Trinidad and Tobago Secondary School Principals\u27 Perspectives of Implementing a Laptop Initiative

The eConnect and Learn (eCAL) program was a government-led, one laptop per child initiative launched in the country of Trinidad and Tobago. However, after investing large sums of money in the program, the initiative was abandoned as unsuccessful. Addressing this problem, the study aimed to explore which factors affected the implementation of the eCAL initiative. The conceptual framework for this basic qualitative study was Hall and Hord’s six functions of change facilitators for effective implementation of change. The research question addressed the factors affecting the eCAL initiative from principals’ perspective. Interview data were collected from three secondary school principals via email and analyzed using thematic content analysis. As a result, the school leaders believed that creating an environment of change, positive perceptions, vision, teacher support, and professional development were supporting factors of the program implementation. On the other hand, school leaders perceived a lack of formative and ongoing program evaluation, less than positive perceptions, technical issues, poor technical infrastructure, theft, noneducational use of laptops, students not bringing laptops to school, teachers’ low self-efficacy, and principals’ lack of training as major challenges for the program implementation. These findings suggest offering training for principals in all areas of technology leadership as an essential means to support the implementation of educational ICT initiatives in secondary schools of Trinidad and Tobago. This study may inform stakeholders and policymakers, and help improve the practice of learning and instruction, thus leading to positive social change

Digital media, learning and social confidence: an ethnography of a small island knowledge society

This thesis presents an ethnographic examination of digital media and learning as key dimensions in the construction of a ‘knowledge society’ in Trinidad and Tobago. This eighteen- (18) month study investigates the dynamics of social practice in a complex ecosystem of learning in a low-income community. A concept of social confidence is foundational to the findings. Social confidence is a critical problematic faced by participants. It is linked both to possessing knowledge of content, and also navigating expertise to negotiate success in social contexts. This thesis traces the strategies that participants used to instrumentalise their learning to enact social confidence, examining issues regarding privacy, identity, failure, and shame. It unpacks literacies and skills that participants developed to build fluency in “finding out,” “trying over,” and “making meaning,” and their efforts to apply these literacies and skills to build social confidence in their everyday lives. The thesis complicates the interplays of formal/informal, global/local, and online/offline spaces. It adds a small island state perspective to recent scholarship in the field that is appreciative of informal learning but has largely centred on U.S. and European contexts. The study makes a novel contribution to academia as the first ethnographic study to examine social practices of digital media use within formal and informal learning in the knowledge society in the Caribbean. It addresses a practical need from local policymakers for more qualitative data to contribute to evidence-based policy and answers a call from regional academics for deeper insight into ICT use in the region

The Teaching of Pupils Who Experience Difficulties in Learning in a Spanish Classroom in Two Government Secondary Schools in Trinidad, West Indies

This study investigates the teaching approaches used with pupils who experience difficulties in learning in a Spanish classroom in two secondary schools in Trinidad, West Indies. Much literature focuses on teaching approaches for pupils with clearly defined special educational needs or on teaching approaches in general. Pupils who experience difficulties in learning, however, represent an amorphous category and research regarding teaching approaches for this less defined group of pupils is scarcer. Spanish is a core subject in most secondary schools in Trinidad and Tobago. As a foreign language, however, Spanish is different to other subjects as it represents the acquisition of another linguistic system. The acquisition of grammatical and communicative competencies may therefore be the goal of teaching approaches but these may be problematic areas for pupils who experience difficulties in learning. The teaching approaches used with these pupils were under investigation in this study. This study adopts a qualitative approach which incorporates a dual case study design. The cases are represented by one urban and one rural secondary school. The participants are the pupils and Spanish teachers of a selected form two class within each school. Non-participant classroom observations, semi-structured interviews with teachers and pupils, task-based interviews with pupils were used to collect data. The study spanned 12 weeks in the first term of the 2017-2018 academic year. The time in the field was divided into three phases. Phase one represented a Reconnaissance Phase which facilitated acquaintance with the context of each case. During this phase, the practices of each school were observed. Phase two represented a formal data collection phase. At the end of Phase two, the data was preliminarily analysed and data collection methods were adapted for Phase three. The findings of this study suggest that teaching approaches with pupils who experience difficulties in learning vary according to a number of factors: composition of the class; teacher perceptions of pupil ability and the degree of difficulties pupils face; and teacher perceptions of the most effective methods to acquire competency in a foreign language. Key issues arose from this study: the role of English and vocabulary; learner issues such as interest, engagement and pupil learning responsibility; and impact of lack of school resources on teaching approaches and preparation for national standardized tests. The findings suggest that teaching approaches with pupils who experience difficulties in learning are hinged on teacher perceptions, learner behaviour and school and Ministry of Education constraints

