The Impact Of International Computer Driving Licence Training On The Use Of Information And Communication Technologies In The Classrooms By Teachers In The Zambezi Region

Abstract

The Namibian government, through Ministry of Basic Education, Arts and Culture chose ICDL training as a pathway for equipping teachers with basic ICT literacy skills. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of ICDL literacy training on Zambezi Region teachers and their use of ICTs in their classroom practices. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used for this study and targeted teachers who received ICDL training between 2007 and 2011. Purposive sampling was used to select a sample of 198 teachers for the quantitative phase and eight for the qualitative phase. One hundred and twenty questionnaires were returned with ninety-six completed and twenty-four blank. An adapted Becker survey and structured interviews were used to collect data and data analysis was done using both quantitative (SPSS) and qualitative methods. The results revealed that fifty percent of participants did not acquire the minimum requirements of four modules to be eligible for the ICDL certification. Fifty-three percent of teachers use computers outside their classrooms for lesson preparation and other professional activities, while only fourteen percent use ICTs regularly in their classrooms. Although ICDL training empowered participants with confidence to use PowerPoint, Word processing, Excel and internet skills, it failed to translate into teachers with anticipated critical thinking and technical skills needed to assess technologies and use them effectively in their classroom practices. The findings further revealed many challenges faced during and after training and recommendations include that more training be offered taking into account varying teachers’ ICT skill levels, computers and ICT equipment be supplied in schools for easy use by teachers and competent ICT literacy trainers be used during trainings.