International Journal of Management and Applied Science, ISSN: 2394-7926 Volume-3, Issue-6, Jun.-2017 http://iraj.in THE ROLE OF ONE PER CHILD PROJECT IN ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS

1MUNYANTORE.J.D, 2MBALIRE.M.

St. Lawrence University (SLAU) E-mail:[email protected], [email protected]

Abstract - This study titled project and academic performance in primary school was carried out in Gatsibo District primary school. The general objective of this study was to examine the role of OLPC project to academic performance. This study was designed under descriptive-analytical design; where both qualitative and quantitative research was used through descriptive and correlational statistics. The target population was5 heads teachers and 105 teachers from 5 primary schools in Gatsibo District. The sample size of the study was 86 respondents obtained using Yamane formula. The purposive sampling technique was used in this study. Data was collected through Questionnaire, interview and group discussion. Statistical indicators like frequencies and percentages were used in this study. To test the relationship of the variables, Pearson correlation coefficient was applied, this research used SPSS version 16 to analyze data. The study found that the Pearson correlation coefficient (r) equals to 0.935 this implies that correlation coefficient r = .942. The study recommended that Government should ensure the provision of adequate educational facilities accessible even to students from poor family.

Key words- One Laptop Per Child , Academic Performance, Primary school

I. INTRODUCTION knowledge-based economy. Rwanda is a small, landlocked country in Central/ East Africa. It is one All over the world, over the last three decades, the of the few OLPC deployment sites designated as a role of technology in reform has received model site, and it hosts a Global Learning Center for increasing attention. The recent advances in Excellence for and Learning1 in the capital, information and communication technologies and (ITU-D, 2010). As a global learning center, their relative affordability continue to stoke the flame Rwanda is slated to be one of the leading countries to of technology-enabled education reforms. implement the laptops on a wide scale (Kwizera, Particularly, the laptop computer as a tool or means 2009). of education reform has generated a lot of debate [1]. The One Laptop per Child (OLPC) program was one In order to achieve the goals defined by VISION of the most ambitious educational reform initiatives 2020, the Rwandan government established an the world has ever seen. The program has developed Economic Development and Poverty Reduction a radically new low-cost laptop computer and Strategy. The EDPRS recognizes the key role that aggressively promoted its plans to put the computer education can play in improving social and economic in the hands of hundreds of millions of children wellbeing and in reducing poverty. Only a well- around the world, including in the most impoverished educated workforce with the necessary skills to nations. With six years having passed since Nicholas operate in a rapidly changing business environment Negroponte first unveiled the idea, this paper will allow Rwanda to become the competitive and appraises the program’s progress and impact and, in diversified economy it aspires to be [2]. The so doing, takes a fresh look at OLPC’s assumptions Economic Development and poverty reduction [2]. strategy’s high-level objectives for education are to improve and increase access to education for all; The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project was an provide performance education at all levels; establish initiative that seeks to expand the use of computer equity in education at all levels; develop effective and technology, especially for school children, from the efficient education systems; promote science and richer and industrial areas of the world, to the poorer technology and ICT in education; and promote and more rural areas. Not only does the OLPC project positive values, critical thinking, Rwandan culture, seek to narrow the “”, the project also peace, unity and reconciliation [3]. seeks to improve educational opportunities for under- privileged children overall, by providing resources This study was limited in the time, geographical and for these kids to be proactive and engaged in their content scope. This topic considered a period scope in own learning, through use of an internet-connected 4 years, 2011-2014, this period is selected because of laptop. the availability of the information that showed low Rwanda, a small landlocked country in East Africa, performance of Kamonyi primary school in this was in the midst of a multi-year effort to transform period, geographical it was conducted at Kamonyi itself from subsistence agrarian society into a primary school, Kamonyi District, 20 km from

The Role of One Laptop Per Child Project in Academic Performance in Primary Schools

