Technology-Enhanced Teaching: A Technology Acceptance Model to Study Teachers’ Intentions to Use Digital Games in the Classroom

This research to practice paper uses a Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to explore the factors that affect teachers’ intentions to use digital educational games in the classroom. Research shows that using computers and other digital technologies like digital games is one way to influence young people’s career aspirations and improve their digital literacy. This is particularly important as the world of work is changing and emerging jobs becoming more intensive in their use of digital technologies. In the developing world and in particular Nigeria, there have been calls to improve the digital literacy skills of young people to help them make informed career choices, and fully participate effectively and equally in the digital world. However, many of the computing and digital technology education initiatives have not produced the positive results intended. The lack of awareness, readiness and buy-in of the relevant stakeholders are some of the factors that has been identified as a barrier here. For example, for computing and digital technology-based projects in schools, the success largely depends on the support and attitude of teachers. As one of the major stakeholders in the classroom, teachers need to be consulted in decisions that affect the way they deliver their lessons; especially when novel ideas and approaches that challenge tradition are introduced. It is therefore important to consider their acceptance or otherwise of digital games in the classroom. A Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was modified to include constructs previously identified by teachers that potentially influence their intention to use digital games in the classroom. The extended TAM was developed into a questionnaire and tested with 220 teachers in Nigeria. Analyses of the results show that syllabus connectedness, perceived usefulness and self-efficacy are significant predictors of the intention of teachers to adoptdigital game-based learning in the classroom. Furthermore, the teachers' demographics including experience of teaching, age and gender all mediated the intention of the teachers to use digital game-based learning. The results and findings present recommendations for school leaders and developers of digital educational games. The practical insights from this are also important here and helpful for guiding the deployment of such games particularly in areas where such technological interventions have not been used before

Encouraging Diversity in Computer Science among Young People: Using a Games Design Intervention based on an Integrated Pedagogical Framework

This research to practice full paper presents the results from using a games design intervention to encourage diversity in the uptake of computer science by young people, explore stereotypes with them and increase their awareness of careers in the sector. The intervention is based on an integrated pedagogical framework appropriate for use with primary age school children (age 7 - 11 years). Despite the increasing use of technology, the percentage of young people taking up a computer science education-career path remains stubbornly low in the UK and across a number of other countries, particularly for females and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Previous research suggests that games can be used to generate interest and engage young people with computer science. Other studies advocate targeting young people at an earlier age (7 years or below) and sustaining engagement throughout their education to widen participation in a particular sector. In this intervention, young people designed and developed individual games through a three stage process: design and story development; game building; testing and evaluation. This research adopts elements from two pedagogical learning theories Direct Instruction and Cognitive Constructivism to create an integrated pedagogical framework to support the game creation process and enable effective learning. This provides an approach that can cater for a range of participants' abilities along the novice-expert spectrum and provide an engaging and age appropriate educational experience.The intervention was completed in two cycles: cycle 1 consisted of a series of workshop sessions with 20 young people aged 9-10 years over a period of 5 weeks; and cycle 2 was a single session with 19 young people aged 7-11 years. A quasi-experimental approach was adopted for evaluating the intervention using the following instruments; pre and post questionnaires, planning sheets, the games created by the participants and a set of already developed engagement factors. Results show an increase from 5% to 25% in participants' aspiration towards a computer science career. 45% of the young people also knew more careers in the game industry post-intervention. Girls chose a variety of diversity in their lead characters while boys chose mainly male human lead characters in the games that they designed. Participants' evaluation of each other's games using the engagement factors showed girls were more interested in receiving feedback than boys. This paper highlights the effectiveness of combining different learning approaches to provide an age appropriate intervention. It also presents evidence on the positive effect of using games in the classroom to explore stereotypes, and learn about, and encourage career choices in computer science

Teachers’ concerns about integrating information and communication technologies in the classrooms

