Research Article

Teachers’ Perspectives on Remote-based Teaching and Learning in the COVID-19 Era: Rethinking Technology Availability and Suitability in Zimbabwe

Vusumuzi Maphosa 1 *
More Detail
1 Lupane State University, Lupane, ZIMBABWE* Corresponding Author
European Journal of Interactive Multimedia and Education, 2(1), 2021, e02105, https://doi.org/10.30935/ejimed/9684
OPEN ACCESS   4211 Views   5580 Downloads
Download Full Text (PDF)

ABSTRACT

The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic (SARS-COV-2) in December 2019 disrupted traditional forms of teaching and learning centred on face-to-face and in-class instruction. Governments enforced social distancing measures characterised by stay-at-home strategies and the closure of schools and other learning facilities. The government of Zimbabwe adopted radio broadcast as the primary tool for lesson delivery during the COVID-19. Contextually, Zimbabwe’s radio signals are only accessed by 29.1 percent of the entire population, with weak to no reception in some regions, especially those in the south. While radio access is low, mobile phone ownership per household is over 90 percent. In light of the contextual dynamics, the study examined available technologies to deliver educational content during the COVID-19 lockdown as the government declared radio broadcasts as the primary tool to support teaching and learning. The study utilised an adapted Technology Acceptance Model as the theoretical framework. Secondary school teachers from the southern region were drawn through random sampling to participate in the survey to gather their opinions and practices. The study results revealed that teachers preferred to use smartphones and computers/laptops for teaching rather than radio. The study identified barriers such as lack of infrastructure, cost of data, lack of connectivity, lack of access to computing devices, and the institution’s culture. The results could influence policymakers in adopting digital media for teaching, and this will equip learners with 21st-century skills. Continuous professional development of teachers should aim to improve their digital skills.
Keywords: COVID-19, radio, instructivism and constructivism, 21st-century learning, Technology Acceptance Model

CITATION (APA)

Maphosa, V. (2021). Teachers’ Perspectives on Remote-based Teaching and Learning in the COVID-19 Era: Rethinking Technology Availability and Suitability in Zimbabwe. European Journal of Interactive Multimedia and Education, 2(1), e02105. https://doi.org/10.30935/ejimed/9684

