Information And Communication Technology In Schools Research Articles

Taming Educators’ Tech Beliefs

Forty years of empirical research on the use of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) in schools has repeatedly shown that ICT is by no means “wild” and “threatening”, but rather largely ineffective. Therefore, I argue that the “wildness” of ICT in schools is primarily a matter of impactful teachers’ beliefs. I analyse some elements of these beliefs and suggest that its them that need “taming”. On this basis I propose that they can be tamed by becoming closely familiar with their content and structures, by professionalising them based on research and thirdly by reframing the use of ICT in school as a question of enabling participation in a world that is changing through digital transformation.

Predictors of Behavioural Intentions of Teachers to Adopt and Use Information and Communication Technologies in Secondary Schools in Zimbabwe

The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) also known as educational technology in the teaching and learning context, has become a new normal in all sectors of education world-wide. The most important driver of the use of ICT in education has been the rapid advances in technology and to some extent, natural disasters such as COVID-19 that has affected access to education across all sectors of the education system. As a result, it has become very important that teachers in secondary schools adopt ICT for their teaching. This study therefore seeks to establish factors influencing the behavioural intentions of secondary school teachers to adopt ICT in Zimbabwe. A sample of 251 teachers were selected using stratified random sampling strategy from 10 secondary schools to participate in the study. A structured questionnaire adapted from the Oscarson Scale for Measuring Adoption-proneness (OSMA) was used for data collection. Results of the study showed that the use of technology in teaching, professional development, attitudes toward ICT, gender and ICT support services have a significant influence on the behavioural intentions of secondary school teachers to adopt ICT. A number of challenges that affected the adoption of ICT in secondary schools were also identified. The study has implications on both policy and practice with regard to the adoption of ICT in secondary schools.

Effectiveness of Introductory Information and Communication Technology Module and its Implication on Academic Performance: A Study on Medical Entrants

Literacy in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is vital in current medical education and practice to; better prepare future physicians for the changing behaviours of the patients and diseases, improve the quality of interventions and health care delivery, find information and change medical teaching practices. A descriptive study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the introductory ICT course and find out the factors affecting ICT literacy in medical entrants. A self-administered questionnaire was administered after receiving the informed consent of the students of the first and second batches of Faculty of Medicine, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka. ICT literacy was evaluated by administering a theory and practical based examination. A pre-course examination was held to a selected sub-sample in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the introductory course. Out of the consented students (n=126), 71.4% were females. All the students owned at least one IT equipment and browsed the internet daily. Having school ICT facility (p=0.001) and parental knowledge on ICT (p=0.04) have affected to the ICT literacy of the students while the external courses have not affected at all. The interaction between ICT evaluation marks and academic results are strongly significant. There was a significant improvement in ICT literacy of the students after conducting an introductory ICT course (p=0.001). It is required to increase ICT facilities at school levels and improve the quality of the introductory ICT courses in order to create skillful professionals who can challenge the changing behaviours of the future world.
 Keywords: Medical Entrants, Information and Communication Technology, Introductory Course, Medical Education

The Challenges of Initial Teacher Training

The initial training of teachers assumes great responsibility in the methodo-logical renewal of teachers. This study aims to know the thinking of higher education students, future teachers, regarding their knowledge and attitudes towards the curricular integration of Information and Communication Tech-nologies (ICT), as well as to identify inhibiting and propelling factors of the use of digital technology by future teachers. This study is part of the IFITIC Project, which aims to rethink educational practice with ICT in the initial training of future teachers in order to promote methodological renewal in Pre-school Education and the 1st and 2nd Cycles of Basic Education. We used the methodological design survey and for data collection we applied a ques-tionnaire survey, with closed questions, to students of Basic Education and Vocational Master's degree from two public higher education institutions in the North of Portugal. The results point to the existence of inhibiting factors such as lack of resources in training centers, and propellants to ICT integra-tion such as the availability of personal resources that can compensate for the lack of resources in school centers and ICT training by training schools. They also reveal a positive and open attitude on the part of students towards the educational use of ICT.

