Information And Communication Technology In Schools Research Articles

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.

Exploring the Changes in Teaching Strategies Enabled by Information and Communication Technology

The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in now a day plays a very strategic role in thetransforming phase of education. Thus government also taking many initiatives and tried to integrateICT to teaching learning process like the introduction of ICT@School Scheme. But the problem lies inits effective use in classroom. Is teacher being competent enough in use of ICT in classroom, whatare the some of the changes teachers are making when they used ICT tools with their students inthe classroom and how strategies are changing, what contributes to the change, and what is thechange in classroom dynamics and traditional time structures? These were the few issues whichaddressed in the present study. For this purpose, a qualitative approach with an interview study wasadopted for the study. Further, it delimited to Cuttack district of Odisha and ten secondary schoolsand total thirty teachers, three from each school was selected as its sample by using purposivesampling method. The investigator makes classroom observation, extensive field notes and interviewwith the respondents for collection of data. The collected data was analyzed by thematic descriptionrelated to foregoing issues with specific reference to the four key themes: the changing role of theteacher, classroom dynamics, teacher predictions of ICT in school and the concept of the classroom.The findings of the study revealed that the ICT in the classroom influenced the process of learningand in order to integrate ICT effectively, teachers are adopting different teaching strategies. Furtherit has also been revealed that they need drill for the power shift in the classroom because oftenstudents had more knowledge of ICT than them. The findings also revealed that the dynamic of theclassroom was also changing due to ICT. Finally, the teachers needed time to learn about thetechnology and to understand how to integrate ICT into the curriculum.

Exploring the Changes in Teaching Strategies Enabled by Information and Communication Technology

The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in now a day plays a very strategic role in the transforming phase of education. Thus government also taking many initiatives and tried to integrate ICT to teaching learning process like the introduction of ICT@School Scheme. But the problem lies in its effective use in classroom. Is teacher being competent enough in use of ICT in classroom, what are the some of the changes teachers are making when they used ICT tools with their students in the classroom and how strategies are changing, what contributes to the change, and what is the change in classroom dynamics and traditional time structures? These were the few issues which addressed in the present study. For this purpose, a qualitative approach with an interview study was adopted for the study. Further, it delimited to Cuttack district of Odisha and ten secondary schools and total thirty teachers, three from each school was selected as its sample by using purposive sampling method. The investigator makes classroom observation, extensive field notes and interview with the respondents for collection of data. The collected data was analyzed by thematic description related to foregoing issues with specific reference to the four key themes: the changing role of the teacher, classroom dynamics, teacher predictions of ICT in school and the concept of the classroom. The findings of the study revealed that the ICT in the classroom influenced the process of learning and in order to integrate ICT effectively, teachers are adopting different teaching strategies. Further it has also been revealed that they need drill for the power shift in the classroom because often students had more knowledge of ICT than them. The findings also revealed that the dynamic of the classroom was also changing due to ICT. Finally, the teachers needed time to learn about the technology and to understand how to integrate ICT into the curriculum.

Exploring the Changes in Teaching Strategies Enabled by Information and Communication Technology

The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in now a day plays a very strategic role in the transforming phase of education. Thus government also taking many initiatives and tried to integrate ICT to teaching learning process like the introduction of ICT@School Scheme. But the problem lies in its effective use in classroom. Is teacher being competent enough in use of ICT in classroom, what are the some of the changes teachers are making when they used ICT tools with their students in the classroom and how strategies are changing, what contributes to the change, and what is the change in classroom dynamics and traditional time structures? These were the few issues which addressed in the present study. For this purpose, a qualitative approach with an interview study was adopted for the study. Further, it delimited to Cuttack district of Odisha and ten secondary schools and total thirty teachers, three from each school was selected as its sample by using purposive sampling method. The investigator makes classroom observation, extensive field notes and interview with the respondents for collection of data. The collected data was analyzed by thematic description related to foregoing issues with specific reference to the four key themes: the changing role of the teacher, classroom dynamics, teacher predictions of ICT in school and the concept of the classroom. The findings of the study revealed that the ICT in the classroom influenced the process of learning and in order to integrate ICT effectively, teachers are adopting different teaching strategies. Further it has also been revealed that they need drill for the power shift in the classroom because often students had more knowledge of ICT than them. The findings also revealed that the dynamic of the classroom was also changing due to ICT. Finally, the teachers needed time to learn about the technology and to understand how to integrate ICT into the curriculum.

