Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Information and communication technology (ICT) has become part of education as it has, in many cases, become the mode of choice of communication with people in all spheres of life. It provides teachers with the opportunity to access information from a vast array of resources that assists them in their teaching practices. Education in South Africa is constantly transforming to new requirements from the National Department of Education (NDoE). The fundamentals of Outcomes Based Education are lifelong learning and the development of 21st century skills that allow learners to use information for different contexts. ICT enables teachers and learners to access computer systems to develop skills, interact with their peers, colleagues, and the global society. Even though teachers know the value of ICT in teaching and learning, the pedagogical use of ICT in South African schools remains limited. In the SITES 2006, South African teachers acknowledged that they were enthusiastic to explore new ways to make teaching and learning more interesting, but that they encountered many barriers that hinder the pedagogical use of ICT for mathematics. This research has determined that the teachers’ ICT pedagogical knowledge contributed towards more effective teaching and learning practices of mathematics in South African schools. The study also describes how insufficient ICT pedagogical knowledge affected teachers’ confidence to explore ICT tools. This study followed a secondary data analysis (SDA) of the Second International Information Technology in Education Study of 2006 (SITES 2006) data from the 640 participating mathematics teachers in South Africa. The correlated data describes the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) of mathematics teachers while making use of ICT. Continuous professional teacher development is required to focus on the attainment of information technology pedagogical knowledge to further the use of ICT on the teaching of Mathematics. The study also indicates that South Africa lags far behind the other 22 countries that participated in SITES 2006. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

In the light of increasing promotion of new information and communications technologies (ICTs) as a tool for economic development, this thesis examines the relationship between ICTs, rural businesses and rural development among rural engineering and manufacturing firms in South Warwickshire and the Cotswolds. Despite high levels of general interest in this subject area, previous research has tended to concentrate on the technical (supply-side) issues of these new technologies; the human (demand-side) aspect has, so far, been largely overlooked. The devised theoretical framework distinguishes between influential factors internal and external to the firm. Empirical research draws upon humanistic behavioural concepts to investigate ICT adoption decision-making processes at the micro-level of individual sectors, enterprises and entrepreneurs in rural areas, and to evaluate the role of external agencies. Firms in the study area are diverse in terms of their ICT adoption and use, and entrepreneurial characteristic and linkages with other businesses and organizations are found to be major determinants of technology requirements and uptake. Two types of firms are identified: inwardly-oriented firms, with local buyer and supplier contacts, which make little use of technology; and outwardly-oriented firms, which use ICTs more intensively and have geographically dispersed networks of customers and suppliers. While notable levels of general awareness of ICTs exist among rural businesses, the initial financial outlay involved, coupled with a lack of knowledge of existing technological solutions and support, and a need for skills training, remain significant disincentives to ICT uptake among smaller firms. Agencies currently lag behind local businesses in terms of their ICT awareness and use, and understanding of the potential development implications of technology. In many cases there is a mis-match between agencies' perceptions of ICT use in rural firms and their response to this area of business support. Although there is a recognition amongst agencies that their client firms are applying new technologies in their business processes, ICTs are seen by the majority of agencies as a future component of business strategy. Thus, appropriate support for firms implementing ICTs is not yet widely accessible. Findings suggest that ICT implementation is not appropriate in all firms; requirements and applications vary widely and there is a need for a tailored approach by agencies and policy makers which takes account of the uniqueness of entrepreneur and firm characteristics.

In the late 1990s, many Western governments introduced policy programs to make information and communication technology (ICT) accessible to all. More than a decade later, however, such universal access is far from a reality. Between 2002 and 2005, in response to a request from a group of contingent workers who felt excluded from effective access to ICT training, a university research group on contingency conducted an applied research project in the form of a series of basic ICT courses. This qualitative dissertation both critically examines the training process and treats it as a case study for exploring broader issues of exclusion and resistance in the context of access to ICT. Specifically, it explores: (1) the symptoms of exclusion as they relate to ICT, social capital, and the community; (2) possibilities for resistance that can alleviate the conditions of exclusion; (3) the assumptions, theories, knowledge construction, policy methods, and processes that underlie the symptoms of exclusion; and (4) alternative assumptions, strategies, and activities that offer possibilities for resistive action. The case study provided an environment in which exclusionary and resistive experiences with access to ICT and training were examined from the perspective of excluded contingent workers, as supported by a university research group. A key finding is that generational behaviour in the domestic sphere erects barriers that contribute to the silencing and exclusion of immigrant contingent women; these barriers then reinforce similar patterns of exclusion in institutionalized ICT training. Another major finding is the need for alleviating the barrier that limited English skills create for ICT learning; addressing this issue must be part of any recommendations for curricular change. Guided throughout by a critical approach that focuses on the concept of ruling relations, this dissertation marshals critical knowledge gained from below in support of change by policymakers, educators, and community practitioners.

