Integration of Emerging Learning Technologies in Secondary Schools : A Burkina Faso Case Study

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation was to document the perspectives and attitudes of secondary education teachers and administrators about the perceived benefits and challenges of integrating new Emerging Learning Technologies (ELTs) in the classroom. Education has become one of the biggest challenges in the African nation of Burkina Faso where teachers are routinely confronted with material shortages, lack of curriculum, lack of equipment, and lack of opportunity for self-conducted learning. To overcome these challenges, educators are using Emerging Learning Technologies (ELTs) to help improve the quality of teaching and to increase student access to these learning opportunities. This study examined three core questions that specifically focused is on the ways in which ELTs are perceived as different from previously used technologies in Burkina Faso (i.e., radio and television). 1. What are the perspectives of secondary level educators and administrators regarding the use of ELTs in Burkina Faso? 2. In the local educational contexts of cities and rural areas, how do educators and administrators experience the use of ELTs in education? 3. What are the benefits and challenges of using ELTs for educational purposes in Burkina Faso? Study findings indicated that the pedagogical use of ELTs in secondary education was not contributing to teaching and learning in secondary schools at this time. Analysis of the collected data found that the added value of the use of ELTs in education depended mainly on their daily adaption by students, teachers, and administrative staff. However, the use of ELTs in secondary education in Burkina Faso is infrequent and not widely embraced by school administrators and teachers. Future adoption of ELTs may someday impact educational outcomes but it will take more than top-down political directives to achieve this outcome.