ERIC Number: EJ1071370
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1814-0556
EISSN: N/A
Sociotechnical Narratives in Rural, High-Poverty Elementary Schools: Comparative Findings from East Texas and South India
Byker, Erik J.
International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology, v10 n2 p29-40 2014
The article's purpose is to compare case studies of computer technology use at two rural elementary schools across two international settings. This study uses the Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) theory to guide this comparative investigation of how elementary school teachers and students in East Texas and South India construct meaning for computer technology. Building off of SCOT theory, the article also introduces the term, "sociotechnical narratives" as part of the analysis of the meaningful descriptions of ways that social groups use tools in relationship to their wider social context. The article found that even though the two settings, East Texas and Rural Karnataka, are about as far apart geographically as they are culturally, similar sociotechnical narrative emerged. The sociotechnical narrative includes: (1) A shared hope in the opportunity and possibilities with computer technology, (2) the development of literacy skills, and (3) similarity in knowledge tasks for the future. The study's comparative research design provides greater depth in analyzing the meaning and uses for computer technology among students and teachers in rural, high-poverty areas across international contexts.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Poverty, Elementary Schools, Rural Schools, Comparative Analysis, Case Studies, Cross Cultural Studies, Elementary School Teachers, Elementary School Students, Social Theories, Educational Technology, Computer Literacy, Computer Uses in Education, Social Influences, Cultural Influences, Public Schools, Grade 5, Qualitative Research, Statistical Analysis
International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology. University of the West Indies Open Campus, Dave Hill, St. Michael BB11000, Barbados. Tel: 868-663-9021; Fax: 868-645-9741; Web site: http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 5; Intermediate Grades; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: India; Texas
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A