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Educ Inf Technol (2014) 19:115127
DOI 10.1007/s10639-012-9207-y
Published online: 11 July 2012# Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012
Abstract This study explored the access, use and perceptions of teachers and students towards mobile phones as a tool for facilitating teaching and learning beyond the classroom walls. A total of 29 pre-service teachers and four college instructors from Dar es salaam University College of Education (DUCE) as well as 12 in-service teachers and 40 students from Kibasila secondary school in Tanzania, participated in the study. Data were collected by using pre-service teachers questionnaire, students questionnaire, and the instructors, and in-service teachers interviews. Findings showed that all in-service teachers, college instructors and pre-service teachers had mobile phones. Also 60 % of school students owned mobile phones, or had access to mobile phones. Students, pre-service teachers and college instructors were in favour of the use of mobile phones for learning, but the majority of in-service teachers were against it. Since mobile phones are the most available technological tools in schools, this study, recommend a professional development programme for in-service teachers to help them develop a positive attitude towards mobile phones use in teaching and learning.
Keywords Mobile technology. Students learning . Access . Use . Perceptions
1 Introduction
Like any other developing country, the government of the United Republic of Tanzania has been striving to introduce Information Communication Technology (ICT) in education sector since 1997. In 1997 is when the first computer studies syllabus was introduced in secondary schools (Hare 2007; URT 2007). However, these efforts have not been fruitful due to various challenges encountered in the process of implementing ICT in schools. Some of these challenges include the delay of a policy on ICT in education for guiding the implementation process, lack of
A. Kafyulilo (*)
Dar es salaam University College of Education, Dar es salaam, Tanzania e-mail: [email protected]
Access, use and perceptions of teachers and students towards mobile phones as a tool for teachingand learning in Tanzania
Ayoub Kafyulilo
116 Educ Inf Technol (2014) 19:115127
skilled teachers on ICT use (Hare 2007), lack of reliable supply of electricity, as well as lack of ICT tools in most of the schools (Kafyulilo 2010). According to Traxler and Kukulska-Hulme (2005) in developing countries, where there are limited supplies of...