Information and Communication Technology integration into education: A case of Ghana's

basic school systemPresented by: James Sunney Quaicoe

Supervised by: Kai Pata (PhD)at

Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia School of Digital Technologies’ Research Seminar

9th December, 2015 Session

Structure of presentation 1. Preamble to publications:

a. General Introduction: Bases for the studies b. Problem and Conceptual/Theoretical Framework c. Objectives and purpose of study

2. Research Activities and Outcomes:a. Research Methodologyb. Publication One c. Publication Twod. Publication Three

3. Discussion and Conclusion(s): a. Discussionb. Recommendation(s) c. Wayforward

4. References

General Introduction: Bases for StudiesT New Educational Reform (NER)

2007:● ICT as a subject of study and

examinable.● ICT expected to be

integrated into teaching and learning across all subjects

● Equipment deployment and teacher training for DL

Problem and Conceptual/Theoretical Framework

Objectives and Purposes Study Focusing on the Teacher as the Agent of change in the schools digital culture, the objectives of the research was defined as follows:

● establish the status of Schools’ Digital Culture in relation to Digital Divide; and with reference to the ICT culture components in schools and school locations. Identify principal variables informing school digital disparities.

● find out about role of the Teachers’ Digital Literacy (TDL) in relation to other school digital culture components in determining the digital disparities in schools.

● explore the external and internal human and material factors informing Teachers’ Digital Readiness(TDR) towards ICT integration.

Research Activities and Outcome: Research MethodologyTrend of studies: One(with triangulated analysis) with spatially structured sampled basic schools

Expected outcome:

Triangulated data analysis approach should offer complementary findings and give clear status of SDC and factors influencing DD.

Methodology:

Design: Survey ; Sample: Teachers, Headteachers in selected schools ; Instruments/Data collection: Questionnaire (EU rubrics for ICT in Education and UNESCO-IICBA, “ICT-enhanced Teacher Standards for Africa ( ICTeTSA ))

Analysis Techniques: Descriptive, Independent sample t-test, cluster and discriminant analysis and Structural Equation Modeling (with some variation and similarities across papers)

Validity, Reliability and ethical Issues:

● Instruments passed Cronbach Alpha test (α < .70).

● Permission from Educational Management Body

● Teacher voluntary participation

● Teachers assured confidentiality - regarding their responses and views on the subject-matter.

Research Activities and Outcome: Publication One Objectives:

Explore the concept of School Digital Culture(SDC) and digital divide (DD) in Ghana’s basic schools; and identify the schools’ digital status.

Methodology:

Sample: (N=17) Headteachers

Analysis Techniques:

1. Descriptive statistics,2. Hierarchical Cluster analysis, 3. Independent samples t-test, 4. Canonical discriminant analysis.

Research Questions:

RQ 1: What is the level of ICT Culture variables in the sample schools?

RQ2: Is there a DD among the sample schools based on ICT Culture variables?

RQ3: What ICT Culture variables influence the DD significantly in the sample schools?

RQ 4: How does the school location influence DD in the sample schools?

1. Hierarchical cluster resulted in the creation of two cluster classifications.

2. The results showed Teacher ICT competence and Teacher use of ICTs as the differentiating factors

3. Schools’ ICT culture and respective DD are not dependent on school location.

1. Findings

Research Activities and Outcome: Publication Two

Objectives: Explore the role of the teacher’s digital literacy (TDL) among other schools’ digital culture components (SDC) in determining Digital Divide (DD) among Ghana’s basic schools.

Methodology:Sample: (N=102) Headteachers and Teachers (School Focused)

Analysis Techniques: K-means clustering, Canonical Discriminant analysis and Independent samples t-test .

Research Questions

1. Can the Digital Divide among Ghana’s basic schools be detected based on Schools Digital Culture (SDC) components?

2. What is the role of Teachers digital literacy (TDL) among other SDC components in determining the DD among Ghana’s basic schools?

3. Which Teachers’ Digital Literacy (TDL) component variables differentiate schools to Digital Divide (DD)?

Findings1. Two DD clusters were identified with K-means clustering:

Teachers’ digital literacy significantly different between Cluster 1 (N = 9, M = 2.537, SD = .246) and Cluster 2 (N = 8, M = 1.614, SD = .301); F = (1, 15) = 48.023, p = .0001.

2. Canonical Discriminant analysis with school cluster membership as the group variable on the SDCs yielded one discriminant function defining differences between cluster 1 and cluster 2.

a. Principal factors influencing the variation in the clusters are Teachers’ digital literacy (f1) and ICT related policy documents (f2).

