The Public Primary School Teachers’ Perception of Integrating Information and Communication Technology for Teaching & Learning in the Zonal Education of Colombo, Sri Lanka

Abstract

This study examined teachers’ perceptions of integration of information and communications technologies (IICT) for teaching and learning in the primary sections of the public schools in the Zone of Colombo, Sri Lanka. It has been noticed that there is a considerable delay in technology acquaint in public schools in Sri Lanka. Thus, it is important that teachers and other educational professionals in the school system are equipped with up-to-date trends in education and that they accept the new educational challenges that are emerging. Even though the government has offered IICT infrastructure facilities to Secondary schools, Primary section IICT infrastructure has been neglected. Thus, more attention should be focused on factors which influence IICT and how teachers can apply their ICT skill to the teaching and learning process and improve the subjects, especially Mathematics, English and Social Science (MES), in their classroom activity. Therefore, the study investigated 120 teachers from the primary sections of the public schools in the Colombo Zone, under the criteria of ICT available primary schools and ICT not available primary schools. This study utilized a quantitative approach based on a Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Data were collected through questionnaires and analysed by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS software). The results of the analysis revealed that the R Square value was 20.4% of the variation in the perception of teachers explained by their knowledge & skill (KS), ICT Training and ICT experience and the p-value of independent variables were less than 0.05. The research identified that lack of knowledge and skill, inadequate teacher training, and lack of ICT experience are the hindering or impeding factors of IICT in the school environment. Hence, the knowledge of ICT was influenced by penetrating ICT, the skill of ICT was influenced by training and the experience of ICT was influenced by professional development. Future research could focus on classroom observations to determine the actual integration of ICT in the teaching and learning process.