Factors Influencing Information and Communication Technology Implementation in Government Secondary Schools in Kuwait

Abstract

Over the last few decades, Information Communication Technology (ICT) has become increasingly important in all organisations in modern societies including schools. Expectation about ICT and its role in developing and transforming the educational process through its inclusion in the daily school environment is increasing in many developed and developing countries. Many researchers and practitioners are involved in exploring and investigating ICT implementation in the learning and teaching process in secondary schools.

This research explores and investigates influential factors and barriers surrounding ICT implementation in government secondary schools in Kuwait from the perspectives of students, teachers and expert educators. The study is executed through two phases: an exploratory pilot study, (see Appendix 11), and this deep investigating study. The exploration and investigation process of this study focuses on six main areas: the ICT policies and strategies in the Ministry of Education, the readiness of school environment for ICT implementation, teachers' views regarding ICT, surrounding socio-political factors, other main barriers to ICT implementation and, finally, the main requirements for better ICT implementation.

The research has adopted a sociocultural approach whereby research problem has been explored and investigated through different individuals in different contexts that are related directly or indirectly to ICT implementation in government secondary schools. Data, as well, has been collected through a wide range of probing methods such as documents, self-managed questionnaires and interviews in order to answer the research question. The pilot study explores the research situation through 52 students and four teachers and in this main study 306 teachers were investigated through questionnaires and 15 teachers and expert educators were interviewed.

The findings indicate that Government of Kuwait and the Ministry of Education have a strong intention to implement ICT in secondary schools and have already executed many related practical steps. The study also reveals that most teachers have positive views towards ICT. However, findings also show that the school environment is not yet ready for ICT implementation and that policy and decision-making processes are suffering from a lack of clear vision and instability. The surrounding socio-political factors have a negative impact on educational policy in general and ICT policy in particular. This research also identifies some other barriers to ICT implementation and, finally, highlights some requirements for improving the implementation of ICT.