ICT training curriculum for primary school teachers

The advancement of this modern day has required primary school teachers to utilize Information and Communication Technology (ICT) devices in the classroom. Therefore, it is imperative that teachers possess the skills to use ICT. Several studies have shown that teaching process (instruction) using ICT provides more optimal result for the students. This paper will discuss the result of a study aiming to develop an ICT training curriculum for professional teachers. The data for this study has been collected since 2017 to 2018 through surveys to explain need analysis of ICT skill for teaching. The product of this study is a curriculum structure in the form of training materials that primary school teachers need to improve their skills in utilizing ICT in teaching activities. This training curriculum is expected to lead to an effective training because it is developed based on teachers’ needs in implementing ICT in primary school.

ICT Integration in Secondary School Physics and Teachers’ Attitude Towards Using ICT in Teaching Physics in Mombasa County, Kenya

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) provides an opportunity for Educational Institutions and other organisations to harness and use technology to complement and support the teaching and learning process. However, despite the enormous advocacy for ICT-aided teaching and learning, investment and donation of ICT equipment to schools, there is a challenge on how to transform students learning process to provide students with the skills to function effectively in this information-rich and dynamic environment. Unless ICT is effectively integrated in teaching and learning, the investment for the development of ICT in schools will be wasted. The school curriculum may also fail to achieve its mission to produce learners who are ready for the world of work, which is increasingly reliant on ICT- aided generation and dissemination of knowledge. This study was aimed at finding out the extent of ICT integration in secondary school Physics and the teachers’ attitude towards the using ICT in teaching Physics. Further. The study also assessed the extent to which the National ICT policy on education has been implemented in Mombasa County. It also assessed the teachers attitude towards teaching Physics using ICT. The study was done through administering questionnaires to 148 Physics teachers in public and private secondary schools, and conducting interviews with three (3) ICT champions in the county. The quantitative data based on a Likert Scale was analysed with the aid of the SPSS computer software (version 20) while the qualitative data was analysed using the Bryman’s Four Stage Qualitative Analysis. Keywords : Information and Communication Technology, Attitude. DOI : 10.7176/JEP/10-27-04 Publication date :September 30 th 2019

TEACHING ACTIVITY WITH ICT

The teachers of today are inserted in a technological era that provokes them to review their methodological practices. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) is an instrument, although it is not a recent issue. But it is able to offer learners new possibilities for learning. The teacher is based on mastering this tool. The teaching units together with the public managers must subsidize with adequate infrastructure in both hardware, software, internet, applications as well as continuous training. However, many teachers, even though they have received adequate knowledge to deal with the interactive media in the classroom and thus convey new meaning to teach, tend to remain with the old models of teaching and learning. The students are against it. The aim was to understand the apathy, incompleteness or frustration regarding the use of technological media in the classroom of a public high school in the city of Senhor do Bonfim-BA. The research was conducted, preferably, on the night shift, in June, through a questionnaire applied to 18 teachers (100% of the sample). In order to answer the problem: Is teaching time a factor that contributes to the non-use of ICTs in school? The results showed that most of the faculty has more than 20 years of teaching. Another important factor was the infrastructure still to be desired, and both the handsets and the network connectivity are not satisfactory. The data show that the teaching time is a negative factor, considering that they are not teachers who were born of the technological culture.

English

The importance of information and communication technology (ICT) in education in the 21st century cannot be overemphasized. A number of initiatives have been put in place in Ghana to ensure that information and communication technology is extensively used and taught at all levels of our education. The study utilized a descriptive survey design and employed cluster and simple random sampling technique to collect data from 525 pupils in 34 schools in the Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana. The cluster was made up of six communities in the Metropolis, namely, Aboom, Bakaano, Cape Coast, Efutu, Ola, and Pedu/Abura.  The sample was chosen on the basis of Cohen et al. recommendation for choosing representative samples. These two sampling techniques helped to arrive at a sample that was fairly representative of the population. The study addressed four research questions: (1) How available are the ICT facilities to pupils and teachers in Cape Coast Metropolis primary schools? (2) How does the use of ICT equipment affect the implementation of ICT programmes in primary schools in the Cape Coast Metropolis? (3) How does the attitude of primary school pupils affect the implementation of ICT in Cape Coast Metropolis? and (4) How does the attitude of teachers teaching ICT in the primary schools affect the implementation of ICT in the Cape Coast Metropolis? The analyses of responses from questionnaires revealed the unavailability of ICT equipment and pupils’ lack of access to ICT infrastructure. The study recommends that Ghana Education Service (GES) should institute technology and technical support units in the various schools to handle technology integration challenges.    Key words: Information and communication technology (ICT) challenges, access to ICT, implementation, primary school.