REFERENCES

  1. Adegbija, M., Fakomogbon, M., & Adebayo, M. (2013). Roles of broadcast media for instructional delivery in open and distance learning: Nigeria as a state a case study. European Scientific Journal, 9(23), 1857-7881.
  2. Alenezi, A. (2019). Effectiveness of Educational Technology Applications in Saudi Arabian Secondary Schools. Journal of Informatics and Mathematical Sciences, 11(2), 221-233.
  3. Awad, M., & Salameh, K. (2019). Evaluating Learning Management System Usage at a Small University. ICISDM, 2019 (pp. 89-102). ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/3325917.3325929
  4. Baldwin, S., & Trespalacios, J. H. (2017). Evaluation instruments and good practices in online education. Online Learning, 21(2). https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v21i2.913
  5. Bedesem, P. L., & Arner, T. (2019). Mobile Learning in and out of the K-12 Classroom. In D. B. Khosrow-Pour (Ed.), Advanced Methodologies and Technologies in Modern Education Delivery (pp. 839-849). Hershey IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-7365-4.ch065
  6. Beukes, J. R. (2006). Using Radio in Innovative ways to support ODL Learners in Namibia: Opportunities, Challenges, and Achievements. Paper presented at The Fourth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF4). Retrieved on 21 April 2020 from http://pcf4.dec.uwi.edu/viewpaper.php?id=178
  7. Bouhnik, D., & Deshen, M. (2014). WhatsApp goes to school: Mobile instant messaging between teachers and students. Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, 13, 217-231. https://doi.org/10.28945/2051
  8. Collis, B., Oscar, P., & Pals, N. (2001). A model for predicting the educational use of information and communication technologies. Instructional Science, 29(2), 95-125. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003937401428
  9. Crawford, J., Butler-Henderson, K., Rudolph, J., Malkawi, B., Glowatz, M., Burton, R., . . . Lam, S. (2020). COVID-19: 20 countries’ higher education intra-period digital pedagogy responses. Journal of Applied Teaching and Learning (JALT), 3(1), 9-28. https://doi.org/10.37074/jalt.2020.3.1.7
  10. Davis, F. (1989). Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and User Acceptance of Information Technology. MIS Quarterly, 13, 319-340. https://doi.org/10.2307/249008
  11. Elemam, A. E. (2016). Barriers to Implementation of Information and Communication (ICT) in Public Sudanese Secondary Schools: Teacher’s Perspective. Journal of Sociological Research, 7(1), 33-43. https://doi.org/10.5296/jsr.v7i1.8956
  12. Fosnot, C. (2005). Constructivism: Theory, perspectives, and practice (2nd ed.). New York: Teachers: College Press.
  13. Gartrell, D. (2014). A Guidance Approach for the Encouraging Classroom. Cengage learning.
  14. Gibbons, A., Galloway, D., Mollel, A., Mgoma, S., Pima, M., & Deogratias, E. (2018). Mobile phone use in two secondary schools in Tanzania. Educational Information Technology, 23, 73-92. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-017-9586-1
  15. Hart, S., & Laher, S. (2015). Perceived Usefulness and Culture as Predictors of Teachers’ Attitudes towards Educational Technology in South Africa. South African Journal of Education, 35(4), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.15700/sajev35n4a1180
  16. ITU report. (2018, March 23). Measuring the Information Society Report. Retrieved on 10 May 2020 from ICT facts and figures: https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Documents/publications/misr2018/MISR-2018-Vol-1-E.pdf
  17. Jose, B., Berry, M., & Andrews, L. (2019). Course Format and Student Learning Styles: A Comparison of Political Science Courses. American Journal of Distance Education, 33(4), 262-275. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2019.1643697
  18. Kabali, H. K., Irigoyen, M. M., Nunez-Davis, R., Budacki, J. G., Mohanty, S. H., Leister, K. P., & Bonner, R. (2015). Exposure and use of mobile media devices by young children. Pediatrics, 136, 1044-1050. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2015-2151
  19. Kalogiannakis, M., & Papadakis, S. (2019). Evaluating pre-service kindergarten teachers’ intention to adopt and use tablets into teaching practice for natural sciences. Int. J. Mobile Learning and Organisation, 13(1), 113-127. http://doi.org/10.1504/IJMLO.2019.10016617
  20. Karombo, T. (2018). Smartphone Users Over 50% In Zim. Technomag. Retrieved on 5 October 2020 from https://itweb.africa/content/VgZeyqJoEaLvdjX9
  21. Kurrien, Z. (2008). The Use of Educational Radio for Improving the Quality of Teaching and Learning in Government Regional Medium Elementary Schools. New Delhi.
  22. Kurubacak, G., & Yüzer, V. (2004). Producing Interactive Educational Radio Programs for Distance Education. In B. Kitabı (Ed.), World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2004 (pp. 1587-1601). Washington DC: G. Richards.
  23. Lam, J., & Duan, G. (2012). A review of the mobile learning environment in the higher education sector of Hong Kong: Technological and social perspectives. In S. K. Cheung, J. Fong, L. Kwok, K. Li, & R. Kwan (Ed.), Hong Kong (pp. 165-173). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-32018-7_16