41 International Journal of Management and Applied Science, ISSN: 2394-7926 Volume-3, Issue-6, Jun.-2017 http://iraj.in Kamonyi primary school up to Rwanda Capital understand its role in the classroom, and therefore, (Kigali), content scope is based on one laptop per resist pedagogical change. Therefore, from the above child project and performance of education in problem the researcher carried out the study on one Rwanda.When carrying out the research, study had laptop per child and performance of education in various challenges related to the nature and attitude of Rwanda. respondents and the nature of the study itself. Some Respondents were doubtful of researcher who may do III. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY surveillance under the cover of academic research and therefore doubted the purpose the researcher General Objective thinking that it is not academic. However, the The general objective of this study was to examine researcher did not let it go, but made through the contribution of OLPC project to academic explanations and show them academic documents and performance in Rwanda. convinced respondents beyond doubt that the research Specific Objectives was purely academic until they gave the required Specific objectives of this study were the following: data. The researcher met a situation where some i. To ascertain the effectiveness of OLPC respondents’ were busy. This made the researcher use project through technology in Gatsibo District unstructured interview and focus group discussion primary schools; that took short time and made of specific ii. To analyze the competencies of teachers’ in appointments. the usage of OLPC for academic performance; iii. To establish relationship between OLPC II. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM project and academic performance in primary school. According to [4]a cross the developing world, the reduction of child mortality rates in the last two IV. RESEARCH QUESTIONS decades has led to a dramatic increase in the number of school-age children. This growing cohort of i. How is the effectiveness of OLPC project children need more and better educational through technology in Gatsibo District primary opportunities to engage in a global economy that was schools? increasingly technology-oriented. Yet the way ii. What are the competencies of teachers’ in education is currently delivered cannot possibly cope the usage of OLPC for academic performance? with the population surge. It is estimated that across iii. Is there any relationship between OLPC Africa alone, 64 million additional teachers were project and’ academic performance in primary needed just to maintain a 45 student per teacher ratio. school?

According to [5] evaluation, only 10.5 percent of V. RELATED STUDIES teachers receive technical support and 7 percent receive pedagogical support for use of the laptops. [6] carried out a study called One Laptop per Child Even when training was offered, teachers in one- Birmingham: Case Study of a Radical Experiment. room schools were often unable to leave their school The general objective of their study was to investigate to attend the training and were unwilling to travel to the implementation of OLPC in Birmingham, receive unpaid training during their vacation time. Alabama, where some 15,000 of the group’s XO Some 43 percent of students do not bring their laptops were distributed to all first- through fifth- laptops home, mostly because teachers or parents grade public school students and their teachers. Using forbid it out of fear they will be held responsible if documentary analysis, data from two different anything happens. studies: (1) a pre-post survey in Birmingham carried Under the leadership of Rwanda, the government of out by the second author and some of her colleagues Rwanda established a set of objectives to transform and (2) a multisite case study carried out by the first the country into industrial/services based economy in author in Birmingham and two other districts. 20 years. Communication infrastructure plans Surveys were collected from a representative sample provides an ICT policy for Rwanda and a framework of children before and after they received their for bringing technology to Rwandan schools. These laptops, supplemented by observations and interviews governmental plans recognize that the children of in a Birmingham school. The use of the XOs by Rwanda are the nation’s most precious natural teachers and schools, the ways social and technical resource [2]. infrastructure affected program implementation, and the types of XO use by students were examined. The Even if, the government of Rwanda needs to achieve disappointing results of the Birmingham program, Vision 2020 through ICT in education, the attitude, which has been discontinued, were analyzed in skills, ability and competency of school staff is one of relationship to OLPC’s techno centric approach, the the greatest challenges when integrating ICT into organization’s principle of child ownership, and the schools. Many teachers fear new technologies, fail to design elements of the XO hardware and software.

The Role of One Laptop Per Child Project in Academic Performance in Primary Schools

