Personal and organisational barriers for teachers in integrating ICT in teaching : a case study of secondary science teachers in a Maldivian school / Fathimath Shafeega

Abstract:
In the recent years, the use of Information Communications Technology (ICT) has been gaining much popularity among the Maldivian schools. However, in spite of the enthusiasm shown by teachers and the investments made in installing ICT resources in schools, there are certain barriers that inhibit teachers' application of ICT in classroom teaching. Studies have been undertaken to explore the barriers in several countries, however, this is the first research done on this topic in the Maldivian context. Thus, the purpose of this study was to discover the barriers faced by secondary science teachers in integrating ICT in the instructional process, in the Maldivian context. A qualitative case study, with semi-structured in-depth interviews were employed to examine this topic. A government school in Male was selected as the case under investigation. The sample of the study includes 6 participants from the 9 teachers in the science department in the secondary school sector. The maximum variation technique was used to select the sample of this study. The findings of the case study revealed that the barriers towards the use of ICT by teachers in the secondary science department were mainly due to the institutional characteristics. The barriers include lack of resources and accessibility, lack of technical support and lack of professional development. Finally, the research implications and recommendations for minimizing the barriers, limitations of the study and the direction for further research have been outlined in the conclusion of the research.

Keywords: instructional process, Information and Communication Technology: ICT, barriers, ICT integration
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education, Open University Malaysia, 2013. Masters project (M.Edu.). Includes bibliographical references