A comparative analysis of policies, strategies and programmes for information and communication technology integration i
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A comparative analysis of policies, strategies and programmes for information and communication technology integration in education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the republic of Ireland Jawaher Alghamdi 1
& Charlotte
Holland 2
Received: 10 December 2019 / Accepted: 16 March 2020/ # The Author(s) 2020
Abstract This paper provides a comparative analysis of policies, strategies and programmes for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) integration in primary and postprimary education, that were active in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and in the Republic of Ireland in 2016. The analysis showed that while KSA was a relative newcomer to the integration of ICT in education, it was responsive in seeking to enhance the quality of education and support transitions to the knowledge economy through a range of initiatives, including: reform of the curriculum, provision of teacher professional development in ICT integration, and supply of computer technologies and infrastructure. However, as in the Irish context, the framing of the ICT in education’ policies, strategies and programmes needed to be strengthened through participatory partnerships with key stakeholders that endured throughout the life-cycle of ICT policy implementation in primary and post-primary settings. Furthermore, the review showed a need for governments in both jurisdictions to make better provision for financial and human resourcing to fully operationalize the teacher training and supports necessary for effective integration by teachers of ICT in primary and post-primary settings. Finally, the evaluation protocols within ICT in education’ policies, strategies and programmes in both countries needed to be re-casted to make evidence of their enactment publicly available in a timely manner. Moreover, the resultant evaluation reports further needed to be detailed at a level that made visible the national progress on ICT integration in schools, and the corresponding impact on learners’ ICT skills and broader competencies. Keywords Saudi Arabia . Ireland . ICT in education . Policies
* Jawaher Alghamdi [email protected] Extended author information available on the last page of the article
Education and Information Technologies
1 Introduction The Saudi 2030 Vision (2030 )ا عوﺪ ﺔlaunched in 2016, with plans to reduce the country’s dependence on oil as the main income generator, and instead diversify into other economic sectors (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2016a). The Saudi 2030 Vision articulated a series of goals and accompanying programmes that aimed to bring about reforms across a broad range of systems, including education, to enable Saudi citizens to come to terms culturally with the new plans while also enabling them to become active participants in the necessary societal and economic transformations in a post-oil economy. Within the various plans contributing to the Saudi 2030 agenda, including the National Transformation Programme, 2016–2020 (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2016b), technology was frequently cited as a key agent in facilitat
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