Exploring the pedagogy of tablet use and factors of influence. A case study in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

This thesis investigates the pedagogical practice of tablet use, and factors of influence, in classrooms in the United Arab Emirates. The focus is on the age range 9-19 in various education systems and institutions, both private and public (Government). This research was conducted from the perspective of placing teachers and those taking leading roles in technology integrations in schools centrally within the research process and a mixed methods approach of an online questionnaire, interviews and lesson observation was used. 14 interviews were conducted and synthesised with 44 online questionnaire responses and four days of lesson observations. These methods were used alongside a literature review that acted as a frame around the research which was exploratory in nature. The key findings of the study are that pedagogical practice has begun to move away from the traditional approach of existing classroom practice. Where practice has changed has been in more personalisation of learning, a move towards more content creation over consumption and improvements in technology supported formative assessment. Of the influencing factors on the pedagogical use of tablets, training was the most significant impacting factor, with the data suggesting that training may be one of the most important keys to successful implementation. The findings of this study can be used to support technology integration projects as it highlights the importance of: placing the teacher at the centre of the process, of effective training, and demonstrating that the most effective pedagogical practices are those that closely align with the affordances of the tablets. The research also suggests that significant changes to internal, external or national assessments would need to take place to ensure curriculum, assessment and digital pedagogy become fully aligned.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Gemma Angela Escott: orcid.org/0000-0002-0637-7795

ORCID for Christian Bokhove: orcid.org/0000-0002-4860-8723

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