42 International Journal of Management and Applied Science, ISSN: 2394-7926 Volume-3, Issue-6, Jun.-2017 http://iraj.in [7] carried out a study on the challenges of the One- Sample size of 86 where teachers and head teachers Tablet-Per-Child policy in Thai primary school were obtained by using the Yamane formula of education. They used documentary review and found sample size (n)= N/1+Ne2 : 110/1+110*0.052 = 86, four challenges for the improving Thailand’s OTPC where n is the sample size , N is the population size, project, consisting of: developing contextualized and e is margin of error with a level of confidence content, ensuring usability, providing teacher support, p=95%. and assessing learning outcomes. A case study on The choice of sampling technique was based on the developing science activities for first year primary feasibility and sensibility of collecting data to answer school children on the OTPC devices is the basis for the research questions and to address the presenting possible solutions to the four challenges. objectives.The purposive sampling technique, basing In presenting a solution to the challenge of providing on how the school is managed and governed, the head teacher support, an architecture is described for teacher and the teachers were selected. collecting data from student interactions with the tablet in order to analysis the current progress of Data were collected through questionnaire, focus students while in a live classroom setting. From tests group discussion and unstructured interview. During in three local Thai schools, the authors evaluated the the administration of the questionnaire, the case study from both student and teacher respondents recorded their responses into the perspectives. In concluding the paper, a framework questionnaire. The interview was administered to for guiding mobile learning innovation is utilized to some head teachers as well as those who were busy review the qualities and shortcomings of the case during data collection. study. To ensure the validity of the instrument, research [8] examined the implementation of the One Laptop advisors checked the questionnaires for the Per Child (OLPC) program in Rwanda from the consistency of the items, intelligibility and clarity. viewpoint of primary school teachers involved with Inputs were of great help for adjustment and the program. Their study needed to understand how realignment purposes. As of reliability, the concept teachers feel about the program, how they refers to the degree to which the same results were incorporated the low-cost laptops into their obtained in repeated attempt of the same tests. To classrooms, and their impressions of the laptops’ ensure the reliability of the instruments, the study impacts on their students. They framed our study as a were conducted into two phases: In the first place, the group discussion using a semi structured format. researcher used a pre-test to see whether the questions They this approach over a one-on-one interview were well formulated, hence a pilot study was used, because we felt that group discussions in this whereby the researcher used 5 respondents and test particular context would allow us to dynamically Croanbach coefficient Alpha was 87.6% . In the adjust our interviews while enjoying a better grasp of second phase, after making necessary corrections, the the nuanced perspectives of the teachers. Results of instrument was re-administered, at this time to the the study reveal that the teachers like the initiative, main respondents. The validity was tested where the but recognize many challenges in adapting the researcher looked for external expert to correct program to their realities. The teachers think of the research instruments. initiative primarily as a and rote After collecting data, the data were entered in the data learning project, and they report outcomes along entry template using double entry system. Thereafter, these lines. Beyond learning computer skills, the the data entered were compared to ensure accuracy, teachers note that the program has had both positive completeness, and uniqueness and to facilitate coding and negative impacts on several students some have and tabulation.The responses to the open-ended become more empowered as learners, and some have questions were tabulated based on the frequency of become rude and disruptive in class. Most responses and to analyze data, the researcher used significantly, the teachers often view themselves, and questionnaire where different reactions of not their students, as the primary users of the laptops, respondents were occupied, they were coded and and they have found ways to employ the laptops for analyzed using different statistical indicators such as both personal and school related work. frequencies and percentages. Statistical Packaging for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse the VI. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY collected data. The first and second objectives were analysed using descriptive statistics, whereby the This research was designed under descriptive- third research objective was analysed using analytical design, both qualitative and quantitative correlational statistics. The data were presented into research approaches Tables and Charts. The target population consisted of five primary schools in Gatsibo District selected purposively; these VII. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS were the schools that benefited OLPC project. The target population was 5 head teachers and 105 Data indicated that Lack of recruitment of skilled teachers from selected primary schools. teacher can affect negatively the achievement of one

The Role of One Laptop Per Child Project in Academic Performance in Primary Schools

