The aim of the work is to analyze and describe the current status of the use of ICT in teaching and propose of appropriate use of ICT in education by the questionnaire survey of primary school pupils, secondary school students, teachers, and ICT coordinators in primary and secondary schools. The first four chapters are devoted to theory and explanation of basic concepts related to the topic of ICT in teaching. The first chapter defines the concept of ICT, its history, and it presents concrete examples of ICT. The second chapter focuses on ICT in teaching, learning theory, development of ICT application in education before and now, and the benefits of ICT in education. The third chapter describes roles in education in terms of ICT usage, such as the role of teachers and ICT coordinators, and attitudes of experts. The last theoretical part deals with international comparisons. The following chapters provide a description and analysis of the survey. The final chapter discusses the proposals and recommendations how to use ICT in teaching.

ICT, i.e. information and communication technology, is today an important part of the society. ICT tools are used in many different aspects in the everyday life, for example to perform transactions in the bank or to stay in touch with relatives and friends. Not long ago, ICT also became important in the world of school. Many schools have been equipped with ICT tools, like for example a virtual learning environment, laptops for teachers and pupils or smartboards, and many other schools are planning to. Meanwhile, the teachers are trying to catch up with the development and integrate the newly introduced technology in their work. Development in this area is requested in order to not let the teachers’ ICT literacy fall behind. Therefore, the teachers’ ICT literacy in relation to the use of ICT has been studied within the frame of this thesis. The aim of this study is to increase the understanding of what significance teachers’ ICT literacy may have for the organization of teaching in mathematics at three senior high schools in Stockholm during the academic year 2013/2014. The study was carried out by setting up interviews with mathematics teachers, attending one of their mathematics lessons for observation and handing out a questionnaire to the pupils at the lesson. The results obtained were analyzed and interpreted based on previous research in the area of ICT and learning and pedagogy. With the results obtained it appears that ICT tools may work as a support for pupils learning if the teachers know how and when to use the tools in their teaching. It is not enough that the teachers only work with ICT tools, but the use of ICT tools must be adapted to the pupils and with focus on their learning. In addition to that, the teachers’ ICT literacy differs in some extent. Some teachers mastered the use of ICT tools generally, for example by using computer programs, while other teachers also had knowledge of a computers’ functions and they could create programs. The teachers’ also used ICT tools in different extents. Meanwhile, it is clearly shown that their use of ICT tools is similar in the sense that the tools are used as substitutions for other existing tools, but with possible functional improvement. Since the teachers’ ICT literacy did differ while their use of ICT tools were the same, the fact that a teachers’ ICT literacy does not necessarily have significance for the organization of the mathematics teaching has been drawn as a conclusion, even though Skolverket have concluded something else in their evaluation. / IKT, dvs. informations- och kommunikationsteknik, är en viktig del i vårt samhälle idag. IKT-redskap används i många olika avseenden i vardagslivet, t.ex. till att genomföra transaktioner på banken eller hålla kontakten med släkt och vänner. För inte särskilt länge sedan blev IKT en viktig del även i skolans värld. Många skolor har utrustats med IKT-redskap, som t.ex. en lärplattform, bärbara datorer till lärare och elever eller smartboards, och många andra är på väg att göra det. Samtidigt försöker lärarna hänga med i utvecklingen och integrera den nyinförda tekniken i sitt arbete. Kompetensutveckling inom området efterfrågas för att lärarnas IKT-kompetens inte ska halka efter. Inom ramen för detta examensarbete har därför lärarnas IKT-kompetens i relation till användningen av IKT studerats. Syftet med studien är att öka förståelsen för vad lärares IKT-kompetens kan ha för betydelse för organiserandet av undervisningen i matematik i tre gymnasieskolor i Stockholm under läsåret 2013/2014. Undersökningen genomfördes med hjälp av intervjuer med matematiklärare, observationer som utfördes på en av deras matematiklektioner och enkät som besvarades av eleverna på den lektionen. De resultat som erhölls analyserades och tolkades utifrån tidigare forskning inom ämnet IKT och lärande samt pedagogiska teorier. Med de erhållna resultaten visar det sig att IKT-redskap kan fungera som stöd för elevers lärande om lärarna vet hur och när de ska använda redskapen i sin undervisning. Det räcker inte med att lärarna kan arbeta med IKT-redskapen, utan användningen av IKT-redskap måste anpassas efter eleverna och med deras lärande i fokus. Dessutom visar det sig i resultaten att lärarnas IKT-kompetens skiljer sig i någon grad från varandra. En del lärare visade endast på generell behärskning av IKT-användning, som att t.ex. arbeta med datorprogram, medan andra lärare även hade kunskaper om datorers funktioner och kunde programmera. Lärarna använde även IKT i olika stor utsträckning i sin undervisning. Samtidigt framgår det i studien att deras användning av IKT-redskap är likartad i den bemärkelsen att redskapen används som ersättare till andra redan befintliga redskap, fast med eventuell funktionell förbättring. Då lärarnas IKT-kompetens skiljde sig, samtidigt som användningen av IKT var likartad, så har slutsatsen dragits att en lärares IKT-kompetens inte nödvändigtvis har betydelse för organiserandet av matematikundervisningen. Detta trots att Skolverket har i sin utvärdering konstaterat annat.

