Strategies for Improving Advanced Level ICT Uptake for Girls - Research Proposal Example

Research Proposal on Strategies for Improving Advance Level ICT Uptake for Girls Year of study/Semester: Date Submitted: Abstract The present-day of the 21st century has been presented with rapid developments in the area of Information Communication and Technology, (ICT). This technological development has also spread to the education sector across the globe. On the other hand, there has been a remarkable gender difference when it comes to the use of ICT in the wake of this digital development in the education sector as noted by Reed, (1999, p. 75). It is not uncommon to notice the stark differences between the female and male who use ICT. Contrary to the notion that ICT parity is only prominent in the developing nations, it is a fact that this difference also exists in the developed European nations. However, unlike in the former, this difference is prominent when it comes to advanced level of ICT. This proposal shall thus seek to explore this area with the main objective being to develop strategies to improve for the uptake of advanced ICT among girls. In particular, this study shall be based in London as the main unit area of data collection and analysis. Of importance to note is the fact that this study shall be quantitative in nature although it shall also incorporate aspects of qualitative study to provide reliable and valid data. Chapter One 1.0 Introduction That Information and Communication Technologies have continued to gain their integration in education is a fact. Other than the actual process of teaching, ICT has emerged to be useful in areas of research and learning in both high schools and Universities. The decision by the education stakeholders to incorporate ICT in teaching is informed on its overall benefits on the quality and efficiency in learning among the students. According to Skelton, Becky and Lisa, (2006, p. 37), the use of advanced ICT as an element of the learning process has the merit of expanding access to education to all students. In addition, it has the impact of improving the quality of education significantly. This can be attributed to the fact that the integration of ICT in education ensures that students take the center stage in the process of active learning through their engagement in the entire process. On a positive rejoinder Loveless and Viv, (2001, p. 183), holds the view that the use of ICT provides an ideal platform for a rich learning choice as well as experiences. In this regard, the secondary student is then able to meet their needs in terms of space, pace and aspirations in addition to the learning styles as put forward by Sears and Pete, (2001, p. 172). The use of advanced level of ICT in secondary schools also ensures that the learning process becomes interactive comparative to the conventional method of learning where by the teacher takes center stage during the face to face delivery of content. In addition, it also facilitates the aspect of self learning among students which in turn improves the quality of education in terms of performance among these students. The concept of self learning in this case provides the much needed impetus in overcoming learning challenges at this crucial stage. This is made possible owing to the fact that it provides an avenue for the student to carry out individual learning through the use of various components of ICT interphase. Of importance to note is the idea that failure by the student to appreciate the relevance of ICT at this level of learning would present challenges at later stages of learning in the universities or other tertiary institutions. On the other hand, a closer look at the secondary schools points towards reduced levels of uptake of advanced level of ICT among the girls in comparison to the boys. The need for uniform uptake of ICT across the gender divides can not be over emphasized at this point. 1.1 Problem Statement Among the education fraternity, the use of ICT in the learning process has grown to become an integral component of the learning process. Though it is currently in use, there is need for specialized attention to the girls with the primary focus being to put in place responsive measures that would allow for its uptake among girls in secondary schools. By so doing, these girls shall be empowered to improve their education performance relative to their counterparts. Statistics indicate that the number of girls that opt to take advanced level ICT as an element of the wider learning process is significantly lower than that of the boys. This can then be correlated with their performance which in most cases has tended to be lower than that of the boys. One of the most feasible ways of ensuring that this issue is addressed is through the development of appropriate strategies to promote their uptake of advanced level of ICT during their secondary education. In a study conducted by Margolis and Fisher, in 2000, it was found out that there were high drop-out cases of girls at the university level from the Computer Science course in one of the universities. In this study, the role of exposing girls to advanced level of ICT during their secondary schooling was acknowledged as a potential way of correcting this gender parity especially at the university level. Additional research showed that in most cases, girls or women are generally less interested when it comes to the use of ICT in comparison to the boys and men. To this end, the AAUW report of 2000 based on survey conducted in England noted that girls hold the view that computer technology concepts such as programming are dull as well as tedious. Computer games on the other hand are found to be too boring, violent and eventually redundant; while computer related careers were noted to be uninspiring to them. At the same time, the lack of exposure to the advanced level ICT at this stage implies that these girls shall not be able to pursue ICT related professions later on. Unless this challenge is addressed, then the there is bound a trickle down effect in terms of this gender disparity. The kind of formal of education that an individual is exposed to determines the ultimate type of community of practice that the person joins. Challenges associated with gender inequality in terms of access and uptakes of computer skills in high schools are very clear. 