collect the data randomly from 207 schools of Darrang district. But only 100 responses were received. From the data collected, the key challenges were found as limited knowledge of ICT among teachers, limited accessibility, network and electricity, limited technical and pedagogical support, lack of teachers’ training and competency. From the outcome of the study, it is expected that this research provides proper information and recommendation to those responsible for the ICT integration into the school education.

Radiologists and trainees’ perspectives on artificial intelligence

Background and objectivesThe purpose of this study was to investigate perspectives held by radiologists on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in their day-to-day work and to identify factors limiting its routine implementation. Materials and methodsSpanish board-certified radiologists and trainees completed an online survey of 21 questions on general information and communications technology (ICT) and AI in radiology. Analysis was carried out for the subgroups of gender, age, and professional experience. Associations with a p-value <0.05 were considered statistically significant. ResultsA total of 102 radiologists and trainees completed the questionnaire. No se observaron diferencias estadísticas significativas entre los grupos de sexo. A significant difference was detected in ICT and AI knowledge between age groups, with participants under 40 and those between 40 and 55 years old demonstrating better ICT knowledge (p < 0.01). The survey results revealed that 77.4% of participants believed that AI represents an opportunity for the radiology profession in the future, while 9.8% believed it would have no impact. Three main practical application areas for AI in radiology were proposed: in screening (23.36%), in image interpretation and reporting (21.17%), and in the requesting of imaging and patient scheduling (14.6%). The biggest concern among the surveyed population was the potential increase in workload. ConclusionsA positive attitude toward AI was observed among Spanish radiologists, with the majority believing that AI could offer opportunities for the radiology profession in the near future. AI training programmes may further improve its acceptance among professionals.

Hindrances Of Geography Teachers Ict Competence In Public Secondary Schools In Zaria Metropolis, Kaduna State Nigeria

The study investigated the Hindrances of Geography teachers ICT Competence in Public Secondary Schools Zaria Metropolis, Kaduna State. The researcher deployed descriptive survey research using 40 Geography Teachers as study Sample and two questionnaires as research instruments. First Questionnaire: level of ICT competence among Geography Teachers (LOGTIC) with face validity index 72.2 Content validity index 0.74 and reliability coefficient 0.81. Second Questionnaire: Hindrances of Geography Teachers ICT Competence Questionnaire (HGTICQ) face validity index 83.6 content validity index 0.77 and reliability coefficient 0.71. Data collected analyzed using frequency and percentage. The study found out that: the percentage of male geography ICT competence teacher are more than the female and the factors that hider geography teachers both affects the male and female geography teachers ICT competence for teaching geography in public senior secondary schools. The researcher recommended among others: Government should create awareness of the danger of lack ICT knowledge and skills in schools to the entire public. Training and retraining of teachers to be good and update their ICT knowledge and skills, and Government should take the lead in eradicating all forms of factors hindering teachers ICT competence in public secondary schools, by among others providing good electricity power supply, basic infrastructures and good maintenance and management techniques.

Knowledge, Attitude and Usage of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Digital Resources in Pre-Service Teachers

It is important to understand information and communication technology (ICT) and digital resources in classroom teaching and learning processes. Pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards ICT and digital resources in teaching and learning processes are important for positive attitudes in students towards these tools. The study employs a mixed methods study targeted teachers who have completed their internship training to understand the knowledge, attitude and usage of ICT and digital resources tries to find a correlation between these three facets. It employs a questionnaire with validated tools for measuring attitude, knowledge and usage of ICT and Digital Resources and the results are tabulated. Using statistical analysis of mean and standard deviation, the study affirms a positive correlation between Knowledge, attitude and usage of ICT and Digital Resources by Pre-Service teachers.

