Awareness and use of a mobile phone as a potential pedagogical tool among secondary school teachers in Tanzania

The government of Tanzania through its ICT Policy for Basic Education, has indicated a commitment to use of mobile phones among other ICTs, as a strategy to enhance the quality of education. It is from this fact that this study determined teachers’ awareness of the educational benefits of the device, their use and barriers towards their educational use. The study was qualitative in nature, using a sample of twenty one (21) teachers who were purposefully selected from three secondary schools. Data were sought through semi-structured interviews and were thematically analysed. The findings revealed that teachers are well informed of the benefits, but they hardly utilize it for educational purposes. Lack of knowledge and skills, a negative attitude, lack of awareness of the ICT policy, age and low motivation emerged as key barriers. In light of the findings, the study concluded that the government’s commitment to integrate the device in the promotion of quality education has not yet moved beyond policy statements. Thus, a concerted effort is needed to train teachers on pedagogical utilization of the device.

Place: Bridgetown Publisher: University of the West Indies Cam URL: https://ezp.lib.cam.ac.uk/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/2255700979?accountid=9851