1.2 Justification of the Proposal From the aforementioned problem it is evident that the issue of the uptake of advanced level of ICT is very important as far as the empowerment of girls is actually concerned. The fact that the lack of equality in the uptake of the said ICT implies that girls shall continue to be disadvantaged throughout their life in comparison to their male counterparts. This research study carries the potential benefit of presenting feasible strategies which shall improve for the uptake of girls in the advanced level of ICT during their secondary education. By so doing, this would help to increase their participation or enrollment in the ICT related career professions. In the overall this study shall provide valuable insights on the most appropriate strategies that can be developed and incorporated into the secondary school education curriculum. In principle, the development of these strategies shall help to address the issue of gender parity when it comes to the use of ICT as an element of the learning process. This is based on the fact that a series of previous research have been able to find that indeed there is a remarkable gender difference between the boys and girls in terms of the use of ICT. To the education fraternity, these strategies shall be used as a guide to enable girls overcomes the challenges associated with the uptake of advanced level of ICT comparative to boys. It should be noted that such strategies carry the merit of improving of academic performance among girls which in shall enable them to compete on equal terms with the males later on the professional arena. In order for this goal to be achieved there would be the need to come up with specific strategies that are able to respond to the ICT needs among the girls with particular reference to the secondary level of education. In a nutshell, these strategies shall provide a holistic approach in order to ensure that there is gender equality in the uptake of advanced level of ICT. It is this source of vulnerability that the strategies that would be developed out of this research shall seek to address. 1.3 Research Objectives Based on the stated problem and justification, this research study shall seek to investigate the extent of gender parity in the uptake of advanced level of ICT in the secondary schools within England. Most notably, the broad objective of this research shall be to use the study statistics to come up with feasible strategies that would ensure for increased uptake of advanced ICT among secondary schools in the United Kingdom. This objective stems from the findings by a couple of studies conducted in the recent past which confirm the hypothesis that there is a lowered level in the uptake of advanced ICT by girls and women despite the fact that they are the leading group that access the internet as is reported by the AAUW report of 2000. Hence, the education community shall be able to come up with a curriculum which addresses the unique needs of this gender. As a result girls would be empowered and challenged to appreciate the role that is played by ICT in education and professional development in the wake of rapid digital advancement. Hence in relation to the above broad objective, this study shall seek to address the following specific objectives upon which strategies shall be founded; Bring to the fore barriers to advanced level ICT uptake among girls in the secondary schools in England. Establish a comprehensive picture of the impact of ICT in the UK secondary schools. Give recommendations on the most feasible strategies to be used to correct the current uneven of uptake of ICT in secondary schools in the United Kingdom. Provide a platform for baseline discussions by the policy makers as well as educational stakeholders and professionals on the need to integrate ICT into the secondary curriculum at all levels of learning. 1.4 Study Assumptions In order to achieve the above stated objectives, this quantitative study shall be based on a number of assumptions. First is that all the secondary schools have an ICT component in their education system at the secondary level. The second assumption is that both boys and girls have equal access to the ICT technologies especially in thee schools. In addition, this study shall also be based on the assumption that all the respondents shall provide truthful information. This shall be very critical since it shall provide an insight into the possible attitudes and myths surrounding the use of advanced level ICT by girls in secondary schools in the United Kingdom. Furthermore, the sample of secondary schools and individuals selected within London shall be assumed to be the true representation of the situation in the entire country. Lastly, this study shall be based on the assumption that there is proportionate enrollment of both girls and boys in secondary schools in the United Kingdom. 