FACTORS INFLUENCING ICT USAGE AMONG MALE

AND FEMALE TEACHERS IN KENYA AND UGANDA

Dr. Harriet J. Kidombo, School of Continuing and Distance Education, University of Nairobi, Kenya

Introduction

• Paper analyzes the relationship between the use of ICT, measured in number of hours spent on computer per week among male and female teachers in selected schools in Kenya and Uganda.

• The independent variables are age, subject taught, continuing professional training and socio-cultural factors and location of the institution.

Introduction…….

• The paper hinges on the premise that there are gender differences in the use of ICT among teachers.

• These differences are reflected in: personal characteristics, roles, responsibilities, access to resources, constraints, opportunities, needs, perceptions, views, etc.”

Objectives of the study

1. Establish the relationship between age and ICT usage among male and female teachers

2. Examine the influence of the subject taught and ICT usage among male and female teachers

3. Explore the relationship between continuing professional training and ICT usage among male and female teachers

4. Assess the moderating effect of socio-cultural factors and location of the School on ICT usage among male and female teachers

Conceptual framework

Teacher’s Age

Subject of teaching

Continuing professional development

ICT Usage

Socio-cultural factors

Location of the institution

Methodology

• Mixed method approach

• Qualitative and quantitative approaches

• Selection of subjects based on a multi-case approach as opposed to a single case study

• Involved twenty one (21) educational institutions in Kenya and Uganda

• The target population was male and female teachers.

Methodology…..cont.

• 9 primary schools

• 9 secondary schools

• 3 teacher training institutions

• 952 teachers

• 462 male teachers

• 490 female teachers

Data collection instruments

• semi directed interviews

• focus group discussions

• Audio and video tapes, photographs

• Document analysis

• questionnaires

Findings

• quantitative analysis, descriptive analysis of data

▫ presented in percentages

• Qualitative analysis,

▫ presented in narratives guided by the research questions

ICT Usage

• Measured in: � hours of ICT use per week by teachers for academic

purposes

• Average ICT use in hours per week

� Males = 8.70 hrs out of 40 hours working hours per week

� Females = 7.48 hrs out of 40 working hours per week

0

5

10

15

20

25

% o

f w

ork

ing

ho

urs p

er w

ee

k

Gender

ICT Use among male and femal e

teachers

Males

Females

Age

• Younger male and female teachers use ICT more than older teachers�have more experience with computers due to email,

social networking like Face book etc.

�Are already regular users of ICT

�Have greater confidence in using ICT

�Perceive it to be useful for their personal

� work and for their teaching and

�Have plans to extend the use of ICT further in the

� future, e.g. taking up new careers

Age……cont.

� Collegiality among computer-using teachers encourage more use

� Recent graduates from Teacher Training Colleges are taught computer literacy as part of curriculum

� [Older teachers (> 20 years experience) or BbC (Born before Computers) suffer from technophobia]

� Among older teachers, male teachers use ICT more than female teachers as majority teach science subjects, mathematics and technical subjects

Age…..cont.

• ‘the fearful’ category represent usually older teachers for whom ICT is generally a threat and the cause of much anxiety.

• They represent about 50% of all teachers.

Extent of ICT use in various subjects

Percentage responses from the institutions Subject Always some of the time

Rarely never

Languages none 80% 5% 15%

Humanities none 50% 30% 20%

Mathematics none 75% 10% 15%

Sciences none 80% 10% 10%

Technical subjects

90% 10% none none

Computer studies

100% none none none

ICT Use in various subjects

• ICT is mostly used in teaching

▫ Languages,

▫ Technical,

▫ Science and mathematics

▫ Computer studies

• Least used in

▫ Humanities subjects such as history, geography and social studies

ICT use in various subjects…..cont.

• National gender ratio of mathematics and science teachers is about 1:4 in Kenya and Uganda ▫ [ University admissions in the sciences are usually

approx. 25% female in the science and technical subjects]

• Since ICT is used more in the sciences than in the humanities, hence male teachers use ICT more than female teachers for academic purposes.

ICT use in various subjects…..cont.

• Male teachers receive training from suppliers of teaching software like Cyber Schools and Computers For Schools Kenya

Continuing Professional Training

• Kenya – Male teachers with professional training are 40% while females are 31.69%,

• Uganda – Male teachers with professional training are 58.56%, while females are 41.14%

• Total for both countries is Males= 47%

• Total females is = 40%

• Shows more male teachers have received professional training than female teachers

40

59

47

32

41 40

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Kenya Uganda Both

Fre

qu

en

cy

of

tra

inin

g i

n p

erce

nta

ge

Countries

Teachers' Professional Training

Male

Female

Discussion

The socio-cultural and economic context reflects differential use of ICTs by men and women

▫ Different roles for males and females in society

▫ Females have triple role of domestic, productive and community responsibilities, hence longer workdays

▫ Time limitations due to dual roles

▫ Misconceptions that women are less suited to technology hence attitude problems leading to lack of interest

Discussion……

▫ Limited disposable income by female teachers

▫ Differentials arise from structural gender inequalities in society

▫ Unequal power relations in society

Discussion……

Geographical location of institution influences use

of ICT in several ways

• Endemic challenges of rural schools affect both male and female teachers in the same way

▫ infrastructure

▫ connectivity

Conclusions

• It is apparent that structural differences that occur at lower levels of education translate into unintended disparity among male and female teachers in ICT use

• Socio-cultural factors are intertwined with ICT use in schools

• ICT in education is a gendered terrain

Recommendations

• Educational institutions should introduce gender sensitive policies and regulations

• ICTs in education should be designed with women’s needs in mind

Focus group discussions with teachers at Uthiru

Girls

• Thank you for listening

Teachers in an ICT training session

Examinations Performance Analysis

Focus Group discussion at Ruaraka Academy

Focus Group Discussion with Teachers of St.

Joseph’s, Githunguri

Computer resources used in a school

Focus Group Discussion in a School

Pupils doing art using computers