Creation of Sustainable Learning Environments in South African Rural Schools: A Call for Effective Implementation of ICTs

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are the core of the digital economy and could be important catalysts for progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which can improve people's lives. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognises the great potential of global connectivity to accelerate human progress. ICT has become an integral part of educational development as it enhances the efficiency and productivity of both teaching and learning of any subject. Though remarkable progress has been made in terms of access to ICT integrated education in South Africa, the issue of its reaching every rural school student and teacher has not been resolved. Against this backdrop, this paper looks at learning environments and the use of ICTs in rural schools in the Eastern Cape, a rural South African province, through an empirical quantitative study; and calls for creating sustainable learning environments through the effective implementation and use of ICTs. Data on the learning environments in Eastern Cape schools were collected from three different sources. A sample of university students and school teachers provided information on the ICT environment in schools. Government reports on ICT integrated teaching that shed light on the vision and planning of the creation of sustainable learning environments in rural education contexts, were also analysed. It is concluded that computer access and other forms of technology have dramatically increased in South Africa, however, the level of classroom utilization of technology does not correlate with this significant rise in rural schools. This calls for audacious investments to be accomplished in two major aspects: networking the classrooms with internet facilities and equipping the teachers with ICT implementation in the classrooms. Only then can sustainable learning environments in the rural schools be comprehended in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) in South Africa.

Teachers' Self-efficacy for Using Information and Communication Technology: The Interaction Effect of Gender and Age

The purpose of the study is to examine the moderating effect of age on gender differences in teachers’ self-efficacy for using information and communication technology (ICT) in teaching as well as possible variables underlying this effect. Following Bandura’s conceptualisation of self-efficacy, we defined teachers' self-efficacy as their confidence in performing specific tasks that require the integration of ICT into the teaching practice. The study was conducted via an online questionnaire on a sample of 6613 elementary and upper secondary school teachers in Croatia. The hierarchical multiple regression analysis was applied. The findings indicate minor gender differences in self-efficacy for using ICT that are more prominent among older teachers and practically non-existent among younger teachers. These effects remain statistically significant after controlling for the type of school where the teacher works, perceived technical and professional support for using ICT in school, and frequency of use of computer programmes in teaching. The interaction effect ceases to be statistically significant after the introduction of length of computer use in teaching and/or attitudes towards computers in the model, indicating that these two variables have a role in low self-efficacy for using ICT among older female teachers. A similar level of self-efficacy for using ICT among young male and female teachers is an encouraging finding which could hopefully be followed by gender equality in other aspects of ICT use. The findings suggest that strategies for enhancing ICT self-efficacy should be particularly targeted at older female teachers. This study contributes to a better understanding of the underresearched topic of gender differences in teacher’s ICT self-efficacy.

Identification of a framework for implementing ICT in Sri Lankan secondary education system

This research work was focused on finding the affected indicators on the barriers to use Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in Sri Lankan Secondary Education System. It also explores a framework to implement ICT in schools overcoming these barriers. In particular, it examined the viewpoint of teachers and principals on the integration of ICT into the schools’ policy in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. Interviews were conducted for 60 secondary school principals and a questionnaire base survey was conducted for 500 teachers of several schools selected from the above pool. What materialized from the analysis showed that, infrastructure facilities, any policies related to the school, Planning and usage of ICT in teaching and learning, Current views held by principals as well as teachers regarding their ICT competencies, Teacher’s fluency of ICT, the perceived viewpoint of teachers and principals regarding the influence and subsequent function of ICT in education has an influence on the magnitude of ICT usage in schools. According to the analyzed data, a framework was designed to make readiness and maintain smooth Teaching Learning system in secondary schools. Finally, the research has collected feedback from involved parties during the implementation process to evaluate competency of the suggested framework.

Aspects Affecting the Use of Digital Technologies in Greek Schools

This paper is analyzing feedback collected from Greek high school teachers, in order to answer questions regarding the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as part of their teaching practices in Greek schools. Various hypothesis tests are presented, in order to focus on perceptions, look into possible problems and see how teachers of different profile and specializations apply ICT in their teaching. A special focus is placed on philogists, as the most populous but also less technology-related subject, content-wise. In particular, an online survey was prepared, aiming at collecting information regarding the use of ICT in Greek schools. This information is analyzed across various demographic and profession-related variables concerning teacher’s age, gender, specialization, type of technology used, familiarization with ICT, motivations. A total of 309 respondents reacted to the questionnaire, over a period of about two months in 2019. The questionnaire consisted of 31 questions in total. The analysis that follows is both descriptive and statistical, while it intends to provide answers and correlations regarding the most striking questions and hypotheses.