1.5 Study Limitations Owing to the broad nature of this research study, the researcher shall expect to be faced with a couple of limitations. Such limitations if not well addressed, have the potential of adversely affecting the study findings in the long run. In this regard, the field researcher shall seek to address these limitations through the use of correct sampling procedures as well as valid statistical analysis. To this end, one of the possible limitations for this research proposal is anticipated to be the wide geographical of secondary schools in the country. This implies that there is the open probability that this research shall omit some secondary schools despite the fact that they might provide relevant data for this study. This limitation shall be overcome by the use of proper sampling procedure for the secondary schools in London in order to have a true representation of all the schools in the City. The other limitation during this study shall be attributed to the issue of time constraint. Based on the nature of this study, it is imperative to note that this study requires at least a period of one year and an additional six months for follow- up and deliberation on the study findings. These are very critical since they shall form the basis upon which the proposed strategies shall be formulated ultimately. Such strategies shall in turn lay the foundation for the educational professionals and planners to come up with a framework for integrating advanced level ICT uptake by girls in the said schools. The other possible limitation is captured through limited resources in terms of finances and man-power since the study is relatively broad based. At the same time, it also seeks to cover a proportionate representation of all the secondary schools in the city of London. Chapter Two 2.0 Literature Review According to Kennewell, John and Howard, (2000, p. 68), the incorporation of ICT in education as well as training at the various levels has emerged to be one of the most crucial priority in the wider European region within the last ten years. However, progress on the other hand has remained to be uneven with respect to the uptake of such technologies across the gender. Currently there is a stark difference when it comes to the issue of e-maturity between boys and girls; in which case the later have been cited to be the less mature in this respect. The UK government, appreciating the vital role played by ICT in the overall performance and education standards across all the levels of learning has been voting some of its funds into this area. As of the year 2004, the government allocated approximately 700m pounds (€1,05bn) for ICT in schools for the 2004 to 2006 period. A number of studies conducted indicate the country is repeating returns from this investment. According to the UNESCO study report of the year 2005, it was found out that ICT has presented benefits to the teachers in a range of ways. One of these ways is in terms of enabling them to prepare daily lesson plans as well updating accordingly. Secondly, it allows these teachers to make visualizations in hard copy and handouts for their respective classes. Through the use of advanced level ICT in schools, teachers have also been able to come prepare individualized plans to cater for the needs of the slow learners and those with various disabilities. Furthermore, teachers have been provided with the means to develop and present both oral and visual content tasks, questions and materials to their students. The other merit that ICT has presented to the teachers is the provision of means for them to prepare and maintain their grade books. Also, the said teachers are now able to compile question data bank for use with respect to their classes. The report further states that teachers are now able to conduct online inspection as well as correcting their students. Based on the above benefits, it is justifiable to note that the integration of ICT in schools has greatly improved the overall efficiency of teachers. This can be positively correlated to the quality of education and performance among all the students it results to considerable savings of time by the teachers. On a positive rejoinder, Bector, (2003, p. 139) notes that the integration of ICT in the education curriculum has had the impact of increasing the enthusiasm of teachers especially in the secondary schools. Consequently, teachers develop positive attitudes in their duties which thus translate to increased efficiency and peak performance with the ultimate beneficiaries being the students. 2.1 ICT and student Attainment During the consideration of the overall impact of the integration of ICT in education, the primary focus has always been on the need to address the issue of just how much it contributes to the improvement in the academic performance by the student. At the same time, it is very difficult for one to come up with concrete evidence as to whether indeed such improvement can be attributed to the uptake of advanced level ICT by the students. This can be attributed to the fact that it is very difficult to isolate its impact from the other performance due to the inter-connectivity between them. However, in spite of this, there is a positive relationship between student attainment and the use of ICT as an element of the learning process. This is mostly the case when it comes to the aspect of subject-related mode of learning in the secondary schools although it is not limited to specific subjects; Singleton, Home and Thomas, (1999, p. 