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|  | Secondary school teachers perception of ICT usage in Tongan schools
Author: Tu'ifua-Kautoke, Makalita Falasima
Institution: University of the South Pacific.
Award: M.Ed.
Subject: Education, Secondary -- Tonga -- Data processing, Educational technology -- Tonga , Information technology -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Tonga
Date: 2015
Call No.: Pac LB 1028 .43 .T85 2015
BRN: 1203162
Copyright:Under 10% of this thesis may be copied without the authors written permission
Abstract: Teachers’ perceptions of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Tonga are strongly influenced by the very context of their service: their ICT training; school systems; ministry of education policies and procedures; pre-service training; religion, culture and changes experienced in their society. ICT has become increasingly influential in teaching and learning in recent years. Numerous ICT development and initiatives have been adopted at many schools, and consequent results showed that teachers’ perceptions and beliefs were not included in the decision making. Thus, the main focus of this study is on Tonga secondary school teachers’ perception of ICT usage, based on an ethnographic study of ‘Api Fo’ou College (AFC). The school had recently introduced a whole school ICT development called the ‘Api Fo’ou Management and Monitoring Information System (AMMIS). This system aimed at monitoring and management of information at AFC that were linked to other ICT hardware like computers, wireless intercom, internet and laptops. In 2011, with the advent of the schools 125th anniversary celebration, ex-students and friends of the school funded the provision of all the necessary tools for the AMMIS. The study focused on teachers’ perceptions of ICT usage. The following methodologies were employed to collect the required information; observation, interviews, survey questionnaire and document analysis. The study revealed that teachers’ perception of ICT usage were influenced by the very context of their operation and were value-laden. The study identified three distinct groups of ICT users: (i) long service teachers (23%) who have no ICT competence, highly experienced, have strong beliefs and values and not convinced that ICT could add value to their practice. (ii) the professional ICT users (12%) which comprised mainly of graduates, who have acquired ICT competence from university and regularly apply them in their teaching practices and, (iii) the locally trained diploma holders (65%) who have very little or no ICT competence, enthusiastic and express strong desire to use ICT, who made up the majority of the cultural-sharing group. The perceptions, beliefs and attitudes of these groups were shaped by influential school conditions and teachers’ level personal ICT related factors. Key words: perceptions, beliefs, attitudes, ICT usage; cultural-sharing group; ethnography; information and communication technology.
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