Teachers in developing countries are facing increasing social and political pressure to use Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to improve the access to and the quality of education available to young people. This is a core part of several government-led initiatives to attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4-quality education. While there is no shortage of ICT, the adoption for actual use in the classroom is often a hurdle for teachers, due to various concerns they harbour. This research study used the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) to assess the stages of concern of 340 Nigerian teachers about adopting and integrating ICT in the classroom. The findings indicated that teachers' concerns were most intense in the awareness, management and information stages respectively, and lowest at the collaborative and consequence levels. Further examination of the results also shows a significant relationship between the stages of concern and teachers' personal attributes like teaching experience, age and the class level they teach. These findings provide practical insights into how to better create effective teacher professional development interventions, to assist teachers in adopting and integrating ICT, to enhance the learning experience of young people within the classroom

Tackling Gender Stereotypes in STEM Educational Resources

This research-to-practice full paper examines stereotypes in government recommended textbooks in science, technology and mathematics textbooks in Nigeria. Globally, more men are studying and working in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields than women. This imbalance is also the case in Nigeria. One contributor to this imbalance is stereotypical gender representation of scientists, mathematicians, engineers and technologists in popular media and career advertisement. Previous research indicates that stereotypes are also prevalent in educational materials used with young people. Given that the aspirations of young people are formed early in their educational journey, it is particularly pertinent to examine the gender bias in educational materials. As part of the DIGISTEM project, a World Bank-sponsored project in Nigeria, the aim of this study was to explore the level of gender bias in the images and language contained in the most frequently used science, technology, and mathematics textbooks recommended by the Nigerian Education Ministry. This study evaluated a total of 2116 visual and text references from 25 government recommended instructional materials. The analysis shows that males are significantly more represented in these resources than females. This study highlights that there is a stereotypical representation of scientists and engineers in primary school instructional materials as demonstrated by the imbalance portrayed in the examined textbooks. This paper concludes with an exploration of the implications of these findings on the educational sector and the need to provide a more inclusive approach to educational resources to enable young people to realise that STEM careers and subjects can be for people like them. This study took place in Nigeria; however, we recognise similar challenges and opportunities in a number of other jurisdictions which provides a foundation for replicability, portability and extension to this work

Lets diversify by changing culture and challenging stereotypes: a case study from professional construction higher education programmes

The UK construction sector is not diverse and is reputed to be dangerous, dirty, physically demanding and non-professional. Young people often regard construction jobs as a last resort. Yet there is a growing skills shortage that needs to attract greater diversity of applicants. The aim of the BRIDGE (Building Routes Into Degrees with Greater Equality) project was to improve the number and diversity of entrants to professional construction higher education programmes. An in-depth assessment of the current situation informed a theory of change, and identified seven interrelated themes to tackle this. This case study is focused on the recruitment theme. Using action research, imagery/wording used in student recruitment was updated and staff undertook equality, diversity and inclusion training. The findings demonstrate the positive effective of these interventions. For example, on one target programme, the percentage of female students increased from 8% in 2016 to 23% in 2017

Widening the Aspirations of Young People towards Digital and wider STEM Careers: A Case Study from the DIGISTEM Programme

Globally, the future of work is changing with organisations increasingly reliant on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills and related expertise. In developing countries such as Nigeria, professionals with these skills and expertise are also in high demand. With changes in healthcare, education, economic growth and sustainable development, there is an urgent need to increase the number of young people choosing to study and work in STEM, and particularly digital technologies and engineering. Previous research has identified that the traditional instructivist and theoretical approach to teaching often used in Nigeria and other developing countries can be a major barrier to young people, who can often regard STEM subjects and careers as not for `people like them' and/or have very narrow perspectives of opportunities in the STEM sector. It also means that young people are not equipped to take their place as digital citizens in today's global society. The DIGISTEM programme was commissioned by the Ekiti State Government in Nigeria and sponsored by the World Bank to provide a novel approach to address these challenges. This paper presents its overall vision. Using an action research approach, a set of carefully designed interactions were conducted with young people and their schools and teachers. The initial results from this are presented and demonstrate that there is an urgent need to transform educational practice in this and other similar regions to provide a more authentic and active learning experience that prepares young people to be career-ready global digital citizens

A Theory of Change for Improving Children’s Perceptions, Aspirations and Uptake of STEM Careers

There is concern about the low numbers and diversity of young people choosing careers and study subjects in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) at university and beyond. Many interventions aimed at addressing this issue have focused on young people aged 14+ years old. However, these interventions have resulted in little improvement in the numbers and diversity of young people progressing into STEM careers. The aim of this study is to ask “What are the affordances of a Theory of Change (ToC) for increasing the diversity and number of young people choosing a career in STEM post-18?” An innovative ToC is introduced which provides the theoretical underpinnings and context for the complex mix of interventions necessary to lead to a significant change in the number and diversity of those choosing STEM careers. Case studies of interventions developed using the ToC are presented. This approach, and associated ToC, is widely applicable across STEM, education and public engagement fields

How Can Digital Educational Games Be Used to Improve Engagement with Mathematics in the Classroom?

