Echoing the effect of information and communications technology on rural education development

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15587/2706-5448.2023.269698

Keywords:

academic performance, Cofimvaba District, Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs), South Africa

Abstract

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is crucial to teaching and learning as it has effect on such exercises in schools. However, ICT is limited in rural based compared to urban schools. In this study, the effect of the incorporation of ICT on the academic performance of rural secondary school students was investigated. Quantitative method was adopted for the study. The sample of the study comprised 34 matric learners and 14 teachers from three selected secondary schools in the rural Cofimvaba District of the Eastern Cape Province), South Africa. Questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection. Excel was the software used to analyze the results. The findings showed that ICT use can indeed have a positive impact on learners’ academic performance. Some teachers, however, suggested that certain measures be put in place through using ICT to encourage positive behaviour. The study recommends that all rural and urban secondary schools should have access to the relevant ICT and ICT device, as these aid teaching and learning.

Supporting Agency

  • Presentation of research in the form of publication through financial support in the form of a grant from SUES (Support to Ukrainian Editorial Staff).

Author Biographies

Olukayode Ayodele Oki, Walter Sisulu University

Lecturer

Department of Information Technology

Chinaza Uleanya, University of Johannesburg

Associate Professor

Department of Educational Leadership and Management

Sanelisiwe Mbanga, Walter Sisulu University

Postgraduate Student

Department of Information Technology

References

  1. Balanskat, A., Blamire, R., Kefala, S. (2006). The ICT impact report. European Schoolnet, 1, 1–71.
  2. Nketiah-Amponsah, E., Asamoah, M. K., Allassani, W., Aziale, L. K. (2017). Examining students’ experience with the use of some selected ICT devices and applications for learning and their effect on academic performance. Journal of Computers in Education, 4 (4), 441–460. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40692-017-0089-2
  3. Trucano, M. (2005). Knowledge maps: ICT in education. Washington: World Bank, 77.
  4. Namome, C., Moodley, M. (2021). ICT in mathematics education: an HLM analysis of achievement, access to and use of ICT by African Middle School Students. SN Social Sciences, 1 (9). doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-021-00230-6
  5. Christopoulos, A., Sprangers, P. (2021). Integration of educational technology during the Covid-19 pandemic: An analysis of teacher and student receptions. Cogent Education, 8 (1). doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186x.2021.1964690
  6. Kozma, R. B. (2004). Monitoring and evaluation of ICT for education impact: A review. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/42103264/Monitoring_and_evaluation_of_ICT_for_education_impact_a_review
  7. Imamun, S. O. (2021). Availability, Use and Teachers’ Competence in Information and Communication Technology in Classroom Teaching in Senior Secondary Schools in FCT, Abuja. University of Abuja, 126.
  8. Teachers’ ICT skills and knowledge needs (2008). Swedish National Agency for School Improvement.
  9. Pison, A., Levi, B. (2017). Examining The Influence of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on Learning Among Secondary Schools in Developing Countries in Africa: Case Study Uganda-Mitooma: Secondary Schools in Kashenshero Sub County. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318851582_the_influence_of_information_and_communication_technology_ict_on_learning_among_secondary_schools_in_developing_countries_in_africa_case_study_uganda-mitooma_secondary_schools_in_kashenshero_sub_count
  10. ICTs in Education for People with Disabilities: Review of innovative practice (2011). Moscow: UNESCO.
  11. Carlson, C., Philip, A., Mcneill, S., Powell, T., Witt, L. (2012). «Which Technology Should I Use to Teach Online?»: Online Technology and Communication Course Instruction. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 8, 334–347.
  12. Johnson, T. (2014). The Effects of Information and Communication Technology on Student Achievement. Sophia, the St. Catherine University. Available at: https://sophia.stkate.edu/maed/75
  13. Chisalita, O. (2013). New Educational Literacies. Changes Brought by the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT's) in Education. Paper presented at the International Scientific Conference eLearning and Software for Education. doi: https://doi.org/10.12753/2066-026X-13-010
  14. Khan, M. S., Khan, I., Siraj-U-Din, Ismail, H. M., Khattak, R., Jan, R. (2015). The impacts of ICT on the students’ performance: A review of access to information. Research on Humanities and Social Sciences, 5 (1).
  15. Kent, N., Facer, K. (2004). Different worlds? A comparison of young people’s home and school ICT use. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 20, 440–455. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2729.2004.00102.x
  16. Sahu, T. K., Pradhan, S. R. (2016). A study of the use of ICT in the teaching-learning process in secondary and senior secondary schools of Sangrur District (Pb). Available at: https://www.academia.edu/4123172/A_Study_of_the_Use_of_ICT_in_the_Teaching-Learning_Process_in_Secondary_and_Senior_Secondary_Schools_of_Sangrur_District_Pb._