Problems of online learning and the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in physics learning at Sumedang, West Java

This study investigates students’ and teachers’ perceptions of online learning problems and the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in teaching and learning physics in high schools at Sumedang, West Java. The study population consisted of all high school students and physics teachers at one public high school in Sumedang, West Java. The sample was 69 students and 2 teachers selected from one public high school. The instrument used in collecting relevant data for this study was an online questionnaire consisting of 23 items that obtained information about the difficulties of online learning and the application of ICT in schools for learning physics. Data collected were analysed using frequency and percentage calculations. The results showed that online learning can simplify the learning process and mentoring besides ICT being able to broaden students’ insights about physics. However, there are several obstacles in online learning including the limitations of question and answer activities to friends or teachers directly, many assignments, and the lack of ICT facilities.

Information and Communication Technology-Based Education Planning and Attitude of College Students

The ubiquity of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in every school framework in the world has become a trend. With ASEAN integration problems in 2015, can fresh and younger HEI's and their students cope with this trend? The goal of this analysis is to decide the preparedness and role of new HEI students in the field of ICT education. In this study a concise template utilizing a researcher-made questionnaire (α=.971) was used. The research findings show that students at college have a optimistic declaration ('agreement') on ICT use in education (x=3.71; S=.75). This was also shown that sex greatly affects the mindset of students (z=3.91, p=.00), where male attitudes are higher (x=3.91) than female attitudes (x=3.61). Moreover, it demonstrates that preparedness for ICT in general has little to do with the mindset of students towards the usage of ICT in school. Nonetheless, there is a important marginal positive association between ICT access and an attitude of significance to 0.05 (r=.15; p=.002; single-tailed), which suggests that the more a student gets introduced to ICT, the more he develops his attitude to ICT education. It was believed that ICT-based curriculum can be readily adopted and modified for the next several years by complete ICT adoption as the current educational framework. Current and younger HEIs will also spend more in ICT Accessibility and Connectivity to further boost ICT-based awareness and preparedness.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Teaching and Learning in Tertiary Institutions in Yobe- State, Nigeria

The benefits accruing from the use of ICT in tertiary institutions for teaching are enormous. Despite these, several institutions have not fully adopted ICT because of cost implication and lack of ICT compliance among staff. However, in tertiary institutions in Yobe State, ICT facilities are provided, how this has impacted on the teaching and learning prompted this study. Hence, this study assessed the impact of information and communication technology of teaching and learning in tertiary institutions in Yobe–State. The study used survey design through which it sourced primary data from a population of 15774, which consists of 6 tertiary institutions in Yobe State. These institutions are Atiku Abubakar College of Legal and Islamic Studies Nguru, College of Agriculture Gujba, Mai Idris Alooma Polytechnic Gaidem, School of Health Technology Nguru, College of Administration, Management and Technology Potiskum and Umar Suleiman College of Education Gashu’a. The sample size of 789 was administered questionnaire which was structured using 5 Likert scales. Data sourced were analyzed using tables, percentage, frequency and mean score. The study found that information and technology information have a significant impact on teaching and learning in tertiary institutions in Yobe State. Further findings showed that students are impacted more through the use of ICT, and the staff were always trained in the usage of ICT gadgets. Also, government and management of these tertiary institutions ensure that ICT gadgets are provided which in the long run, improve the tertiary institutions in Yobe State. The study concluded that ICT plays a very important role in improving teaching and learning in tertiary institutions in Yobe –State. The study recommends among others that, management of tertiary institutions in Yobe State should leverage on the development of ICT in schools and ensure that teaching staff are always trained on the use of ICT in teaching. This would help to improve learning of students and enhance the capacity of lecturers. Also, the students should be encouraged to have in their possession a mini laptop that can be used, in particular, when performing their assignment. This would have a positive long-term effect on them and would improve their learning capacity .