69). In one of the studies carried out by the British Educational Communication and Technology Agency to investigate the relationship between ICT uptake and student performance involving 60 schools within United Kingdom, revealed the existence of a positive relationship between these two aspects. This statistical evidence observed that the use of ICT in education promoting higher performance among students especially in the national English tests at stage 2 at the age of 11 years. Similar results were also recorded for the national science tests at the Key stage 3 (14). The same results were also observed for the GCSE exams for design technology and sciences with respect to the Key stage 3 of age 16 years. These research findings give provide the much needed impetus to this study therefore. Such performance can be attributed to the impact of ICT on the students. One of such impacts is captured through increasing the learner’s motivation and skills. According to Loveless and Viv, (2001, p. 154), motivation and skills can be best underscored through the analysis of the indirect variables such as the ability to concentrate, cognitive processing ability, critical thinking and reading comprehension; all of which are usually embedded in the advanced level ICT in the learning process. Secondly, ICT enhances student performance through facilitating for independent learning. ICT makes it possible for the education system to meet the unique needs of students such as slowness in learning as well as other learning difficulties. Also, the use of ICT provides an ideal platform for cooperation and team work between the students and teachers in addition to the wider education community. This usually has the positive impact of improving the student- to-teacher relationships and the wider education community at large. 2.2 Girls and Uptake of Advanced Level ICT in the Secondary Schools According to Schmid, (2009), the early years after the development of the internet saw great dominance by the men as the users of internet. In the latter years however, this has significantly changed with the females taking the lead in the use of internet; a move which increased their access to the ICT especially among the young people. Though this might the scenario there is a growing concern on the increasing gender parity when it comes to their representation in the ICT industry in terms of uptake. A couple of studies indicate that girls or women are not attracted to the ICT careers comparative to their male counterparts according to Reed, (1999, p. 79). This is attributed to the fact that girls have often reported that they do not like advanced level ICT. To this end Schmid, (2009), notes that it is perhaps due to the over-emphasis which usually placed on the need to be proficient in programming skills. It is this emphasis which therefore makes ICT uptake to be less attractive to the girls as opposed to their male counterparts. As was indicated before, this is evidenced in the higher drop-out cases by girls from ICT related courses upon proceeding to tertiary institutions despite the fact that they merit studying these courses based on their secondary school performance; Reed, (1999, p. 83). To add to that it is believed that girls have special preference to courses which allow them to express their artistic skills and creativity. In this regard, ICT is usually viewed to be an impediment to their need to for an opportunity to express their creativity and other closely related skills according to Singleton, Home and Thomas, (1999, p. 73). Evidently, this is brought to the fore due to their preference towards multimedia ICT programmes when they finally decide to take up advanced level ICT. Perhaps it is important to ask what is really wrong owing to the irony that they have increased access to the ICT yet have less preference to the eventual uptake of such technology. Through the identification of the causes to this problem, it would be possible to address the various underlying issues as far as the uptake of ICT is concerned. At the same time, it is worth noting that the most critical stage for intervention is at the secondary level since it lays the foundation for both career and professional development. 2.3 Barriers to Effective use of Advanced Level ICT in Secondary schools Although everyone appears to appreciate the vital role of ICT in education, it is apparent that there are barriers to its effective implementation and eventual uptake by the learners in the secondary schools. This further aggravates the problem since the girls have been noted not to prefer ICT related courses despite its relevance in their career development. The said barriers can be broadly categorized into those arising from the teacher’s approach and attitude to the uptake of ICT, those emanating from the institutions of learning and those whose origin is from the country’s system of education in terms of instructional context. The teacher-related barriers include; the lack of relevant ICT skills, lack of confidence and motivation on the use of advanced level ICT, and the inappropriate training by the teachers. The school-level barriers on the other hand include; the absence or poor quality infrastructure of advanced level ICT, lack of quality educational software and hardware as well s limited access by the students to the ICT while in the schools. Lastly, the system-related barriers are brought about by the rigidity in the instructional system of education according to Kennewell, John and Howard, (2000, p. 120). Chapter Three Methodology and Study Design 3.0 Study Area As was indicated