Technology and the Classroom: Computer Education in Jordanian Public Schools

This study was concerned with the state of computer education classes in public schools outside of Amman. The acquisition of computer skills and knowledge is currently very important for Jordanian students in order to enter a university after graduation and for finding a well-paying job in the Gulf States or in Jordan itself. The researcher visited two public schools and interviewed school teachers, administrators, and Ministry of Education officials in order to determine the major obstacles facing computer education in these environments. A questionnaire was also administered to students of the 9th grade at both schools to determine the extent of their computer usage as well as their opinions about computer education at their schools. Finally, student test grades in computer classes were analyzed to measure student’s performance in computer tasks. It was found that the schools suffered from computer hardware shortages to varying degrees as well as internet connection problems. The Ministry’s top-down control of most aspects of the educational system was concluded to be impairing the capacity for teachers to best instruct their students. The training available for computer teachers was determined to be inadequate as were their opportunities to communicate with the Ministry of Education. Students were found to have good access to computers outside of school but less access to internet, and they performed poorly on computer tests. A major component of this research is a list of practical suggestions for the improvement of computer education in public schools which appear at the end of this report along with suggestions for future research