Context-relevant strategies for ICT integration in teaching and learning science subjects in Tanzania secondary schools

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can improve science teaching and learning. However, understanding the contexts in which ICT is intended to be integrated for its effectiveness is limited. Therefore, the current study explored context-relevant strategies and challenges for ICT integration in the teaching and learning science subjects in secondary schools in Tanzania. Exploratory sequential design under mixed methods guided the study's conduct. 52 participants (45 science teachers, six heads of schools and one municipal education officer) were purposefully and conveniently involved. Data were collected in two phases: 1st phase was qualitative data through in-depth interviews, 2nd phase was quantitative data through a questionnaire. Thematic analysis guided qualitative data analysis where MS Excel in the form of pivotal charts were used to present the frequency of the responses. SPSS version 27 guided the quantitative data analysis, presenting the output descriptively. Participants presented various context-relevant strategies, including capacity building for teachers, building and equipping computer labs with ICT facilities, maintaining and repairing defective computers, deploying educational technology experts, and making ICT compulsory at all levels of education. On the other hand, participants identified a lack of ICT facilities, limited ICT training opportunities, and digital content as context-relevant challenges for ICT integration in science teaching and learning. The study recommends rigorous pre-service and in-service teacher training programmes on ICT pedagogical integration for science teaching and learning based on these findings. Again, we recommend the improvement of ICT infrastructure in schools to enhance the availability, access, and use of science teaching and learning. The study concludes that if sufficient infrastructures are available and science teachers are equipped with ICT knowledge, teaching and learning of science subjects will be effective.

Using ICT Facilities by Science Teachers during COVID-19 Pandemic in Higher Education

Several adverse educational impacts are observed due to COVID-19 pandemic in academic sessions in the Nepalese higher education system. The aim of the study was to describe the exiting situation of using of ICT tools for online teaching by science education teachers at higher level both in constituent and affiliated campuses in Madhesh Province, Nepal. The study followed descriptive research design with in quantitative framework. The population of the study were science teachers from both the constituent and affiliated campuses and by applying census sampling all 103 teachers were selected for the study. The data were collected through survey questionnaires. I analyzed data by applying Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 20. The result shows that constitute campuses hadbetter ICT facilities than affiliated campuses but the practice was adverse. Less than one-third teachers had better practice of ICT tools for online teaching and learning. It was also found that MS Teams and Zoom were two widely used learning platforms but Zoom was more popular. Most of the science teachers had limited knowledge of ICT with poor ICT friendly culture. However, teachers’ ICT competencies significantly support for the paradigm shift towards online science teaching in Madhesh Province.

Teacher’s Perspective on the Use of ICT in the Classroom: Teacher Elementary School Context

This study investigates the perspectives and incentives of elementary school educators interested in integrating ICT-based learning resources into their teaching methods. The study followed a quantitative approach using surveys, interviews, and observations to gather data, using questionnaires and interviews as data collection tools. The results indicate that most teachers exhibit a positive attitude towards employing ICT in their teaching, with quantitative analysis often categorizing elementary school educators according to their use of learning media. However, the implementation of ICT-based resources is not without its challenges. In conclusion, this study underscores the need for pedagogical adjustments, emphasizing educators' need to continually enhance their ICT knowledge and teaching strategies through training, whether offered by educational institutions or external organizations. This will enable teachers to adapt and refine their teaching methods effectively.

Factors Affecting Utilization of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Agricultural Sector: A Case Study in Upper Brahmaputra Valley Zone of Assam, India

In a country like India agriculture is the major economic players in economic aspects, which is the great source of revenue is more than 50% of the population of India. The country’s economic sector is based on the agricultural activities that play a significant role in the national development. Of late, ICT plays a significant role in the development of agriculture. It is widely acknowledged that improved information flow benefits both individual businesses and the agriculture industry. Nonetheless, gathering and sharing information is frequently expensive and challenging. By using information technology (IT), it is possible to lower the cost of information dissemination while simultaneously providing more information to all stakeholders involved in the agriculture industry. But the part of agriculture to the economy as well as the economic condition of the farmers is not what they should have been in this era of technology in a state like Assam. The aim of this study is to find the utilization in agricultural sector in the upper Brahmaputra valley Zone of Assam. This paper tries to discuss the factors affecting utilization of ICT tools in agriculture by using Binary Logistics Regression Model. Apart from higher level of education (.252) and size of land holding (.003), other factors like age (-.076), extension contact (-.282) and participation in media (-3.554) are found to be negatively influenced in the knowledge of ICT in agriculture among the farmers in the study area. Organzing awareness and training programme may help the farmers to utilize ICT in agricultural sector.