ICT AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (Sagar Adhikari)

  ICT AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 

 Sagar Adhikari

                                           Department of Mathematics

Electronic devices that can be used for communication purposes can be regarded as information and communication technology. There are various tools that are used for communication purposes. Radio, television, computers, telephone are widely and commonly used information and communication technology. Internet news media are the world's largest means to connect the environment. It attracts people from all walks of life because of its dynamic nature as it is a tool from which the user can have access to encyclopedias, newspapers, articles, magazines, movies and so on from anywhere and at any time. It is frequently believed by developing countries that the most essential prerequisite of building prosperous nations is technological access, skills, and management (Suryani, 2010). 

This 21st century is the age of information and communication technology. After the 1990s information and communication technology became a vital component of national education of many Asian countries (Vallance, 2008). Developments such as the expectations of the 21st century from individuals, because of globalization, access to information and new technologies also leads to changes in teacher competencies and the roles (Ekinci &Acar,2019). In the context of Nepal, the Nepalese government aims to access students with knowledge, skills, and various attitudes to compete with the local and global world. To achieve these long-term objectives, ICT in education was introduced in five years (2013 – 2017) master plan “information and communication technology in education” (MOE, 2013). They believe that use of ICT as a pedagogical tool can increase effectiveness and efficiency of teaching and learning process along with helping students and teachers to have easier access to learning resources. The aim/vision/ objectives of the plan is to provide equitable, quality and technological education, for that more emphasis was given for the development of infrastructure, development of digital learning materials. 

Under school sector reform plan SSRP (2009- 2015) also ministry of education has given more focus on raising the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of education services, to achieve these objectives various professional development activities is being conducted such as, one-year teacher preparation courses, provision of at least one-month training courses once in every 5 years, updating teachers through teacher’s preparation courses and refreshing training. This also plans to integrate ICT in education for raising the quality of education. From the eye of (Shaha, Lewis, O’Donnell, & Brown, 2004) such types of programs are intended to equip teachers with new skills and techniques for achieving better results for their students, and for helping teachers themselves to be more confident, capable, and fulfilled with all the skills needed in the field to perform the task smoothly.  

Before discussing the impact of this plan on teacher’s professional development and students learning outcomes. Let’s have a short insight on professional development and let’s evaluate whether this master plan (2013 -2017) and SSRP (2009- 2015) is limited in the sheet of paper or if it really helps in professional development of teachers.

When someone in any field increases their quality, mastery of their skills in the workplace, can be more updated in the field in which they are engaged by having access to training opportunities or because of self-effort can be regarded as professional development. (Petrie & McGee, 2012) defined professional development as a process of improving and increasing capabilities, competency of staff through access to education and training opportunities. Because of the professional development of teachers, students, family, society as well as the whole nation can be benefited as professional development of teacher’s support in achieving skills, development of various attitudes, gain in new knowledge which get transmitted to the entire people through schooling.  After attaining professional development activities teachers should be expert in technology, should gain necessary pedagogical and content knowledge through sufficient practices and support (Ekinci & Acar, 2019). 

(Bautista & Ortega-Ruiz, 2015) found that one of the key elements to reform education systems is by promoting teacher’s professional development, they also mentioned that professional development offered to teachers does not have or have very less effect on students' learning outcomes. In my opinion, allowing teachers to participate in various teacher’s professional development by frequently investing huge amounts of money is not sustainable for a poor nation like ours. Instead they should be provided with ICT skills so that they can get learning and teaching resources themselves, they can use ICT as a tutor whenever they face problems, learn different teaching techniques, and update themselves. Such ICT skills help teachers for lifelong learning, master their technological skills, improve in content and pedagogical knowledge which might help them in professional development.

Although various plans and policies are made to improve the quality of education and to support teacher’s professional development, there is no seen improvement in students' learning outcomes. (Dahal, Luitel & Pant, 2019) found that teachers are using the same traditional approach of teaching, asking habitual questions without addressing the need and interest of students which is a reason behind a higher failure rate in mathematics in SLC and now SEE.   Most of the mathematics teachers focus on algorithmic process rather than focusing on both conceptual and procedural knowledge to develop mathematical reasoning skills. Students memorize steps, formulas, and processes to reproduce knowledge which does not provide enough platform for students to discover new knowledge, does not develop critical thinking skills, logical thinking skills. This finding reveals that there is no improvement in learning outcomes of teachers as well as students after attending the training, since almost all (90%) the government school’s teachers attend various teachers training programs frequently. 

21st century schools and teachers need to prepare students with various attributes such as collaboration, be flexible, innovative, creative, resourceful and be able to access new information to solve complex problems (Petras, 2010). In this regard (Fernandez, 2008) mention that in order to develop such attributes among students’ teachers should give priority to implement ICT as pedagogical tools but ICT in education in context of Nepal is not implemented significantly in government school due to lack of infrastructure, finance, though there are ICT rich schools they are not implementing ICT for instructional purpose because of lack of technological skills (Mainali & Heck, 2015). The Ministry of Education gives more emphasis on teacher’s professional development and to manage ICT tools however, teachers are not dedicated to implementing ICT as a pedagogical tool during teaching mathematics. It is necessary to have clear evidence which shows the impact of ICT on teachers and students learning outcomes moreover on professional development of mathematics teachers. There is a need for good, relevant and successful examples of improvement in learning mathematics by implementing ICT in mathematics education in order to achieve long term objectives of education. To achieve goals of education first the quality of teachers should be improved. In order to improve the quality of teachers they must be motivated to adopt some recent pedagogical tools, which can meet the needs and interest of students.