3. The independent samples t-test indicated which Teachers Digital Literacy (TDL) differentiate schools to DD groups.

a. The TDL component consisted of DL and Information IL

practices. No significant differences existed in most of the competence items in the two school groups; the schools in two DD clusters differed significantly based on IL practices in their schools.

Research Activities and Outcome: Publication ThreeObjectives:

Explore the factors involved in developing teachers’ digital readiness towards ICT integration in basic schools.

Methodology:

Sample:

Sample (N=85) teachers participated.

Analysis Techniques:

Structural Equation Modelling (Regression)

Concepts and Research Questions leads

1. ZFM comprises: i) the environmental variables in school – digital equipment, - support systems and - agenda; and ii) the culturally predisposed beliefs variables -digital projections, digital opinion on using ICT for educational purposes, digital attitude, digital obstacles and perception on digital impact on teachers’ work.

2. ZPA is defined as the targeted intervention in the ZPD, ZPA occurs within the ZFM constraints, and comprises in our study the ICT training factor.

3. ZPD comprises the internal factors accounting for digital readiness as influenced by ZFM and ZPA. These are teachers’ digital confidence, digital knowledge, digital skills, digital activities, and digital application.

Findings

Discussion and conclusion(s)Discussion:

1. SDC, School location and DD ;a. Schools are DD.b. Determinants of DD (Teacher

Factors (Competence and usage issues)

c. School factor (Lack of ICT plan/agenda)

d. Resources (inequity). 2. The teacher was found to be

principal factor in determining SDC.3. In spite of the intensive ICT training

programs and bringing technology to schools applying ICT in practice had not achieved its expected level in half of the sampled schools.

4. ZFM factors influence the digital readiness development of teachers (conscious management essential)

Recommendation:1. Specific intervention methods would be more appropriate for

contextual conditions of some schools (school's’ technology needs for teaching not a unitary condition).

2. We propose that training teachers for ICT competences needs to reflect on the school's’ digital culture context

3. Teachers and headteachers should be involved in creating digital culture for their schools together; the training intervention should embrace incorporating ICT strategies and specific teaching practices that match to schools’ technology availability, teaching facilities and pedagogical approaches.

4. For successful integration of technology into teaching and learning with the intent of promoting digitally proactive culture, teachers need to be supported in innovative and proactive ways in the uptake of DL.

5. We advocate for school’s ZFM-embedded interventions for increasing digital readiness of teachers. Teacher attitude needs to be consciously managed.

Wayforward

Explore the school as an innovative

ecosystem3. ICT usage

References1. Lund, A. et al.: What does professional Digital Competence mean in Teacher Education ? Nord. J. Digit. Lit. 9, 4, 281–299 (2014).

2. Markauskaite, L.: Towards an Integrated Analytical Framework of Information and Communications Technology. Inf. Res. 11, 3, (2006).

3. McKenney, S.: Designing and Researching Technology-Enhanced Learning for the Zone of Proximal Implementation. Res. Learn. Technol. 21, SUPPL.1, 1–9 (2013).

4. Mereku, K., Yidana, A.I.: Pan-African Research Agenda on the Pedagogical Integration of ICTs : Ghana Report. , Accra (2011).

5. GNA: Strengthen capacity of teachers in ICT, http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/regional/artikel.php?ID=344131 on 20/03/2015, (2015).

6. MoE/PR: Sector News :4,853 Teachers in Western Region to Receive Laptops., http://www.moe.gov.gh/site/media/nws_0037.php.

7. UNESCO-IICBA, “ICT-enhanced Teacher Standards for Africa ( ICTeTSA ),” Addis Ababa, 2012.8. European Union, “Survey of Schools : ICT in Education, benchmarking access and attitudes to technology in Europe’s schools,” Belgium, 2013.

9. J. B. Pick and T. Nishida, “Digital divides in the world and its regions: A spatial and multivariate analysis of technological utilization,” Technol. Forecast. Soc. Change, Jan. 2014.

10. Valsiner, J.: Culture and the Development of Children’s Actions A Theory of Human Development. John Wiley & Sons., Chichester (1997).

11. Vygotsky, L.S.: Interaction between learning and development. In: Gauvain, M. and Cole, M. (eds.) From: Mind and Society (pp. 79-91) Reprinted in: Readings on the Development of Children. pp. 30–36 W. H Freeman and Company, New York (1978).

12. MOE, “ICT in Education Policy,” Accra, 2008.

End of presentation - thank you for the attention