By: Maurice Nkusi

Teachers’ Perceptions on ICTs in Education and Impact on Motivation and Career Progression

Overview

• Study Background• Methodology• Findings• Framework of Actions

Study Background

The SDG4 target 4.c:

“By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and Small Island developing States”

Study Background cont.

Incheon Declaration

We will ensure that teachers and educators are empowered, adequatelyrecruited, well trained, professionally qualified, motivated andsupported within well-resourced, efficient and effectively governedsystems.

Study Background cont.

A lot have been written regarding teachers’ perceptions on the usage of ICTs in education where the belief that ICTs have many benefits, such as they help students visualise abstract ideas and especially that ICTs make it easy to find reliable information (Qing, 2007).

little have been done regarding the use of ICTs on teacher motivation, especially where the job satisfaction, recognition and financial Rewards for teachers are influenced by the usage of ICTs.

Study Background cont.

Why the study on ICT and Teacher Motivation?

“Understanding the factors that affect teacher motivation is key toattracting and retaining them in the profession and an importantcomponent of building positive teaching and learning environments atthe school level” (IICBA, 2018).

Study Background cont.

The Motivation triangle

Study Background cont.

Extracted from the Teacher Policy Development

Teacher Motivation Framework of Analysis - The eight categories of the TMFA:

Workload and Challenges: There are increasing classroom challenges and demands placed on teachers in the developing world, but the following seven motivational supports teachers need to face these challenges and demands are decreasing or stagnant:

Remuneration and Incentives: Teacher salaries are generally low and irregularly paid

Recognition and Prestige: Social respect for teachers has fallen in many countries

Accountability: Teachers often face weak accountability with little support

Theory developed by Jarret Guajardo (2011) in his study published under: “Teacher Motivation: Theoretical Framework, Situation Analysis of Save the Children Country Offices, and

Recommended Strategies.

Study Background cont.

Career Development: Teaching is frequently a second-choice job with few opportunities for professional development

Institutional Environment: Teachers face unclear, constantly changing policies as well as poor management

Voice: Teachers rarely have an opportunity for input into school management and ministry policy

Learning Materials and Facilities: Teachers have few or poor learning materials and poor facilities

Teacher Motivation Framework of Analysis - The eight categories of the TMFA:

Study Background cont.

Study Background cont.

The question was:

“What are the perceptions of teachers towards the use of ICTsin education and how these ICTs can enhance teachermotivation and career progression”.

Study Background cont.

Countries:

• Congo (Brazaville)• Ethiopia• Ivory Coast• Namibia• Tanzania

Data Collection Methodology

• Online survey, including paper-based questionnaire

• Unstructured Interviews• Target Group Discussions

Data Collection Methodology cont.

Data Collection Methodology cont.

Thematic Groups

• Teachers Perceptions on ICT Integration in Education• Achieving Job Satisfaction through the ICT Integration in Teaching• ICTs Uplifting Teacher Status, Progression and Promotion• ICT Integration in Education Culminating in Monetary Benefits and

Rewards

Country Male Female Total

Congo 87 54 141

Ethiopia 62 8 70

Côte d’Ivoire 47 52 99 out of 109

Namibia 161 174 335

Tanzania 110 61 171

Total 395 272 826

Findings

Participants Distribution per Gender

Findings cont.

Gender Distribution per Country

Findings cont.

Country Teachers School/TTI

Principals

Teacher

Educators

Others Total

Congo 141 0 0 0 141

Ethiopia 27 2 23 0 51

Côte d’Ivoire 54 3 42 0 99

Namibia 255 9 24 1 289

Tanzania 0 5 116 0 121

Distribution of Respondents per Profession

Findings cont.

Country Total

Participants

Using ICTs

(Yes)

Yes % Using ICTs

(No)

No %

Congo 40 20 50% 20 50%

Ethiopia 51 35 68.6% 16 31.4%

Côte d’Ivoire 99 10 10.1% 89 89.9%

Namibia 289 217 75.0% 72 24.9%

Tanzania 171 166 82.6% 5 4.1%

total 650 448 60.2% 202 39.8%

Question: Do you integrate (use) ICTs in your teaching (required)?

Findings cont.

