RESEARCH PROPOSAL
APPLICABILITY OF TECHNOLOGY IN INCLUSION AT EARLY CHILDHOOD
DEVELOPMENT LEVEL
BY
SPIWE JUMA
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1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
In rural areas of Zimbabwe, early childhood education is often provided in community –
based preschools. These preschools are typically run by community members with little
or no formal training in early childhood education. They often lack resources, such as
books, toys and teaching materials. The teachers in these preschools are also typically
underpaid and have little support from the government. The lack of resources and support
can make it difficult for teachers to provide high- quality education for all children. This
is particularly challenging for children with disabilities, who may require additional
support to participate in the learning activities.
The researcher observed that children are using mobile devices to play games and watch
videos but are not actively engaged in learning activities. Children are not able to access
educational content on their mobile phones because of a lack of internet access. Also
lacking access to learning materials and resources that are adapted to their individual
needs.
Mobile learning has the potential to address some of the challenges of inclusion in early
childhood education in rural [Link] (2015) stated that mobile learning can
provide access to a wide range of educational resources such as apps, e-books and videos,
that can support children’s learning. Mobile learning can be used to provide training and
support for teachers to help the to deliver high – quality education. Mobile learning can
provide opportunities for children with disabilities to participate in learning activities in a
way that is more accessible to them.
Mobile devices can be used to provide personalized learning experiences, tailored to the
individual needs of the child as supported by Tynan (2016).Mobile devices can be used to
provide accessible learning content such as videos with sign language interpretation or
audio descriptions .Text – to speech and video recognition software can be provided by
assistive technologies and that can help children with disabilities to access and participate
in learning activities.
The theoretical framework that underpins the research will be based on inclusive
pedagogy. This will be the idea that all children should have equal access to education
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regardless of their abilities or circumstances as pointed out by Ritter (2013).This would
be used to examine how mobile learning can be used to support this goal.
Constructivist learning from Prawat (2010) suggests that knowledge is transmitted from
the teacher to the student, but is actively constructed by the student. In the context of
mobile learning , this means that children are not simply absorbing information from the
device , but are actively creating their own knowledge and understanding. The theory
suggests that children learn best when they are able to make connections between the
material and their own experiences.
1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT
While there is growing evidence of the benefits of inclusive education for young
children ,there is a lack of research on how technology can be used to support inclusion at
the early childhood development level, particularly in rural areas . This research aims to
address this gap by examining how technology can be used to support inclusion in rural
early childhood education settings , and how it can be adapted to meet the specific needs
of students in these settings .
1.3 MAIN RESEARCH QUESTION
How can technology be used to support inclusion at the early childhood development
level in rural areas , and what are the unique challenges and opportunities associated
with this approach .
1.4 SUB RESEARCH QUESTIONS
What specific types of technology are most appropriate for use in rural early
childhood education settings ?
What challenges do teachers face when trying to implement technology in rural early
childhood education settings?
What training and support do teachers need to effectively use technology in rural
early childhood education settings?
What strategies can be used to adapt technology to meet the specific need of students
in early childhood education settings?
1.5 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
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Research objectives for this research are: -
1. To examine the types of technology that are currently being used in rural early
childhood education settings
2. To identify the challenges and opportunities associated with the use of technology in
rural early childhood education setting
3. To explore needs of teachers who are using technology in rural early childhood
education settings
4. To develop strategies for adapting technology to meet the specific needs of students
in rural early childhood education settings
1.6 RESEARCH ASSUMPTIONS
There is a lack of research on the use of technology in rural early childhood education
settings
Teachers in rural areas face challenges in accessing and using technology in their
classrooms
The need of students in rural early childhood education setting may be different from
those of students in urban settings.
There is need for further research and development of strategies for using technology
to support inclusion in rural early childhood settings.
These assumptions help to guide and ensure that it is based on a sound understanding of the
current state of knowledge and practice
1.7 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The significance of this research is that it: -
Contribute to the body of knowledge on the use of technology in
education ,particularly in rural areas.
Improves understanding of the specific challenges and opportunities associated with
using technology to support inclusion in rural early childhood education settings
Helps to identify effective strategies for adapting technology to meet the needs of
students in rural early childhood education settings.
Provides guidance for teachers, policymakers and other who are seeking to improve
access to quality education for all students including those in rural areas.
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1.8. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
Limitations of this study
This difficulty of generalizing the findings to all rural early childhood education
settings
The difficulty of accurately measuring the effective of technology in improving
inclusion
The lack of a control group to compare the impact of technology in rural settings with
other settings
The difficulty of obtaining a representative sample of rural early childhood education
settings
1.9 DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
The focus is on primary school rural teachers and not other educators in primary school in
Mutare rural district
Focus will be on assistive technology such as text –to-speech software, adaptive keyboards
and Braille display and technology for supporting differentiated instruction such as software
that allows teachers to track student progress and individualize instruction
1.10 RELATED LITERATURE REVIEW
Subramarian (2012) focused on the use of technology to support young children with
disabilities in India including the development and evaluation of assistive technologies the
use of mobile technologies and the role of parents and teachers in the use of technology.
