Evaluating ICT for Education in Africa - Royal Holloway, University of ...

Children reported that they felt more inspired about school and weremotivated by the introduction of the technology-based initiative (Zucker2009). One teacher from Dzenza in Malawi noted in interview that, due to thewidespread poverty in the area where the school was located, many of thechildren were not familiar with radio, television or any associated technology.Because of this, the introduction of the gadgets motivated the children(16/11/07):„They were very excited, there were pupils from other classeswho were trying to join my class, so that made my studentsvery proud. Some of the Standard 5 pupils really wanted to goback to Standard 4 so that they could use the gadgets.‟This sentiment was reiterated by the headmaster of Golgota in Malawi. Henoted the impact that the proposed initiative had on the rural andmarginalised school even prior to the introduction of the technology(28/09/07):„Even now before the equipment is here we have many morechildren coming to school because they have heard that sometechnology is coming ... We will make very good use of it. Weare a remote school – something like this initiative motivatesthe children.‟Students in Malawi provided similar feedback confirming this perspective. Inan initial focus group in Dzenza (03/10/07) one student from Standard 4noted that the most significant difference caused by the gadgets was anincrease in attentiveness:„The gadgets are attractive to us – we have never seen thembefore and they will help us to be very attentive.‟A Standard 3 student in Mtentera reported telling his parents, siblings andfriends enthusiastically about the introduction of the gadgets (14/11/07):„Yes I told my parents and they said thank you to thosebringing the gadgets. We told our friends from other schoolsand they were admiring us for using something new. I alsotold my sister in secondary school and she wanted them!‟321