Effectiveness of Educational Technology Applications in Saudi Arabian Secondary Schools

The integration of technology tools into classrooms is a growing trend worldwide. Research studies indicate that technological tools are crucial in creating an environment in which students play an active role in the learning process. The Saudi Arabia government has heavily invested in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) field, but is yet to fully benefit from the investment. There are a myriad of enablers and hindrances affecting the successful implementation of ICT in Saudi schools. Successful implementation of ICT can be realised through the promotion of constructivist learning environment. This study utilised mixed methodology approach in collecting data from teachers to evaluate the factors affecting effective ICT implementation in Saudi secondary schools. The factors affecting the practical use of educational technology include lack of management and technical support, time limitations, lack of ICT and pedagogical training, negative attitudes and beliefs towards educational technology, lack of clear policies and strategies on ICT adoption in learning institutions and resistance to change and inadequate technological resources. No single factor is capable of guaranteeing the successful ICT implementation in schools; therefore, a multifaceted approach is needed.

Factors that Influence Teachers’ Pedagogical Use of ICT in Secondary Schools: A Case of Ghana

Technology is perceived as a vital driving force for contemporary education. The Government of Ghana acknowledges the relevance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education, and it is financing ICT in secondary schools. However, most instructors are unwilling to integrate ICT into their teaching. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that influence secondary school teachers’ ICT usage in schools. The participants were 376 teachers randomly selected from 24 public and private schools. The data collected from the participants were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and analysis of variance. The results showed that teachers’ use of ICT was still confined to basic and traditional activities such as search for information, class presentation etc. Internal and external factors were found to influence teachers’ ICT usage. Also, female teachers reported that they use ICT more than male teachers. In general, this study has contributed to the literature regarding teachers’ pedagogical use of ICT in secondary schools and also their gender differences in the use of ICT.

CHASING THE EMERGING TREND OF ICT: THE CHALLENGES FACED BY ESL TEACHERS AND THEIR ATTITUDE IN INTEGRATING ICT IN RURAL SCHOOLS OF TATAU DISTRICT

: The utilization and integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have enabled the establishment of virtual learning environments that are capable of developing English language skills among Malaysian primary pupils. The Ministry of Education had invested a substantial amount of money on ICT as a part of education initiatives to ensure there will be no gap in the quality of education between urban and rural schools. However, the usage of ICT in rural schools could not meet expectations. This case study takes a closer look at the challenges faced by the ESL teachers and their attitude in integrating ICT in teaching and learning process based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). A total of 11 English teachers from 6 rural schools in Tatau, Sarawak were selected based on purposive sampling. Data were collected via questionnaire and calculated using percentage. It was then analyzed and a semi-structured interview was later conducted. The findings revealed that although teachers’ attitude toward ICT integration in the rural school was positive and it had enhanced their performance in teaching and learning, the actual use was the practicality of integrating ICT. The findings also revealed poor Internet connection, limited facilities and infrastructure were the challenges that had influenced their behavior in using ICT which put a limitation of its usage.

The Relationship Between Students’ ICT Use and Their School Performance: Evidence from PISA 2015 in the Czech Republic

In the last decades, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have become recognized as an important and integral part of life as well as education. At the same time, the implementation and use of ICT in schools is one of the longstanding strategic objectives and priorities in education policy in the Czech Republic. However, up to now, rather little attention has been paid to the research in the use of digital technologies in Czech schools with regard to students’ performance. The purpose of the present study is therefore to investigate various ICT-related factors associated with school performance of students in the Czech Republic. Specifically, this study takes data from the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA 2015) to determine the extent to which availability and use of ICT in school and at home is related to students’ educational achievements. Results of this study can provide substantial implications and suggestions for national ICT policies (especially the Strategy for Digital Education until 2020).