above, this research shall be based and limited to the city of London as the main area of data collection and field investigation. The justification for this decision is that the city is composed of a conglomeration of both private and public secondary schools. Furthermore, the city is a cosmopolitan which would be ideal in providing varied but reliable data on the perception on the possible causes on the lower uptake of advanced level ICT among girls in the secondary schools. In the overall the study shall cover at least 90 percent of this entire city in order to collect conclusive data on this study area. 3.1 Sampling Procedure and Sample Unit According to Verma and Mallick, (1999, p. 136), the sampling procedure which is employed during the field study is the most critical aspect of this study. This is attributed to its impact on the validity and reliability of any data collected upon which discussions and recommendations are eventually made. Hence, the sample unit for this study proposal shall be obtained through systematic random sampling of the secondary schools in the city of London. This method is appropriate for this study due to its merit of increasing the accuracy of the study findings since it confines the researcher within the study sample. However the region shall be divided into four zones or strata from which systematic random sampling procedure shall be applied to identify the secondary schools to be used in this survey. A total of 160 secondary schools shall be used for this study; including both public and private. 3.2 Data Collection and Analysis Since this study is both quantitative and qualitative in nature, the researcher shall use questionnaire administration and observation as the primary methods of data collection. These shall be supplemented with focused group discussion to provide for an in-depth analysis of the possible reasons for the low uptake of advanced level ICT by girls in the secondary schools. To add to that, secondary sources of data shall be used to establish the past trend in the uptake of ICT by girls with particular reference to secondary level of education. Such information shall be collected from recent studies into this area as well as from the government records on the implementation of ICT in the country’s secondary schools. The data collected shall be analyzed in terms of frequency and percentage and presented in the form of score tables, graphs and pie charts. 3.3 Ethical Consideration In order for this study to be successful, it is imperative that the researcher takes into account the ethical values when conducting the research. First, permission shall have to be sought from the school administrators on their use of their respective schools as the sampling unit. In addition, the study shall be structured in a manner that it does fit within the school program to avoid disrupting the learning programs of such schools. Furthermore, the researcher shall be expected to observe academic ethics through acknowledging of all the literature materials used in this study dully; Walford, (1991, p. 238). 3.4 Research Plan This study shall be based on the following research plan; Activity Duration/Time Reconnaissance 1st Month-2nd Month Preparation and administration of Questionnaires; and Sampling of the study unit 3rd Month- 4th Month Data Collection and Analysis 5th Month- 7th Month Follow up 8th Month Compilation of Data and Discussion 9th Month- 10th Month Presentation of Findings for stakeholder discussion 11th Month Development of policy strategies through consultation 12th Month-14th Month References (AAUW), A. A. o. UW 2000, Tech-savvy: Education Girls in the new computer age. Washington, DC, AAUW. Becta 2003, ‘What research says about ICT and whole school improvement’.UK: Becta. Accessed on December 8, 2009 from: http://www.becta.org.uk/page_documents/research/wtrs_ws_improvement.pdf. Balanskat, A Roger, B & Stella, K 2006. The ICT Impact Report: A review of studies of ICT Impact on Schools in Europe. Retrieved on December 8, 2009 from: http://ec.europa.eu/education/pdf/doc254_en.pdf. Kennewell, S John, P & Howard, T 2000. Developing the ICT capable school. Routledge: London. Loveless, A & Viv, E 2001, ICT, pedagogy, and the curriculum: subject to change. Routledge: London. Margolis, J & A Fisher, 2002. Unlocking the Clubhouse. Women in Computing. Cambridge Mass, MIT Press. Reed LP 1999, ‘Troubling Boys and disturbing discourses on Masculinity and Schooling: a feminist exploitation of current debates and interventions concerning boys in school, Gender and Education, 11(1), 75-92. Schmid, H. 2009. Are girls really excluded from ICT, or is this just a miscon. Retrieved on December 8, 2009 from; (http://cms.unescobkk.org/forum/education/ict/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=145). Sears, J & Pete, S 2001, Issues in science teaching. Routledge: London. Singleton C, Home, J & Thomas K 1999, “Computerized Baseline Assessment of Literacy”, Journal of Research in Reading, 22(1), 67-80. Skelton, C, Becky, F, and Lisa, S, 2006, The Sage handbook of gender and education. Sage Publications: New York. UNESCO, 2005, ‘Information and communication technologies in schools: a handbook for teachers or how ICT Can Create New, Open Learning Environments’, France: UNESCO. Accessed on December 8, 2009 from: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001390/139028e.pdf Verma, G.K. and Mallick, K. 1999, Researching Education: Perspectives and Techniques, Falmer Press, London ISBN 0750705310. Walford, G. 1991, Doing Educational Research. Routledge, London ISBN 0415052904. Read More