Smart Classrooms and E-learning

This paper deals with the growing popularity of smart classrooms and E-learning in the field of education. Technology these days has spread its reach to every sector and has become one of those major things to rely on. It is definitely handier for students and teachers. E-learning refers to the use of electronic media and information and communication technologies (ICT) in education. A renewed and focused attention is being given to universalization of computer literacy and integration of ICT in schools and other institutions in the tertiary sector. The extent to which e-learning assists other learning and teaching approaches is variable, ranging on a continuum from none to fully online distance learning. A variety of descriptive terms have been employed (somewhat inconsistently) to categorize the extent to which the technology is used.<br/> The term "hybrid learning" may refer to classroom aids and laptops, or may refer to approaches in which traditional classroom time is reduced but not eliminated, and is replaced with some online learning.

Teacher Efficacy on the Use of ICT in Secondary School of Bangladesh: A Study of Cumilla District

For many years, education has been treated as one of the main keys for human welfare economic development and improvements. This research aims to explore the extent to which teachers are using information and communication technology (ICT) as well as their attitude towards it. ICT seems to have the capability of changing the present problem of Bangladesh education sectors.This research is to identify the current ICT status on secondary education of Bangladesh especially secondary schools in Cumilla district. Data were collected from teachers and students by using semi-structured questionnaires and interviews. The result shows that the teacher's competencies in the use of ICT are very low in rural areas and this is attributed to the lack of basic ICT tools, adequate computer literate, and proper ICT training.

Linear or quadratic effects of ICT use on science and mathematics achievements moderated by SES: conditioned ecological techno-process

ABSTRACT Aim and background This study investigated the effects of information and communication technology (ICT) use patterns, moderated by socioeconomic status (SES), on science and mathematics achievements. This investigation aims to address the issue of whether ICT use has ‘conditioned’ (linear and quadratic) effects on achievements with SES as social conditions, based on a posited Conditioned Ecological Techno-process (CET) model. Method Data from the 2012 Program for International Student Assessment for Taiwan were analyzed using regression analysis focusing on the effect of three ICT use patterns (leisure, educational, and school). Results The results support the CET model in the quadratic effects of all the three ICT use patterns on both achievements in addition to the positive linear effects of educational ICT use and the negative linear effects of leisure and school ICT use patterns. The moderation effect of SES only occurs with leisure ICT use on science achievement. Discussion The findings suggest that moderate frequent ICT use predicts the highest achievements. SES may aggravate the negative effect of leisure ICT use on science achievement.

Analisis SWOT/TOWS Untuk Perencanaan Strategis Sistem Informasi dan Teknologi Informasi Pada SMK di Kota Lubuklinggau

Currently, information and communication technology (ICT) has become an important sector for administering education in schools. The use of Information and Communication Technology is one of the determining aspects in competition. The condition of ICT in Vocational High Schools (SMK) in Lubuklinggau City has not fully used ICT-based applications, several schools that already have ICT applications and infrastructure are built themselves and are managed according to local needs both in the administration section and the support units. Meanwhile, on the other hand, there are still aspects of the public that are not yet based on ICTs with inadequate ICT facilities / infrastructure to support the success of organizational goals in the field of education optimally. For this reason, the researcher wants to help the Education Office of the City of Lubuklinggau to plan a technology strategy and information system that can be used as a guide in the ICT strategic plan. This study uses the SWOT / TOWS matrix as one of the methods applied for internal analysis in order to produce strategic planning proposals for ICT development for vocational schools in Lubuklinggau City.

Analisis SWOT/TOWS Untuk Perencanaan Strategis Sistem Informasi dan Teknologi Informasi Pada SMK di Kota Lubuklinggau

Currently, information and communication technology (ICT) has become an important sector for administering education in schools. The use of Information and Communication Technology is one of the determining aspects in competition. The condition of ICT in Vocational High Schools (SMK) in Lubuklinggau City has not fully used ICT-based applications, several schools that already have ICT applications and infrastructure are built themselves and are managed according to local needs both in the administration section and the support units. Meanwhile, on the other hand, there are still aspects of the public that are not yet based on ICTs with inadequate ICT facilities / infrastructure to support the success of organizational goals in the field of education optimally. For this reason, the researcher wants to help the Education Office of the City of Lubuklinggau to plan a technology strategy and information system that can be used as a guide in the ICT strategic plan. This study uses the SWOT / TOWS matrix as one of the methods applied for internal analysis in order to produce strategic planning proposals for ICT development for vocational schools in Lubuklinggau City.