The effectiveness of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in teaching and learning in high schools in Eastern Cape Province

The effectiveness of the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in teaching and learning is germane to the recent educational innovations in South Africa. The study examined the level of availability and utilisation of ICT facilities by teachers and students in high schools in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa as well as the factors influencing and challenging its effectiveness. A random sampling technique was adopted to select a sample of 600 (450 students and 150 teachers) for the study. Four research questions were answered with the aid of self-developed instruments tagged Teachers’ Questionnaire on Effectiveness of ICTs in Teaching and Learning (TQEICTTL) and Students’ Questionnaire on Effectiveness of ICTs in Teaching and Learning (SQEICTTL). Frequency and a simple percentage were used to analyse the data obtained. It was revealed that the highest available ICT facilities in all selected schools were mobile phones being used by students to download relevant information on their various courses and exchange ideas and knowledge among other students. It was, therefore, recommended that government play an active role in the effectiveness of the use of ICTs by funding ICTs in schools through training and re-training of teachers and exposure of stakeholders to the relevance of the pedagogy relating to the use of ICTs for teaching and learning. Keywords: effectiveness; high schools; Information Communication Technologies (ICTs); learning; South Africa; students; teachers; teaching and learning; utilisation

The role of information and communication technologies in the system of forming of professional competences of engineers

Actuality of the conducted research is practically oriented character. Without the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the field of higher education, it is impossible to carry out qualitative training of specialists in engineering, the results of which are necessary for the implementation of a national strategy for modernizing the economy and forming a progressive state of European type. Formulation of the task - the specificity of the use of ICT in the system of higher education has not been studied sufficiently. ICT form a complex environment, which includes a lot of information objects and the links between them. It can be argued that the structural and functional analysis of the use of ICT in higher education is the basis of the theoretical justification in the formation of technical professionalism of future engineers. ICTs form a complex system, which includes not only technical and software-hardware capabilities, but also psycho-pedagogical, organizational, methodological. Without taking into account all of these components, as well as the needs of the subjects of the educational process, the use of ICT tools (especially centralized) may be accompanied by risks and negatively affect the quality of high education. An analysis of recent research and publications-is actively exploring the experience of using ICT in high school, it is possible to distinguish the work of foreign specialists D. Stevenson, G. Reinhold, E. Wenger, S. Papierta, I. Zakharova, E. Patarakina, A. Khutorskogo, E. Polat The founders of this scientific direction in our country were M. I. Zhaldak, Y. I.Mashbits. The recent significant increase in the number of studies, the subject of which was the use of information and communication technologies in the educational process. Tsitemi in Ukraine is dedicated to the study of such scholars as V. Yu. Bykov, Ya.V. Bulakhova, O.M. Bondarenko, V.F. Zabolotny, G.O. Kozlakova, O. Moiko, O. Naumenko, Yu.Burovitskaya, I. Stavyts'ka, O.P. Pinchuk, O.V. Shestopal and others. Selection of unexplored parts of the general problem. The use of information technologies in the educational process is the foundation of innovative development of the educational system. The rapid development of ICT provides not only significant pace of innovative progress, but also requires the definition (limitation) of information resources that guarantee the quality of learning, the choice of techniques that are in line with the general strategy for the formation of professional competences. Therefore, the problem of choosing an approach to the process of learning with the use of ICTs remains one of the main tasks of education. Research methods. In theory and practice, the study of the application of information and communication technologies (ICT) in high school uses empirical methods of collecting and analyzing information based on the results of the survey of 120 students. Presenting main material. The essence of professionalism of future specialists of the technical direction is revealed. The scientific point of view on the professionalism of the engineer is presented. The peculiarities of formation of the basis of technical professionalism of future engineers in the process of studying at a higher school are theoretically grounded. The quantitative and qualitative analysis of the results of empirical researches of this problem is presented. The practical significance of the research topic is that the innovative approaches to the training of specialists in engineering specialties are differentiated, which differentiate in the educational concepts of teaching in higher educational institutions of European countries

A first step towards a model for teachers' adoption of ICT pedagogy in schools

It is important to identify and understand important factors underpinning the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in schools. And, it is important that ICT is adopted in a sound pedagogical manner. The aim with this study was to suggest a model for the actual use of ICT in schools and how it may be related to important factors such as technological pedagogical expectations. The design of the model was inspired by TAM2 and UTAUT models, but with some modifications. We have developed a model which highlight the pedagogical aspects beyond the technical ones. Furthermore, our suggested model also include the adoption of digital techniques in everyday life as a potential predictor of adoption of ICT at work. The sample consists of 122 teachers and we analyzed the model with a structural equation model. This study contributes with a suggested model including a new construct for measuring expected performance from a technological pedagogical point of view. This new construct was a significant predictor to actual use of ICT in school. Furthermore we also developed a new construct for adoption of ICT in everyday life, which also was a significant predictor to actual use of ICT in school.

