Rethinking Instructional Technologies in Developing Countries: A Case Study of Mobile Technology Use for Intergenerational Storytelling in Elementary Education in Senegal

Sub-Saharan African countries have realized that the biggest challenge facing their education system was not enrollment deficit as they were led to believe for many decades. Rather, it was the lack of appropriate technology that left them behind and widened the education gap between Western and African countries. In Senegal, much progress has been made since the early 1980s in technology integration to increase the value of children's education with varying results; however, one of the challenges the country faces is to fit its technology programs within the traditional realities of its culture. A qualitative case study approach was used to explore ways in which technology adoption could be achieved through the use of mobile technologies for intergenerational digital storytelling with elementary students, their teachers, and community partners in Senegal. This study also explored the impact of integrating both mobile technologies and digital storytelling in the classroom on teacher practice. Interviews, observations, field notes, pictures, and recordings were examined to reveal that most participants' perceptions of usefulness and ease of use of technology facilitated their adoption of mobile devices. Additionally, the analysis of data showed that the integration of both mobile technologies and digital storytelling impacted teacher practice in many ways, such as their ability to engage students in more learning activities that featured their cultures and traditions. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]