43 International Journal of Management and Applied Science, ISSN: 2394-7926 Volume-3, Issue-6, Jun.-2017 http://iraj.in laptop per child project that means it can lead to the important role to increase teachers’ capacity by fail of the project. The study also revealed the providing them teacher education programs to proceeds from respondents on administration improve their own and gain vital skills structures among the effectiveness of OLPC project that they may not have been able to learn while taking through technology in Gatsibo District primary college courses, and stay current with new schools, among 86 respondents 11.6% select strongly techniques. agree,69.8% select agree,18.6% select disagree. The study also shows leadership roles among the According to the second research question, not only effectiveness of OLPC project through technology in is it critical for teachers to know their material, they Gatsibo District primary schools,out of 86 must also be able to help students in order for them to respondents, 15.1% strongly agreed,69.8% truly succeed, One laptop per child also play agree,15.1% disagree. important role to improve pupil’s performance and is The study designates that project delay among the one the factors which lead to the increase of number effectiveness of OLPC project through technology in who pass examination through to the performance Gatsibo District primary schools out of 86 education and improvement of understanding the respondents 45.3% select strongly agree,48.8% select course. According to the third research question, agree,5.8% select disagree. The study present that there is a significant and positive relationship lower level of literacy parents among the between one laptop per child project and pupil’s effectiveness of OLPC project through technology in academic performance. Gatsibo District primary schools out of 86 respondents 34.9% strongly agree,53.5% RECOMMENDATIONS agree,11.6% disagree. The study shows that performance of education among the effectiveness of The gap of the standards of education between private OLPC project through technology in Gatsibo District and public government schools should be removed, primary schools out of 86 respondents 38.4% so that students can get better results. strongly agree,53% agree. The study also shows that The policy makers planners services providers accessibility to good services among the effectiveness should take up challenges to make the overall of OLPC project through technology in Gatsibo physical and socio economic conditions of District primary schools out of 86 respondents 23.3% government schools to at least be at par with private select strongly agree,58.1% select agree,18.6% select schools. disagree. It was found that low level of internet and English The study indicate that accessibility to energy among badly influences students’ academic performance , it the effectiveness of OLPC project through technology is strongly recommended that Ministry of education in Gatsibo District primary schools out of 86 should empowering the ways of teaching English respondents 27.9% strongly agree, 54.7% agree, to teachers and students in order to improve 17.4% disagree. The study also shows that students’ academic performance. The students and accessibility to communication among the teachers whose poor communication skills should be effectiveness of OLPC project through technology in given special time (extra hours for being trained in Gatsibo District primary schools out of 86 English). respondents 22.1% strongly agree while 77.9% agree. Moreover, the accessibility to technology as Government should ensure the provision of adequate among the effectiveness of OLPC project through educational facilities accessible even to students from technology in Gatsibo District primary schools, out of poor family. Education Board should play a role of 86 respondents 37.2% select strongly agree, while sensitizing the parents on how influential is home 62.8% select agree. environment on their children academic performance. This study used SPSS and found that the Pearson correlation coefficient (r) equals to 0.935 this implies The researcher strongly felt that there is a need that correlation coefficient r = .942 as well as P-value for other researchers to extend on the following equals to 0.00 and correlation is significant at the possible areas : Examine the parent’s teacher’s 0.01 level and r is positive, this is confirming that relationship and students’ academic performance, there is a significant and positive relationship decentralization system of education and students’ betweenvariables. Therefore, from the above academic performance; and Analyze the effect of information, the researcher found thatOne laptop per school based mentors involvement in teaching and child project contribute to the pupil’s academic learning activities by using OLPC and students’ performance on the rate of 93.5%. academic performance. Moreover, future researchers should use comparative analysis to investigate the CONCLUSION role of OLPC in more than one District in improvement of performance of education. Finally, According to the first research question the study researchers should determine the impact of OLPC indicated that one laptop per child project play

The Role of One Laptop Per Child Project in Academic Performance in Primary Schools

44 International Journal of Management and Applied Science, ISSN: 2394-7926 Volume-3, Issue-6, Jun.-2017 http://iraj.in projects in running in education sector on social Teachers in Rwanda. Journal of Information Technologies & welfare of beneficiaries. International Development, Vol.9(3), PP.29–42. [2] Kwizera, C. (2009). One Laptop Per Child—100,000 ACKNOWLEDGMENT computers to be imported this year. Kigali - Rwanda: New Times. It is my pleasure to thank several people who [3] Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning. (2014). Shaping contributed to the success of this work. We are Our Development” A Journey to Middle Income Status". Kigali - Rwanda: Government of Rwanda. particularly grateful to our supervisor [4] One Laptop Per Child News[OLPCN] . (2009). The status of HabimanaTheogenefor his encouragement, steady, OLPC and its iconic XO-1 laptop in 2009. New York: USA wise guidance and diligent oversight that made this Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial. effort possible. He provided a lot of constructive [5] Näslund, E. (2009). Pre-Pilot Evaluation Report. Washington DC: Inter-American Development Bank. ideas, inspiration and encouragement throughout my [6] Mark,W.,Shelia, R. C. & Morgan, G. A. (2012). One Laptop thesis-writing period. I am grateful to the per Child Birmingham: Case Study of a Radical Experiment. management and academic staff of AlSafwa Primary International Journal of Learning and Media, Vol.3(2), PP.61 School-Rwanda for their support and their - 76. [7] Ratchada, V. & Antony, H. (2013). Facing the challenges of commitment for the education of Rwandans in the One-Tablet-Per-Child policy in Thai primary school advancing knowledge and practice in the real world education. International Journal of Advanced Computer of development. Science and Applications, Vol.4(9), PP.176 - 184. [8] Ayodeji,A. F.,Michae, L. B. & Thomas, N. S. (2013). Is the One Laptop Per Child Enough? Viewpoints from Classroom REFERENCES Teachers in Rwanda. Journal of Information Technologies & International Development, Vol.9(3), PP.29–42. [1] Ayodeji,A. F.,Michae, L. B. & Thomas, N. S. (2013). Is the One Laptop Per Child Enough? Viewpoints from Classroom

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