El uso escolar de las TIC desde la visión del alumnado de Educación Primaria, ESO y Bachillerato

<p>En este artículo se presentan algunos de los<br />resultados más destacables sobre la visión<br />y opiniones que tienen los estudiantes de<br />Educación Primaria, de la Educación Se-<br />cundaria Obligatoria y el Bachillerado con<br />relación al uso escolar de las Tecnologías<br />de Información y Comunicación (TIC) en<br />los centros educativos. Para ello se diseñó<br />un estudio de encuesta en el que se utilizó<br />como instrumento de recogida de datos<br />un cuestionario online diseñado ad hoc.<br />La muestra estuvo constituida por más<br />de 4.000 estudiantes de todas las islas de<br />Canarias. Hemos encontrado diferencias<br />significativas en dichas visiones teniendo<br />en cuenta la etapa educativa, el género,<br />y la disponibilidad de tecnologías en el<br />hogar de los estudiantes. Concluimos en<br />que la inmensa mayoría del alumnado de<br />Educación Primaria y Secundaria es una<br />generación familiarizada con la tecnolo-<br />gía digital, que está motivada y demanda</p><p>el uso escolar continuado de las TIC, aun-<br />que mantiene una visión crítica hacia las<br />tareas escolares desarrolladas con las mis-<br />mas y del grado de competencia digital de<br />su profesorado.</p>

Perceptions of Information and Communication Technology: Evidence from Secondary Schools in Zanzibar

The information and communication technology (ICT) become paramount in the contemporary whereas the society and other educational partners would not be far away from uses of this developmental technology. This study aimed to evaluate the perceptions of teachers on applying ICT in public secondary schools in Zanzibar. The survey questionnaires deployed as the instrument tool for the data collection in six public secondary schools in Zanzibar. Data analysed through Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21, and the results revealed that the teachers’ have the positive perceptions towards the adoption of ICT use in an education setting. Consequently, the utilisation of technology encourages teaching and learning. Indeed, the teachers showed to be ready to incorporate the ICT use in the teaching process. However, lack of enough time and cost of the ICT services contributed factors that impediment the teachers to embrace ICT use. Moreover, the results demonstrate some teachers’ ignorance in insensitive of ICT skills.

Successful implementation of information and communication technology integration in Malaysian public schools: An activity systems analysis approach

This multiple-case study drew upon Engeström's (1987) activity theory (AT) to understand the conditions and explain the systematic contradictions that facilitate successful Information and Communication Technology (ICT) integration in schools. The data were collected through in-depth interviews and document analysis from one primary and one secondary public school in Malaysia. In-depth interviews were carried out with nine participants, including principals, ICT coordinators, and teachers. Findings revealed three conditions that led to successful ICT integration: 1) types of ICT tools in the school, 2) rules and regulations in the school that shape the ICT culture, and 3) division of labour within the school community. The findings indicate that school stakeholders must work together to resolve tensions introduced by systemic contradictions in different activity systems, which shape school ICT culture. The study aims to enrich the discourse on ICT integration by assisting school stakeholders to reflect on their own ICT integration strategies.

La formación permanente del profesional de la Educación para el desarrollo de competencias TIC

The article sets out the theoretical foundations that support the development of competencies in the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), as well as a classification proposal provided by the authors. This is the result of their professional experience and the consultation of specialized literature in relation to the ICT competencies of education professionals, as part of which the training of these professionals is analyzed in the context of contemporary pedagogical practice. The results of the study reveal that the progress in the availability of ICTs in schools has been significant in recent years. However, the reality of training of education professionals for their employment still shows deficiencies in which attention should be paid in order to achieve an integration of these technologies into contemporary teaching and learning processes.