Digital games are part of everyday childhood and adolescence. The debate has moved from whether young people should play digital games, to how they might best benefit from gameplay, including through education. Mathematics is under threat in Nigerian primary education: pupils report it to be boring and difficult, and teachers say pupils are not engaged. Research shows that even when pupils are achieving academically in mathematics, engagement with the subject is low. Previous research suggests digital games can help engage reluctant learners, but most of the studies have been carried out in developed countries where technology is widely used and classroom practices are different. The overall aim of this study is to see how games can be used to provide an engaging experience for pupils in the Nigerian mathematics classroom. Using mixed methods approaches, two background studies on an engagement framework and a modified Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used to inform the development of a prototype digital educational game SpeedyRocket. This was used over two weeks with 60 pupils and 9 teachers in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. Pupils were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. Evaluation was carried out through a combination of a questionnaire, classroom observation and teachers’ focus groups. The quantitative results demonstrate significant improvements in the reported engagement of pupils with mathematics in the classroom after two weeks of using SpeedyRocket. In addition to this, the use of the game changed the dynamics of the classroom – learners played more active roles in the learning process, communicating and collaborating unlike before. Teachers as well saw the usefulness of the game although remained concerned about the inadequacy of resources, training, support, and availability of time. Overall this research demonstrates that if carefully designed and implemented, digital educational games can improve engagement with subjects that pupils may find boring and uninteresting as well as breakdown barriers to interaction and engagement in the traditional classroom

Games for Teaching Mathematics in Nigeria: What Happens to Pupils’ Engagement and Traditional Classroom Dynamics?

Mathematics education is under threat in Nigeria. Young people report it as boring and difficult; teachers say young people are not engaged, even when they are achieving academically. Meanwhile digital games are part of everyday childhood. They are now being used to benefit young people academically as they have been shown to help motivate reluctant learners. This action research case study aims to determine if a digital educational game can stimulate interest and engagement with mathematics. SpeedyRocket, a digital educational game was designed and used in the classroom in three schools in rural Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria to teach pupils about estimation, as part of the mathematics curriculum. Evaluation was carried out with the pupils through a combination of a pupils’ mathematics attitude questionnaire, and classroom observation. The results demonstrate significant improvements in attitude to and engagement with mathematics across the target group, after two weeks of using SpeedyRocket. Learners became co-creators of their own knowledge, sharing ideas, forging new learning pathways, competing and cooperating with one another. Furthermore, the findings from this study provide insights into the changes that occur in the dynamics of the traditional classroom through the introduction of digital technology, especially in settings where it has not been previously used

Exploring Gender Diversity and Engagement with Digital Educational Games by Young People

Digital educational games development is an emerging area receiving attention from educators and researchers. Several studies have looked at their educational value, and some have established their usefulness as an effective pedagogical tool. However, few studies have examined the design process for digital educational games and how they can provide engagement experiences comparable to those found in entertainment games. Even fewer studies have specifically investigated how concepts of inclusivity and diversity can be built into games. This study explored gender diversity in digital educational games. The authors have worked with young people to create a digital game engagement framework, which identifies the most important factors that attract and engage young people in a digital game. The factors are: challenge, rewards, clarity of goal, feedback, visual appeal, social interaction, thematic appeal, creativity and immersion. Using a mixed methods approach and a ‘Diamond 9’ tool, young people were asked to rank the nine factors. The results indicate that while rewards ranked highly independent of gender, the importance of other factors (feedback, social interaction and clarity of goal) differed by gender. This study provides implications for designing inclusive digital educational games and calls for further research into diversity and inclusiveness in digital games