Published Article / This research is an attempt to verify certain myths surrounding the causes for the low numbers of women participating in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) education and careers through both qualitative and quantitative analyses. The paper approaches this issue through the experiences of women in an ICT workplace in comparison with those of men in the same workplace. This investigation was conducted in the form of case study at South Africa's Advanced African Institute for ICTs – the Meraka Institute. The research found that the ICT environment was engendered, with women representing only a small percentage of the staff. This is because of a weakness in the school curriculum which does not expose large numbers of girls to ICTs at an early age, and does not give adequate support at university and college levels to learners who have come out of such an environment.. Although women are just as capable as men in the ICT workplace, building self-confidence in their abilities to perform well on the job could help in retaining them. The research found that those women who are already in the ICT market are happy and do perform as well as their male counterparts irrespective of their family commitments, long working hours and the demand for networking opportunities. Happiness in the ICT workplace among female employees is determined by a combination of factors such as levels of remuneration, output potential and management style. To improve women's participation in this workplace, there is a need to improve policies for recruitment and on-the-job training and sometimes even adopting affirmative action to provide better-balanced gender representation.

Published Article / The aim of this paper is to explore educators' perceptions on the use of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) for curriculum delivery. Perceptions impact on the reality construction of the adoption and utilisation of the technology in disadvantaged schools. Understanding the perceptions of educators is vital when introducing innovation into curriculum delivery, because the way educators perceive the innovation impacts on the intended use of the technology in schools. Using the Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach, the study conducted and analysed fifteen one-on-one interviews with purposively sampled educators on their perceptions of, and experience with, ICT in disadvantaged high schools. The results of the study show that some educators perceive themselves as not competent enough to use the technology. Others with relatively high computer self-efficacy reported to have experienced the use of the ICTs in classrooms as an add-on. Meta interpretation shows that besides the lack of motivation to integrate the technology into the classroom, the root cause of some educators' negative perceptions is the IT training they had, which was inadequate to equip them with pedagogical understanding and skills on how to effectively incorporate this technology into their curriculum delivery. Therefore, there is a need to realign ICT innovation and implementation with educators' perceptions, in order to ensure success.

This thesis is addressing the knowledge base of project managers in the South African Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) sector. It is determining if project management is recognised as an important profession in the ICT Sector; it is also establishing the attributes required for an ICT project manager; the background of ICT project managers with respect to their job experience and qualification and lastly the effectiveness of project management in the ICT sector. A literature review on the knowledge base of ICT project managers is done to clarify particular issues, to determine international perspective on the issues of the study and to contextualise the study. The central research tool was a questionnaire. Project managers from different ICT companies in South Africa were selected to respond to the questionnaire which was mailed to them. Close-ended questions were used in the development of themes and the data were analysed on the basis of tables and graphs and hypothesis testing. The study found that project management is recognised as a career path within the South African ICT sector. It was also found that ICT project managers seem to have a good capability in terms of technical, organic, conceptual and business skills. Most ICT project managers are qualified up to a postgraduate level. They have a degree in another profession and then undertake project management certification. The study also found that project management adds value to the client as well as the company and also adds to the effectiveness of relationships with peers in achieving project goals. The study concluded with recommendations on what can be done to improve the competency of ICT project managers in the ICT sector and also made recommendations for future research.

This Ph.D. project started from a broad analysis aiming at investigating the key issues in the development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the health care sector, with the aim of making an in depth investigation to evaluate the effects of Electronic Medical Record (EMR) implementation on the organizations adopting them. Furthermore the study examined two study settings which have adopted the same EMR system produced by the same provider. This comparative study aims, in particular, to analyse how EMR systems are adopted by different health organizations focusing on the antecedents of the EMR project, on the implementation processes used and on the impacts produced. Diffusion theory, through the lens of socio-technical approach, represents the theoretical framework of the analysis. The research results are based on policy evaluation and case studies. The two hospitals selected for the case study analysis are the Regional Hospital of Local Health Authority in Aosta, Italy and the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Scotland. In conducting the data collection several strategies have been used: documentary analysis, interviews and observations have been carried out. This work provides an overview of the key issues arising over e-health policy development through a comparative analysis of the UK and Italy and provides an insight into how EMR systems are adopted, implemented and evaluated within acute care organizations. The thesis is a comparative international research about the development of e-health and the use of ICT in health care sector. This approach makes a both a theoretical and methodological contribution. By focusing, in particular, on EMR systems, it offers to practitioners and policy makers a better basis of analysing ICT usage and its impacts on health care service delivery.

