Understanding learner attitudes towards the use of tablets in a blended learning classroom
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Date
2017
Authors
Laher, Sumaya
Boshoff, Emma
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Education, University of the Free State
Abstract
In 2004, the South African Department of Education (DoE) published
the White Paper on E-Education. The aim of the E-Education White
Paper was to ensure that South African learners could use education
communication technologies (ECT) skilfully by 2013. However,
these goals have not been met and a significant digital divide
exists between learners with and without access to ET. The lack of
consideration of intra- and inter-personal factors such as attitudes
in the rollout of ET has often been cited as one of the reasons for
the present lack of ET integration and uptake in schools. Hence,
this study contributes to this gap in research by exploring attitudes
towards the use of iPads in a sample of South African learners in
a blended learning environment. A demographic questionnaire and
the ET Attitudes Scale were administered to a convenience sample
of 285 learners from a private school in the Johannesburg area.
Descriptive statistics, ANOVAs and thematic analysis were used
to analyse the results. From the findings, it was evident that overall
learners were more positive than negative about the integration of
iPads in school. However, this pattern differed across the grades
with lower grades demonstrating better attitudes towards the use
of iPads in terms of enjoyability, ease of use and usefulness. These
results suggest that ET attitudes do have a role to play in order
to ensure the successful implementation and adoption of ET by
learners and should be considered in policy and practice.
Description
Keywords
Attitudes, Educational technology, iPads, ET attitudes scale
Citation
Laher, S., & Boshoff, E. 2017. Understanding learner attitudes towards the use of tablets in a blended learning classroom. Perspectives in Education, 35(1), 200-213.