Social Media in Trinidad

Drawing on 15 months of ethnographic research in one of the most under-developed regions in the Caribbean island of Trinidad, this book describes the uses and consequences of social media for its residents. Jolynna Sinanan argues that this semi-urban town is a place in-between: somewhere city dwellers look down on and villagers look up to. The complex identity of the town is expressed through uses of social media, with significant results for understanding social media more generally. Not elevating oneself above others is one of the core values of the town, and social media becomes a tool for social visibility; that is, the process of how social norms come to be and how they are negotiated. Carnival logic and high-impact visuality is pervasive in uses of social media, even if Carnival is not embraced by all Trinidadians in the town and results in presenting oneself and association with different groups in varying ways. The study also has surprising results in how residents are explicitly non-activist and align themselves with everyday values of maintaining good relationships in a small town, rather than espousing more worldly or cosmopolitan values

The global information technology report 2014

Executive summary When The Global Information Technology Report (GITR) and the Networked Readiness Index (NRI) were created more than 13 years ago, the attention of decision makers was focused on how to develop strategies that would allow them to benefit from what Time Magazine had described as “the new economy”: a new way of organizing and managing economic activity based on the new opportunities that the Internet provided for businesses. At present, the world is slowly emerging from one of the worst financial and economic crises in decades, and policymakers, business leaders, and civil society are looking into new opportunities that can consolidate growth, generate new employment, and create business opportunities. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) continue to rank high on the list as one of the key sources of new opportunities to foster innovation and boost economic and social prosperity, for both advanced and emerging economies. For more than 13 years, the NRI has provided decision makers with a useful conceptual framework to evaluate the impact of ICTs at a global level and to benchmark the ICT readiness and usage of their economies

The proposed e-waste management model from the conviction of individual laptop disposal practices- an empirical study in Malaysia

There is no formal system in place for household e-waste management although e-waste from the industries were controlled and regulated according to Natural Resources and Environment Ministry in Malaysia. In fact, e-wastes are collected by buyers, non-governmental organizations or collectors; but many are improperly dismantled which can cause environmental and health hazards. Malaysia was estimated to generate 53 million pieces of e-waste in the year 2020 and therefore a proper system is required to control hazardous substances such as cadmium, mercury, chromium, zinc, lead, silver and copper found in e-wastes which should not be released into the environment. The aim of the present study is to find out the individual conviction on laptop disposal practices. Data were obtained from 123 respondents through structured questionnaire and open-ended questions from individuals owning laptop. The findings highlight that individual awareness on laptop disposal practice and laptop usage are positively influencing on the conviction of laptop disposal practices. Knowledge on computer literacy moderates the relationship between social consequences and the conviction of laptop disposal practices. It is recommended in the present study an extensive e-waste management model that resolves some of the major challenges aroused due to e-waste crisis. In particular, the proposed model acts as a guide for upstream and downstream reduction of e-waste generation through green design and cleaner engenderment to succeed for e-waste environmentally sound management system

Teacher Role Adoption and Barriers to Participation in an Online Educational Social Network

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Successful Aging: Use Of Communication Technology In An Adult Day Program

This dissertation investigated the relationship between learning digital communication technologies in an intergenerational intervention and successful aging among older adults. The specific goal of this study was to uncover the effects of this intervention on the cultural constructions of aging in an urban Adult Day Program in Trinidad and Tobago. This mixed method study utilized the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS; Sheikh & Yesavage, 1986), a life satisfaction scale, well-being measurements, open-ended survey questionnaires and a focus group session. The results from the quantitative items indicated no significant differences after the intervention; however, the focus group discussion and open-ended surveys provided useful information on the processes involved. This study has implications for the design of similar intergenerational programs throughout Trinidad and Tobago and other Caribbean islands which can promote conditions for successful aging