The focus of this study is the development of an ICT training package for novice female primary teachers in Saudi Arabia. In recent years, the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia has placed a lot of importance on increasing the use of ICT within schools. Evidence suggests however that little attention has been paid to the provision of ICT training, particularly in primary education. Furthermore, in the general research literature; whilst there is much talk about the need for training, very little evidence is provided regarding what kind of training is effective. The purpose of this study therefore was to systematically design and evaluate an ICT training package that was informed by learning theory, research evidence and user needs. The study was conducted in two phases: 1) determining the ICT training needs of novice female primary teachers in Saudi Arabia; 2) designing, piloting and evaluating a training package based on identified needs and preferences, in-service teacher training literature and common learning theories in the field. In phase one, a qualitative survey that employed a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews was conducted. There were 135 participants in the questionnaire and 20 interviewees. The survey findings of revealed a great gap in both the technical and pedagogical skills of teachers. Furthermore, the data identified some factors that either limit or motivate teachers’ use of ICT. The participants’ preferences for their future ICT training were also determined. These results were used to inform the design of a training package. Key design features of the training package included: covering both technical and pedagogical content; using a blended approach that combined face-to-face and online delivery and using iv social constructivism and experiential learning to underpin its pedagogy. Twenty-two teachers participated in the pilot training. Evaluation data collected from a range of sources suggest that the teachers responded well to the design features of the training package and that the training had some positive influence on their practice. Using the literature review and the training needs data as well as the data generated from my own study I have identified five key design criteria that I believe can be applied to designing similar training packages in the future: Ownership; Shared learning; Contextualisation; Transformational potential and Evidence-based.

Denna undersökning visar hur undervisande lärare i år 4-6 använder IKT i sin undervisning samt vilken syn de har på användandet av IKT. Undersökningen har gjorts genom kvalitativa intervjuer med sex lärare som är yrkesverksamma på sex olika skolor. Resultatet visar på att lärarna känner stor osäkerhet i arbetet med IKT, men att de upplever ett större engagemang hos eleverna jämfört med den traditionella undervisningen.

ABSTRACT This thesis investigates innovative entrepreneurship in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The thesis is guided by the National Innovation Systems theory, where innovation is seen as result of interactions and learning between different institutions or actors. The objective was to investigate how conducive is the national system of innovation of Ethiopia in the perception of entrepreneurs and how relevant is the innovation policy of Ethiopia is to innovative entrepreneurship. A field study was conducted in order to collect empirical data through semi-structured interviews, observations and participation. Most of the interviews took place in the innovation hub iceAddis with most of the sample focusing on entrepreneurs that were members there. The results of the field study show that the national system of innovation of Ethiopia is not particularly conducive nor developed to empower to innovative entrepreneurs. Moreover, the policy although very ambitious does not explicably aim to empower entrepreneur. Other goals of the policy could have had spillover effects on entrepreneurs but they were not yet attained in the perception of innovative entrepreneurs. Keywords: Ethiopia, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, ICT, National Systems of Innovation

The United Nations launched their 'Decade for Sustainable Development', which directly relates to Education for Sustainable Development, a new environmental management system for schools. The formal education process provides a key testing ground for the development of new Infori-nation and Communication Technology (ICT) tools designed to raise environmental awareness. Several types of purpose designed ICT tool are available, but there is a distinct lack of empirical research into their design and effectiveness. Strategic objectives performance takes the central role in the work reported here. A number of strategic objectives of the use of ICT tools were identified; learning, education, trust, motivation, commitment, inclusion, justice and openness. A number of prc-existing software platforms, each specifically designed to provide environmental education and to raise awareness specifically focussing on issues surrounding water were selected and forinally evaluated under controlled conditions with small groups of evaluators. The respondents involved in this investigation included the developers of the tools thernselves, school and postgraduate students (representing users) and experts from academia and industry. The developers of the tools were asked which strategic objectives they considered when they designed their respective tools and the degree to which their tools promoted the strategic objectives was tested in evaluation sessions involving the users. The results from the evaluation sessions involving the users and the experts revealed that strategic objectives such as learning, education, trust and openness were promoted by the tools to some degree, whilst objectives such as justice, motivation and inclusion were promoted to a lesser degree. Whilst it is possible that the tools evaluated simply do not promote the objectives listed, the evaluation methodology adopted in this investigation may go some way to explaining why only certain strategic objectives were found to be promoted. A discussion into the possible methods by which the presence of these strategic objectives could be determined is presented in the concluding chapters of the thesis.