  24. Leontyeva, I. (2018). Modern distance learning technologies in higher education: Introduction problems. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 14(10), em1578. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/92284
  25. Liang, R., & Chen, D. V. (2012). Online Learning: Trends, Potential, and Challenges. Creative Education, 3(8), 1332-1335. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2012.38195
  26. Mahdizadeh, H., Biemans, H., & Mulder, M. (2008). Determining factors of the use of e-learning environments by university teachers. Computers & Education, 51, 142-154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2007.04.004
  27. Mailizar, A. A., Maulina, S., & Bruce, S. (2020). Secondary School Mathematics Teachers’ Views on E-learning Implementation Barriers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of Indonesia. EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 16(7), em1860. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/8240
  28. Maphosa, V. (2020). Using MyLSU app to enhance student engagement and promote a smart town at a rural university in Zimbabwe. Cogent Education, 7(1), 1823143. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2020.1823143
  29. Maphosa, V., Dube, B., & Jita, T. (2020). A UTAUT Evaluation of WhatsApp as a Tool for Lecture Delivery During the COVID-19 Lockdown at a Zimbabwean University. International Journal of Higher Education (IJHE), 9(5), 84-93. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhev9n5p84
  30. Marinoni, G., van’t Land, H., & Jensen, T. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 on Higher Education around the world. Paris: International Association of Universities (IAU).
  31. May, M., Fessakis, G., Dimitracopoulou, A., & George, S. (2012). A Study on User’s Perception in E-learning Security and Privacy Issues. IEEE 12th International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (pp. 88-89). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICALT.2012.145
  32. McAlister, A. (2009). Teaching the millennial generation. American Music Teacher, 59(1), 13-15. https://doi.org/10.1177/000313130905900113
  33. Mfaume, H. (2019). Awareness and use of a mobile phone as a potential pedagogical tool among secondary school teachers in Tanzania. International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology, 15(2), 154-170.
  34. Mikre, F. (2011). The Roles of Information Communication Technologies in Education Review Article with Emphasis on the Computer and internet. Ethiopian Journal of Education and Science, 6(2), 1-16.
  35. Montrieux, H., Vanderlinde, R., Schellens, T., & De Marez, L. (2015). Teaching and Learning with Mobile Technology: A Qualitative Explorative Study about the Introduction of Tablet Devices in Secondary Education. PLoS ONE, 10(12), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0144008
  36. MoPSE. (2020). Secondary Schools. Retrieved on 20 June 2020 from Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education: http://mopse.co.zw/secondary-school
  37. Mouchantaf, M. (2020). The COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges Faced and Lessons Learned Regarding Distance Learning in Lebanese Higher Education Institutions. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 10(10), 1259-1266. https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1010.11
  38. Munene, S., & Mutsotso, N. (2019). Kibabii University use of television in promoting teaching and learning in schools. British International Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 6(5), 10-15.
  39. Mupinga, D. (2018). School-wide and Classroom Policies on the Use of Mobile Technologies: An Exploratory Study. The Journal of Technology Studies, 43(2), 70-79. https://doi.org/10.21061/jots.v43i2.a.2
  40. Neofotistos, V., & Karavakou, V. (2018). Factors Influencing the Use of ICT in Greek Primary Education. Open Journal for Educational Research, 2(2), 73-88. https://doi.org/10.32591/coas.ojer.0202.02073n
  41. Ngesi, N., Landa, N., Madikiza, N., Cekiso, P., Tshotsho, B., & Walters, M. L. (2018). Use of mobile phones as supplementary teaching and learning tools to learners in South Africa. Reading & Writing - Journal of the Reading Association of South Africa, 9(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.4102/rw.v9i1.190
  42. Nyarko, N. Y., & Mate-Kole, C. C. (2016). Proposing a contextual approach to pre-school teacher education in Ghana. Cogent Education, 3(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1164020
  43. OCHA. (2020, September 4). Zimbabwe situation. UNOCHA. Retrieved from https://reports.unocha.org/en/country/zimbabwe/
  44. Odera, Y. F. (2011). Learning the English Language by Radio in Primary Schools in Kenya. US-China Education Review, 960-966.
  45. Olusegun, S. (2015). Constructivism Learning Theory: A Paradigm for Teaching and Learning. Journal of Research & Method in Education, 5(1), 66-70.