How does the ICT Access and Usage Influence Student Achievement in PISA 2009 and 2012?

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of access and usage of information and communication technologies (ICT) on Turkish students’ mathematics achievement implemented in PISA 2009 and PISA 2012. A correlational research model was used in this study. In this study, the data which were obtained from the PISA 2009 and PISA 2012 mathematics achievement tests and from the information and communications technologies familiarity questionnaire (ICTFQ) in Turkey were used. In this study, three student level variables and two school variables of ICTFQ which are common indexes both in PISA 2009 and PISA 2012 were selected to compare the effect of ICT variables on PISA mathematics achievement implemented in different years. Two-level Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) analysis was performed in the analysis of the data. As a result, the student level variables had a small or a trivial effect on mathematics achievement. The effect size value of the ENTUSE variable was similar in the PISA 2009 and the PISA 2012 implementation, but the effect size value of the HOMSCH variable and the ICTHOME variable on mathematics achievement in PISA 2012 was lower than in PISA 2009. The ICTSCH and the USESCH variables at the school level had a large effect on mathematics achievement in two implementations of PISA 2009 and PISA 2012. The effect size value of the ICTSCH variable on mathematics achievement in PISA 2012 was higher than in PISA 2009. The effect size value of the ICTSCH variable, having a negative relationship with mathematics achievement in PISA 2012, was lower than in PISA 2009. In this study, the explained variance ratio of mathematics achievement by the school ICT variables level was greater than by the student ICT variables level.

"I'm not against online teaching, but what about us?": ICT in Ghana post Covid-19.

Globally, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is regarded as a dependable vehicle for facilitating educational reform and development, a platform for communication, and as a means to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal Four (SDG 4). Since the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and declaration of the SDG 4, many countries have opted to embrace the lifelong education for all by integrating ICT in teaching and learning at all school levels. The Ghanaian Government’s initiative to ensure “education anytime anywhere for everyone” by revolutionizing teaching and learning through ICT has faced a lot of challenges and criticisms. The main mission of the Ghana ICT for Accelerated Development (ICT4AD) in 2003 was to transform Ghana into an information and technology-driven high-income economy through education, but this goal is yet to be realized. In the wake of the COVID-19 which has forced many countries and educational sectors to adopt online learning, there is a need to discuss the effectiveness of online learning and barriers to online learning in the developing contexts, and how to successfully integrate ICT in schools for online learning, especially rural schools where students’ educational careers are in jeopardy because they benefit less from online learning. The paper identifies critical factors that affect online learning, recommends post COVID-19 strategies to promote e-learning for policymakers in education and the government, and concludes with a conceptual model for emergency transition to e-learning.

Applying technologies in vocational education in Bulgaria

Information and communication technologies (ICT) give many benefits to every learning stage – from primary school to university and even life-long learning. Vocational education uses the base of the previous stages and aims at preparing students for their future jobs. The present paper focuses on vocational education in Bulgarian high secondary schools and universities (colleges). A short overview of the most used WEB-based educational information systems is presented. The paper also describes an extensive survey among teachers and students on the use of ICT in Bulgarian schools. The profile of responded vocational teachers is briefly presented. Here are presented and analysed their opinions about the available conditions and obstacles for using ICT in the teaching process. The usefulness and the frequency of using the most popular e-resources in the vocational subjects are compared. The paper presents a portfolio optimization approach for the usage of different e-resources. Next, the authors give an overview of the application of new technologies in higher education in Bulgaria. The paper provides information about specific educational systems, created for their own needs of the Universities, according to the specifics of the disciplines.

Teachers’ Attitudes Towards the Introduction of ICT in Ecuadorian Public Schools

This article focus on the attitudes of teachers about the implementation of information and communication technologies (ICT) in Ecuadorian schools. While the advantages of ICT in education are well researched, much less is known about the attitudes of teachers towards them. This article provides a qualitative interpretative analysis of the opinions and attitudes of 56 teachers in Ecuador. The produced results acknowledged that implementation of ICT in schools is difficult task due to a lack of materials and resources, high organisational and social demands perceived by teachers, competition caused by younger teachers and students, and job and personal insecurity. Finally, this article suggests some aspects that should be considered and some actions that should be taken in order to minimize these negative aspects.