Thematic Group I

Teachers Perceptions on ICT Integration in Education

Description Label

The Management in my school/TTI invests in ICT equipment and software A

The Ministry of Education invests in ICT equipment and software in my school/TTI B

In my school/TTI, the principal/Head of TTI has ICT literacy and integration skills; and request all staff to

invest time in acquiring these skillsC

In my school/TTI, the principal/Head of TTI supports teaching staff to attend ICT related trainings and

workshopsD

ICT Investment by the Schools/TTI, Ministries and Support per Country

Statement LabelICTs usage can facilitate teacher’s recruitment in schools/TTIs AICTs have the ability to facilitate the deployment of teachers where they are needed most based on their

specialisations B

ICTs make easier to centrally manage and coordinate the deployment of teachers to vacant posts in schools

across the country C

ICTs allow to learn good teaching practice implemented locally and internationally D

The use of ICTs during the teacher TTI has the potential to shape and enhance in the future the teachers’

confidence in integrating ICTs in their teaching E

With the available internet facilities, teachers can attend specialised online courses freely offered through

eLearning or Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platform for personal growth F

ICT Facilitating Teacher recruitment, Deployment and Continuing Teacher Training

Statement LabelTeachers can use their mobile phones to access courses on eLearning or MOOC courses

when they are located in areas without wired internet but supported by mobile phone

networks

A

ICTs have the ability to linking explicitly standards to learning objectives through

customised activities with the aim to achieve mastery learning

B

ICTs have the ability to provide opportunities to teachers for regular evaluation of

teaching and learning and for students effective revision

C

Mobile phones as devices to access online resources and ICTs to evaluate teaching and learning

Statement Label

Using ICTs in teaching is expensive; it is meant for rich communities A

Using ICTs in teaching is counter-productive due to insufficient resources B

Hardware and software problems often disrupt lessons C

ICTs make preparing for lessons more time-consuming D

ICTs make lessons more difficult E

ICTs make preparing for lessons more difficult F

Using ICTs make it more difficult to control the class G

ICTs make lessons less fun H

ICTs restrict content of lesson I

ICTs reduce learner motivation J

Using ICTs in teaching is not enjoyable K

ICT Integration Challenges in Education

Statement Label

My school/TTI was mentored in ICT integration in teaching, administration, etc. through one of

UNESCO-CFIT school/TTI in my circuit (cluster)

A

I am not yet confident in using ICTs in my teaching; I need further support B

I am old now beyond the age of learning how to use ICTs in my teaching C

I feel threatened by ICTs; one day I may be replaced by computers in my school D

A B C D

Country Agree Disagree Agree Disagree Agree Disagree Agree Disagree

Congo 45 20 67.5 12.5 12.5 62.5 15 65

Ethiopia 54.9 11.8 43.1 44.1 9.8 70.6 20.5 66.7

Côte

d’Ivoire 29.2 28.3 55.6 22.2 19.2 48.5 18.2 40.4

Namibia 32.5 48.5 35.3 40.8 5.9 83.4 7.6 80.6

Tanzania 85.5 5.2 67.6 23.6 5.5 91.3 11.9 80.7

Average 49.4 22.8 53.8 28.6 10.6 71.3 14.6 66.7

School/TTI ICT Acquisition and users limitations in ICT usage

Statement Label

lack of teaching experience with ICT A

lack of on-site support for teachers using technology B

lack of help supervising learners when using computers C

lack of ICT specialist teachers to teach learners computer skills D

lack of computers’ availability E

lack of time required to successfully integrate technology into the curriculum F

lack of financial support G

Reasons why ICTs is not used in teaching and learning

Thematic Group II

Achieving Job Satisfaction through ICT Integration in Teaching

Statement Labels

ICTs have improved the presentation of learning materials in my lessons A

ICTs make lessons more fun for learners B

ICTs make lessons more interesting for me C

ICTs help my learners to engage in deep learning through searching of information on the

internet or other electronic methods and the presentation of their findings

D

ICTs make my lessons more diverse E

The use of ICTs supported or can support me to implement the teaching standards as prescribed

in the national professional standards of teachers

F

Achievements in the Profession– Teaching and Learning

Statement Labels

ICTs make my administrative recordings and reporting activities more efficient A

Using ICTs in teaching has given me greater awareness of its uses B

Using ICTs in teaching has given me more confidence using computers C

ICTs have allowed greater access to PC for personal and professional use D

Using ICTs, I manage my lesson plan with ease E

ICTs allow me to reflect after every lesson as indicated in my lesson plan by using my ePortfolio

or soft copy documents for documentation purposes

F

The use of ICTs made easier the communication and collaboration with my peers G

ICTs role in the execution of administrative duties.