This dissertation consists of four self-contained studies concentrating on the productivity development following major technological breakthroughs. All four studies are concerned with measurement issues of productivity. Three of the papers use a comparative historical perspective and primarily focus on some of the differences and similarities in productivity growth following each technological breakthrough. A fourth paper solely focuses on the ICT revolution and the problems associated with measuring productivity in the Swedish Radio, television and communication equipment (RTC) industry. Paper 1, Technological Breakthroughs and Productivity Growth (with Magnus Henrekson), examines productivity growth following three major technological breakthroughs: the steam power revolution, electrification and the ICT revolution. The distinction between sectors producing and sectors using the new technology is emphasized. A major finding for all breakthroughs is that there is a long lag from the time of the original invention until a substantial increase in the rate of productivity growth can be observed. There is also strong evidence of rapid price decreases for steam engines, electricity, electric motors and ICT products. However, there is no persuasive direct evidence that the steam engine producing industry and electric machinery had particularly high productivity growth rates. For the ICT revolution, the highest productivity growth rates are found in ICT-producing industries. It is argued that one explanation might be that hedonic price indexes are not used for the steam engine and the electric motor. Still, it is likely that the rate of technological development has been much more rapid during the ICT revolution as compared to any of the previous breakthroughs. In paper 2, Do Hedonic Price Indexes Change History? The Case of Electrification, I investigate whether hedonic price indexing would also have large effects on measured price and productivity during electrification. The hedonic methodology is used on historical data for electric motors in Sweden in 1900–35. The results show that PPI-deflated prices for electric motors decreased by 4.8 percent per year based on hedonic price indexes. This indicates that prices decreased considerably more for electric motors compared to total manufacturing. Annual labor productivity growth in Swedish electric machinery in 1919–29 becomes 12.1 percent if the hedonic deflators are used. Thus, there is strong evidence that productivity growth in the electric motor producing industry was very high during the 1920s. In contrast to Sweden, US annual labor productivity growth was only, according to current best estimates, 4.1 percent in electric machinery compared to 5.3 percent in manufacturing in 1919–29. However, hedonic price indexes were not used to calculate US productivity. Finally, it is shown that the price decreases for electric motors in the 1920s were not on par with the price decreases for ICT-equipment in the 1990s, even if hedonic indexing is used in both cases. Paper 3, Parallel Development? Productivity Growth Following Electrification and the ICT revolution, compares labor productivity growth and the contribution to labor productivity growth in Swedish manufacturing during electrification and the ICT revolution. The paper distinguishes between technology-producing, intensive and less intensive technology-using industries during these two technological breakthroughs. The results show that labor productivity growth and the overall contribution to labor productivity growth were considerably higher in technology-producing industries during the ICT revolution compared to electrification. For example, the relative contribution to labor productivity growth in manufacturing from the technology-producing industry was 3.4 percent in 1920–30 compared to 34.4 percent in 1993–2003. On the other hand, the relative contribution to aggregate labor productivity growth was considerably higher in intensive technology-using manufacturing industries during electrification. These findings have an important policy implication, namely that it is much more important how productivity is measured for ICT products in the 1990s than for electric motors in the 1920s. Paper 4, The Swedish ICT Miracle: Myth or Reality?, investigates productivity development in Sweden in the 1990s. The results show that much of the recorded Swedish surge in labor productivity was due to the spectacular growth of the Radio, television and communication equipment (RTC) industry. However, the productivity growth of the RTC industry is very sensitive to value added price deflators. Unlike Sweden, the US uses hedonic price indexes for semiconductors and microprocessors which are important intermediate inputs in the RTC industry. Estimates based on the US intermediate input price deflators for semiconductors and microprocessors suggest that the productivity growth of the Swedish RTC industry during the 1990s can be questioned. This implies that the productivity growth of total manufacturing has also been overestimated. The results for Sweden are also interesting for other countries such as Finland, Ireland and South Korea, where ICT-producing industries have contributed substantially to labor productivity growth / Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan, 2006 S. 1-21: introduction and summary, s. 23-194: 4 papers

This research explores the barriers and limitations of the interaction between building development processes in an attempt of an integrated decision support approach to improve building design for effective maintenance in the field of office building automation. Extensive coverage of literature and practice in office building industry over the last two decades indicates a wide diffusion and application of the information and communication technologies (ICT). While this has resulted in the adoption of advanced system integration in buildings, system redundancy and excessive expenditures are causing a major impact on the overall efficiency and has burdened building owners and occupiers with escalating maintenance costs. This phenomenon stimulates and warrants the re-examination of integrated building development, not just on system integration but also on the interdisciplinary development process integration particularly linking design and maintenance. Studies in this field revealed existing problems such as the inherent professional fragmentation, lack of historical information and service data, the first cost mentality of owners and developers, difficulties in forecasting future conditions and changes early in the design stage. With extensive use of qualitative information, this situation presents a great potential for the development of a decision support system exploring the communication and integration of design and maintenance phases, which has been one of the primary objectives of this research. In addition to literature studies, a questionnaire survey and a case study to identify industry concerns, feasible solutions, and practical procedure oriented approaches through knowledge extractions were carried out. A set of guidelines, a checklist for its implementation and prototype system for computerized decision support to design and maintenance of building automation systems were also produced. These strategic approaches to balance design and maintenance will help facilitate appropriate decision making in the early design stage for sustainable maintenance of buildings.