  17. Keiling, H. (2019). 4 Types of Communication and How to Improve Them. indeed. Available at: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/types-of-communication
  18. Wozney, L., Venkatesh, V., Abrami, P. C. (2006). Implementing computer technologies: Teachers’ perceptions and practices. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 14 (1), 173–207.
  19. Cuban, L., Kirkpatrick, H., Peck, C. (2001). High Access and Low Use of Technologies in High School Classrooms: Explaining an Apparent Paradox. American Educational Research Journal, 38 (4), 813–834. doi: https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312038004813
  20. Albirini, A. (2006). Teachers’ attitudes toward information and communication technologies: the case of Syrian EFL teachers. Computers & Education, 47 (4), 373–398. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2004.10.013
  21. Howei, S., Muller, A., Paterson, A. (2005). Information and communication technologies in South African secondary schools. Cape Town: HSRC. Available at: https://repository.hsrc.ac.za/handle/20.500.11910/8062
  22. Mdlongwa, T. (2012). Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a Means of Enhancing Education in Schools in South Africa: Challenges, Benefits, and Recommendations. Africa Institute of Institute of South Africa. Policy Briefing No. 80. Available at: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Information-and-Communication-Technology-(ICT)-as-a-Mdlongwa/af9113636bd6f57b9a69953fe3c3dd87c7cc07e2 Last accessed: 15.08.2020
  23. Draft White Paper on e-education: Transforming learning and teaching through ICT (2003). Pretoria: Government Printers.
  24. Dwolatzky, B., Harris, M. (2020). SA Education: A national reset is needed and mass internet access is the only way forward. Daily Maverick. Available at: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-07-02-sa-education-a-national-reset-is-needed-and-mass-internet-access-is-the-only-way-forward/
  25. Provision of ICT in schools: Department of Basic Education & Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services briefing. Telecommunications and Postal Services (2016). Parliamentary Monitoring Group. Available at: https://pmg.org.za/committee-meeting/22096/
  26. Goktas, Y., Gedik, N., Baydas, O. (2013). Enablers and barriers to the use of ICT in primary schools in Turkey: A comparative study of 2005–2011. Computers & Education, 68, 211–222. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2013.05.002
  27. Fu, J. S. (2013). ICT in Education: A Critical Literature Review and Its Implications. International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology (IJEDICT), 9 (1), 112–125.
  28. Maslowski, R. (2001). School Culture and School Performance: An Explorative Study into the Organisational Culture of Secondary Schools and their effects. Twente: Twente University Press.
  29. Ottestad, G. (2013). School Leadership for ICT and Teachers’ Use of Digital Tools. Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, 8 (1-2), 107–125. doi: https://doi.org/10.18261/issn1891-943x-2013-01-02-07
  30. Ward, L., Parr, J. M. (2010). Revisiting and reframing use: Implications for the integration of ICT. Computers & Education, 54 (1), 113–122. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2009.07.011
  31. Ertmer, P. A., Otternbreit-Leftwich, A. T. (2010). Teacher technology change: How knowledge, confidence, beliefs, and culture intersect. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 42 (3), 255–284. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2010.10782551
  32. Mokgadi, G. T. (2015). The Implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) In Teaching and Learning in Rekopantswe Area Office Schools. Mafikeng Campus.
  33. Jansen, J. D. (2002). Political symbolism as policy craft: explaining non-reform in South African education after apartheid. Journal of Education Policy, 17 (2), 199–215. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02680930110116534
  34. Kozma, R. B. (2003). Technology and Classroom Practices. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 36 (1), 1–14. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2003.10782399
  35. Buda, A. (2020). Stumbling Blocks and Barriers to the Use of ICT in Schools: A Case Study of a Hungarian Town. Informatics in Education, 19 (2), 159–179. doi: https://doi.org/10.15388/infedu.2020.08
  36. Tondeur, J., van Keer, H., van Braak, J., Valcke, M. (2008). ICT integration in the classroom: Challenging the potential of a school policy. Computers & Education, 51 (1), 212–223. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2007.05.003
  37. Gration, E. (2021). English Language Statistics: How Many People Speak English Worldwide? Preply. Available at: https://preply.com/en/blog/english-language-statistics/
  38. Dzansi, D. Y., Amedzo, K. (2014). Integrating ICT into Rural South African Schools: Possible Solutions for Challenges. International Journal of Educational Sciences, 6 (2), 341–348. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/09751122.2014.11890145
  39. Andiema, N. V. (2015). Challenges of Adoption of Information Communication Technology On Teaching and Learning in Public Pre-Schools in North Rift Region, Kenya. International Journal of Economics, Commerce and Management United Kingdom, 3 (12), 515–528.
  40. Chisango, G., Lesame, C. (2017). Challenges of Information and Communication Technology Policy Implementation in Rural South Africa. Communitas, 22, 48–61. doi: https://doi.org/10.18820/24150525/comm.v22.4