Statement Labels

Using ICTs in my teaching enhances my career prospects A

ICTs give me more power and visibility at school/ TTI B

ICTs give me more prestige in my career C

ICTs help me to be more knowledgeable in my field of specialisation D

The use of ICTs in my teaching made me love the work I am doing E

Level of satisfaction towards the use of ICTs and Personal Growth

Statement Labels

The use of ICTs keeps me current with the new development in teaching and learning through

my lifelong learning endeavours

A

ICTs facilitates continuous professional development (CPD) programmes in my school/TTI B

ICTs support me to collaborate with other teachers in my school/TTI and/or other schools/TTI

as well; such as sharing of teaching aids, lesson plans, etc.

C

Professional Development empowered by ICTs

Thematic Group III ICTs Uplifting Teachers’ Status, Progression and

Promotion

Statement Labels

ICTs give me more power in my subjects in school/TTI A

ICTs give me more prestige in my school/TTI and within the community of educators B

Using ICTs made me a mentor and a resourceful person in my school/TTI and/or in the region C

My skills in ICTs integration in teaching make me very active in various national and

international networks/ associations in education

D

Professional Status

Statement Labels

My skills in ICTs helped me get promoted at school/TTI A

The use of the Kopano eCollaboration or any other site helps me to support my

peers in their queries and as a result enhance my expertise in my field of

specialisation

B

ICTs influencing job’s promotion

Statement Labels

I further my studies through the usage of ICTs using one or more platforms, such as

eLearning, MOOC, etc.

A

Using ICTs helped me improve my qualifications B

Continuous professional development interventions through Kopano or any other site help

me to elevate my confidence in the usage of ICTs and in my teaching profession.

C

ICTs supporting Teacher Continuous Professional Development

Thematic Group IV

ICT Integration in Education Culminating in Monetary Benefits and Rewards

Statement Labels

My skills in integrating ICTs in my teaching helped my salary increased through promotion A

My skills in integrating ICTs in my teaching helped my salary increased while in the same

position

B

There is provision of incentives in the form of bonus (performance pay) for those integrating

effectively ICTs in their teaching at my school/TTI

C

The award of ICT certification results in the provision of monetary benefits, such as bonuses or

others

D

Salary Increment and Monetary Benefits

Statement Labels

I attended and/or still attending short courses in ICT literacy and integration in teaching and learning; and I

was awarded or will be awarded certificate(s) of completion

A

There are awards given to the staff using ICTs in their teaching in my school/TTI B

I am given opportunities to attend national workshops and/or conferences due to my involvement in ICT

integration in teaching activities at my school/TTI

C

I am given opportunities to attend international workshops and/or conferences due to my involvement in ICT

integration in teaching activities at my school/TTI

D

There is a provision in my school/TTI for study leave if I want to further my studies in educational technology E

There are opportunities in continuous professional development (CPD) in the area of ICTs at my school/TTI or

in the region

F

In Kind Benefit through ICTs

Statement Labels

The awarded ICT short course certification is recognised by the national qualification

authority

A

The use of ICTs in my teaching is assessed and considered in my performance

appraisal

B

Professional Recognition

Recommendations

Recommendations cont.

Recommendations cont.

Recommendations cont.

Framework of Action

Invest in ICT infrastructure and use of OER

Use the available EMIS data and Teacher Supply Model

Regularly capacity building leadership Articulate the

integration of ICTs in teaching and learning in the curriculum

Train student teachers in ICT literacy and in Integration

Conduct regular professional development programmes

Deploy productivity applications in schools

Develop ICT Integration Plan at school and teacher training institution levels

Develop teacher eCollaboration systems

Develop MOOC platforms to host courses

Framework of Actions

Implement the tele-teaching model where training are conducted remotely, including in remote

areas without electricity and without internet connection with the aim to effectively and

sustainably conduct professional development programmes at almost no cost.

Framework of Actions cont.

Add a new criterion related to ICT integration in teaching in the existing teaching performance

appraisal that lead to teacher career promotion.

Articulate in the teacher policy the monetary or in kind rewards towards the usage of ICTs in

teaching and learning where ICT infrastructures are available and teachers are regularly trained

in the implementation of ICT integration; taking in consideration the budget allocated to

education.

Put on the national qualification framework the qualifications awarded through short courses

for the recognition, validation and accreditation (RVA) purposes.

END