This study produced a theoretically grounded model of professional development suited for supporting teachers in Hong Kong to embed Information and Communication Technologies into the Primary School Curriculum. The model was developed and tested over two years through an intervention based on participatory action research involving school staff and the researcher as a critical friend. The model was tested through the analysis of extensive qualitative and quantitative analysis of teacher behaviours and curricular documents. Teachers' beliefs and practices were found to change significantly during the first year of the project and were further refined during the second year. Leadership, collegial support, physical infrastructure, teacher self-efficacy, and technical knowledge were identified as the most important factors underpinning the successful implementation of the program. The model addresses these factors and has considerable potential to impact on educational practice involving ICT in the Hong Kong context.

This exploratory and interpretive research examines the anticipated consequences of information and communication technology (ICT) on six remote rural communities, located in the northern Peruvian Andes, which were provided with computers connected to the Internet. Instead of looking for economic impacts of the now-available technological tools, this research investigates how local individuals use (or not) computers, and analyses the mechanisms by which computer-mediated information, obtained by those who use computers, is disseminated through their customary face-to-face interactions with their compatriots. A holistic multiple-case study design was the basis for the data collection process. Data were collected during four-and-half months of fieldwork. Grounded theory informed both the method of data analysis and the technique for theory building. As a result of an inductive thinking process, two intertwined core themes emerged. The first theme, individuals’ exploitation of ICT, is related to how some individuals overcome some difficulties and try to make the most of the now available ICT tools. The second theme, complementing existing social networks through ICT, reflects the interaction between the newly ICT-mediated information and virtual networks and the local existing social networks. However, these two themes were not evenly distributed across the communities studied. The evidence revealed that dissimilarities in social cohesion among the communities and, to some extent, disparities in physical infrastructure are contributing factors that explain the unevenness. But social actors – named as ‘activators of information’ – become the key triggers of the disseminating process for fresh and valuable ICT-mediated information throughout their communities. These findings were compared to the relevant literature to produce theoretical generalisations. As a conclusion, it is suggested any ICT intervention in a developing country requires at least three elements to be effective: a tolerable physical infrastructure, a strong degree of social texture and an activator of information.

This exploratory and interpretive research examines the anticipated consequences of information and communication technology (ICT) on six remote rural communities, located in the northern Peruvian Andes, which were provided with computers connected to the Internet. Instead of looking for economic impacts of the now-available technological tools, this research investigates how local individuals use (or not) computers, and analyses the mechanisms by which computer-mediated information, obtained by those who use computers, is disseminated through their customary face-to-face interactions with their compatriots. A holistic multiple-case study design was the basis for the data collection process. Data were collected during four-and-half months of fieldwork. Grounded theory informed both the method of data analysis and the technique for theory building. As a result of an inductive thinking process, two intertwined core themes emerged. The first theme, individuals’ exploitation of ICT, is related to how some individuals overcome some difficulties and try to make the most of the now available ICT tools. The second theme, complementing existing social networks through ICT, reflects the interaction between the newly ICT-mediated information and virtual networks and the local existing social networks. However, these two themes were not evenly distributed across the communities studied. The evidence revealed that dissimilarities in social cohesion among the communities and, to some extent, disparities in physical infrastructure are contributing factors that explain the unevenness. But social actors – named as ‘activators of information’ – become the key triggers of the disseminating process for fresh and valuable ICT-mediated information throughout their communities. These findings were compared to the relevant literature to produce theoretical generalisations. As a conclusion, it is suggested any ICT intervention in a developing country requires at least three elements to be effective: a tolerable physical infrastructure, a strong degree of social texture and an activator of information.

This exploratory and interpretive research examines the anticipated consequences of information and communication technology (ICT) on six remote rural communities, located in the northern Peruvian Andes, which were provided with computers connected to the Internet. Instead of looking for economic impacts of the now-available technological tools, this research investigates how local individuals use (or not) computers, and analyses the mechanisms by which computer-mediated information, obtained by those who use computers, is disseminated through their customary face-to-face interactions with their compatriots. A holistic multiple-case study design was the basis for the data collection process. Data were collected during four-and-half months of fieldwork. Grounded theory informed both the method of data analysis and the technique for theory building. As a result of an inductive thinking process, two intertwined core themes emerged. The first theme, individuals’ exploitation of ICT, is related to how some individuals overcome some difficulties and try to make the most of the now available ICT tools. The second theme, complementing existing social networks through ICT, reflects the interaction between the newly ICT-mediated information and virtual networks and the local existing social networks. However, these two themes were not evenly distributed across the communities studied. The evidence revealed that dissimilarities in social cohesion among the communities and, to some extent, disparities in physical infrastructure are contributing factors that explain the unevenness. But social actors – named as ‘activators of information’ – become the key triggers of the disseminating process for fresh and valuable ICT-mediated information throughout their communities. These findings were compared to the relevant literature to produce theoretical generalisations. As a conclusion, it is suggested any ICT intervention in a developing country requires at least three elements to be effective: a tolerable physical infrastructure, a strong degree of social texture and an activator of information.