  46. Onyesolu, O., Nwasor, C., Ositanwosu, E., & Iwegbuna, N. (2013). Pedagogy: Instructivism to Socio-Constructivism through Virtual Reality. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, 4(9), 40-47. https://doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2013.040907
  47. Papadakis, S. (2018). Evaluating pre-service teachers’ acceptance of mobile devices with regards to their age and gender: a case study in Greece. International Journal of Mobile Learning and Organisation, 4(2), 336-352. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJMLO.2018.10013372
  48. Papadakis, S., & Kalogiannakis, M. (2017). Mobile educational applications for children. What educators and parents need to know. International Journal of Mobile Learning and Organisation, 11(3), 256-277. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJMLO.2017.085338
  49. Papadakis, S., Zaranis, N., & Kalogiannakis, M. (2019). Parental involvement and attitudes towards young Greek children’s mobile usage. International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction, 22, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcci.2019.100144
  50. Pew Research Center. (2015, March 19). Internet Seen as Positive Influence on Education but Negative on Morality in Emerging and Developing Nations. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2015/03/19/internet-seen-as-positive-influence-on-education-but-negative-influence-on-morality-in-emerging-and-developing-nations/
  51. Porter, G., Hampshire, K., Milner, J., Munthali, A., Robson, E., De Lannoy, A., & Abane, A. (2015). Mobile Phones and Education in sub-Saharan Africa: From Youth Practice to Public Policy. Journal of International Development, 28, 22-39. https://doi.org/10.1002/jid.3116
  52. POTRAZ. (2019). Abridged postal and telecommunications sector performance report. Harare. Retrieved from https://t3n9sm.c2.acecdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Abridged-Sector-Performance-report-4th-Q-2019pdf.pdf
  53. Prensky, M. (2010). Teaching digital natives: Partnering for real learning (Vol. 9). Thousand Oaks: Corwin.
  54. Pullen, D. (2015). The influence of the home learning environment on middle school students’ use of ICT at school. Australian Educational Computing, 30(1), 1-25.
  55. Radich, J. (2013). Technology and interactive media as tools in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Every Child, 19(4), 18-27.
  56. Sharma, N. (2020). Torn safety nets: How COVID-19 has exposed huge inequalities in global education. World Economic Forum. Retrieved from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/torn-safety-nets-shocks-to-schooling-in-developing-countries-during-coronavirus-crisis/
  57. Taber, K. (2006). Beyond Constructivism: The progressive research programme into learning science. Studies in Science and Education, 42, 125-184. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057260608560222
  58. Talebiana, S., Mohammadia, H. M., & Rezvanfar, A. (2014). Information and communication technology (ICT) in higher education: advantages, disadvantages, conveniences, and limitations of applying e-learning to agricultural students in Iran. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 152, 300-305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.09.199
  59. Tariq, S., Ishak, B., & Nafi, M. (2018). Measuring e-learning success with the extension of the technology factor in Delone & Mclean IS success model. International Journal of Advanced Research, 6(11), 422-428. https://doi.org/10.21474/IJAR01/8014
  60. Teo, T. (2013). Efficiency of the technology acceptance model to explain pre-service teachers’ intention to use technology. Campus-Wide Information System, 28(2), 93-101. https://doi.org/10.1108/10650741111117798
  61. Wahab, A. (2020). Online and Remote Remote Learning in Higher Education Institutes: A Necessity in light of COVID-19 pandemic. Higher Education Studies, 10(3), 16-25. https://doi.org/10.5539/hes.v10n3p16
  62. Wargo, E., Chellman, C., Budge, K., & Davis, C. (2020). On the digital frontier: Stakeholders in rural areas take on educational technology and schooling. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2020.1760753
  63. Zaranis, N., Kalogiannakis, M., & Papadakis, S. (2013). Using Mobile Devices for Teaching Realistic Mathematics in Kindergarten Education. Creative Education, 4(7A1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2013.47A1001
  64. Zhou, L., Li, F., Wu, S., & Zhou, M. (2020). “School’s Out, But Class’s On”, The Largest Online Education in the World Today: Taking China’s Practical Exploration During The COVID-19 Epidemic Prevention and Control as An Example. Best Evid Chin Edu, 4(2), 501-519. https://doi.org/10.15354/bece.20.ar023
  65. Zhu, X., & Li, J. (2020). Education in and After COVID-19: Immediate Responses and Long-Term Visions. Postdigital Science and Education, 2, 695-699. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-020-00126-3
  66. Zimstats. (2018, December). Poverty, Income, Consumption, and Expenditure Survey 2017 Report. Retrieved from http://www.zimstat.co.zw/sites/default/files/img/zwe-2017-pices-report.pdf