Bogle (2016) research focuses on the use of assistive technology for children with
disabilities, including children with autism spectrum disorder. She supported young children
with disabilities with assistive technology in inclusive settings. Bogle also discussed the
importance of using assistive technology to support inclusion and outlines specific strategies
for doing so.
Goldberg focuses on the use of technology to support children with developmental delays
and disabilities .He offers a number of services including demonstrations, assessments
consultations and training on the use of assistive technology .
Timmon’s (2018) research on technology and early childhood education focuses on how
technology can be used to promote inclusion and to support children with disabilities . Her
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research has explored the use of assistive technology to support communication , social
skills and literacy development she has also investigated the use of technology to
support teacher professional development .She has also investigated the use of
technology to support teacher professional development and to facilitate communication
between families and schools.
Kamau (2019) from Kenya conducted research on the use of assistive technology to
support inclusive education . She also focused on the use of assistive technology in range
of settings , including early childhood education, special needs education , and adult life .
Marwala’s (2016) research from focuses south Africa on the education in [Link] research
has important implication for the use of technology in this field. He had a desire to use
technology to address some of the challenges facing African. He also spoke about the need
to develop an “African “ approach to A1, one that is grounded in the needs and values of
the continent
Achiengi ( 20160 focused on the use of technology to support literacy development in
young children .She researched on the use of mobile technology and computer –assisted
learning to support literacy development in children with hearing impairments.
Chikuruwo( 2019) examined the use of mobile phones to support the literacy development
of children with hearing impairment in rural Zimbabwe . It found that mobile phones
can be a valuable tool for supporting literacy development and that parents and teachers
can play an important role in this process . It also highlights the need for more training
and support for parents and teachers in the use of mobile phones for this purpose .She
stated that there are a number of challenges such as limited access to electricity and
internet connectivity .
Mapanzure (2013) research has found that technology can be valuable tool for supporting
the development of children with disabilities in early childhood . He has also found that
there are a number of challenges to the effective use of technology in this
context ,including lack of funding, lack of training for educators and lack of awareness of
the potential benefits of technology .
Rangarirai (2016) found that mobile learning has the potential to support preschool
education in low resource settings . He also found that there a number of challenges to
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implement mobile learning in preschools , including lack of infrastructure , lack of teacher
training and lack of parental support
1.11 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The researcher used quantitative qualitative research methods use of case study,semi-
structured interviews ,focus group discussions and observations as data collection methods .
The data collected will be analysed using thematic analysis
Semi-structured interviews will be used to understand the experiences and perceptions of
preschool teachers and parents
Focus groups discussions have been used to explore the issues related to mobile
learning in early childhood education .
The observations have been used to understand the implementation of mobile learning in
practice
The combination of qualitative and quantitative methods allow for a more holistic
understanding of the topic .
1.12 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Informed consent has been obtained from all the participants.
Anonymity and confidentiality of the participants have been assured.
The research has been conducted in accordance with the ethical principles of
beneficence ,non- maleficence and respect for the participants autonomy .
The findings of the research have been presented in an objective and unbiased manner
1.13 TRUSTWORTHINESS
Triangulation,which involves using multiple data sources ,methods and perspectives to
explore the research question .
Members checking ,which involves asking the participants to review the findings and
provide feedback .
Thick description ,which involves providing a detailed account of the research context
findings .Reflexivity ,which involves critically reflecting on my own values and
assumptions .
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1.14 DEFINATION OF TERMS
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT
The education and care of children from birth to eight (8) years of age
MOBILE LEARNING
Use of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets ,to support learning
INCLUSION
The process of providing equal access to learning opportunities for all children regardless
of their ability or disability
RURAL SETTING
Location that is outside of urban areas with limited access to infrastructure and services
ASSITIVE TECHNOLOGY
Technology that is used to support the learning of children with disability
LOW RESOURCES SETTING
A setting where there is a lack of resources , such a funding infrastructure and trained
personnel
UNIVERSAL DESGN FOR LEARNING
A framework that is used to design learning environments that are accessible to all
learners ,including those with disabilities .
1.15 CONCLUSION
The study is needed to explore the effectiveness of mobile learning in supporting
inclusion in early childhood education in rural Zimbabwe . The study would use a mixed
methods approach , including both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods .
The findings would be used to inform policy and practice in early childhood education .
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