  41. Matlala, M., Kheswa, S. (2021). Internet Usage by Selected High School Learners in Limpopo Province. Mousaion: South African Journal of Information Studies, 38 (4), 1–18. doi: https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-659x/8033
  42. Mafang’ha, M. (2016). Teachers’ Experience on the Use of ICT to Facilitate Teaching: A Case of Ilala District Secondary Schools. University of Tanzania, 120.
  43. Buabeng-Andoh, C. (2012). Factors influencing teachers’ adoption and integration of information and communication technology into teaching: A review of the literature. International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology (IJEDICT), 8 (1), 136–155.
  44. Ghavifekr, S., Kunjappan, T., Ramasamy, L., Anthony, A. (2016). Teaching and Learning with ICT Tools: Issues and Challenges from Teachers’ Perceptions. Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Technology (MOJET), 4 (2), 38–57.
  45. Falloon, G. (2020). From digital literacy to digital competence: the teacher digital competency (TDC) framework. Educational Technology Research and Development, 68 (5), 2449–2472. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09767-4
  46. Habibu, T., Abdullah-Al-Mamun, M., Clement, C. (2012). Difficulties Faced by Teachers in Using ICT in Teaching-Learning at Technical and Higher Educational Institutions of Uganda. International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT), 1 (7), 1–9.
  47. Mamun, A., Tapan, S. M. (2009). Using ICT in Teaching-Learning at the Polytechnic Institutes of Bangladesh: Constraints and Limitations. Teacher’s World-Journal of Education and Research, 33-34, 207–217.
  48. The Impact of COVID-19 on Secondary Education in Africa: Amplifying Challenges and Opening New Opportunities (2020). Mastercard Foundation. Available at: https://mastercardfdn.org/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-secondary-education-in-africa/ Last accessed: 12.04.2021
  49. Aristovnik, A., Keržič, D., Ravšelj, D., Tomaževič, N., Umek, L. (2020). Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Life of Higher Education Students: A Global Perspective. Sustainability, 12 (20), 8438–8472. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208438
  50. Uleanya, C., Alex, J. K. (2021). The Constraints of Learning from Home During the Pandemic: Experiences of Rural Higher Education Institution (HEI) Students. International Online Journal of Education and Teaching (IOJET), 8 (4), 2176–2188.
  51. Harrison, H., Birks, M., Franklin, R., Mills, J. (2017). Case Study Research: Foundations and Methodological Orientations. Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 18 (1). doi: https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-18.1.2655
  52. Bratcher, Z. (2020). Implementing Alternative Modes of Data Collection to Overcome Covid-19 Challenges. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, UNECE Virtual Data Collection Workshop. Available at: https://unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/stats/documents/ece/ces/ge.58/2020/mtg4/DC2020_D1-6_USBLS_-_Bratcher_P.pdf
  53. Uleanya, C., Gamede, B. (2019). Technology Solution to Quality Rural University Education. The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Educational Studies, 14 (2), 59–74. doi: https://doi.org/10.18848/2327-011x/cgp/v14i02/59-74
  54. Uleanya, C., Gamede, B. T., Kutame, A. P. (2020). Rural and irrelevant: exploration of learning challenges among undergraduates’ rural universities. African Identities, 18 (4), 377–391. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/14725843.2020.1767037
  55. Munje, P. N., Jita, T. (2020). The Impact of the Lack of ICT Resources on Teaching and Learning in Selected South African Primary Schools. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 19 (7), 263–279. doi: https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.19.7.15
  56. Johnston, J., Barker, L. T. (2002). Assessing the Impact in Teaching and Learning. Institute for Social Research. Michigan: University of Michigan.
  57. Haralambos, M., Holborn, M (2008). Sociology: Themes and Perspectives. London: Unwin and Hyman, 16.
  58. Pachler, N., Redondo, A. (2014). A critical exploration of the impact of technology on learning, pedagogy and teacher effectiveness. Singapore Cengage Learning.
  59. Musheer, Z. (2018). ICT as a catalyst for teaching-learning process: A meta-analysis study. International Journal of Advanced Education and Research, 3 (2), 61–64.
Echoing the effect of information and communications technology on rural education development

Downloads

Published

2023-01-02

How to Cite

Oki, O. A., Uleanya, C., & Mbanga, S. (2023). Echoing the effect of information and communications technology on rural education development. Technology Audit and Production Reserves, 1(2(69), 6–14. https://doi.org/10.15587/2706-5448.2023.269698

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 2(69) (2023): Information and control systems

Section

Systems and Control Processes

License

Copyright (c) 2023 Olukayode Ayodele Oki, Chinaza Uleanya, Sanelisiwe Mbanga

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The consolidation and conditions for the transfer of copyright (identification of authorship) is carried out in the License Agreement. In particular, the authors reserve the right to the authorship of their manuscript and transfer the first publication of this work to the journal under the terms of the Creative Commons CC BY license. At the same time, they have the right to conclude on their own additional agreements concerning the non-exclusive distribution of the work in the form in which it was published by this journal, but provided that the link to the first publication of the article in this journal is preserved.