Investigating the factors that influence use of ICTs for citizen engagement in Malawi
- Authors: Sibande, Rachel Chavula
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Information technology -- Malawi , Political participation -- Malawi , Mobile apps -- Malawi , UTAUT , Mzinda
- Language: English
- Type: thesis , text , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/177019 , vital:42782 , 10.21504/10962/177019
- Description: Literature has suggested that Malawians are keen to participate. Malawian’s willingness to participate is evident as the country has recorded high voter turnouts during the elections in recent decades. However, literature also suggests that there is minimal citizen engagement in between elections. Elsewhere, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have been used to enhance citizen engagement, but ICT led citizen engagement is still an emerging field and yet to be explored as an area of research particularly in Malawi. We thus sought to explore if the use of ICTs could improve citizen engagement with councils, councilors, and utility companies that provide water and electricity in Malawi. We developed and deployed an ICT platform called Mzinda which means My location in Malawi’s populous Chichewa language. The platform provided various channels for citizens and duty bearers to engage via SMS, USSD, web and a mobile application. We sought to understand the factors that influence citizen’s behavior intention to use an ICT platform to engage. We applied the modified UTAUT model by including Attitude and Self Efficacy social constructs that have among others been cited as limitations of the UTAUT model. We conducted factor loadings of six social constructs of the modified UTAUT model to validate content and reexamine the model in the context of citizen engagement using ICTs in Malawi. We found that, Attitude and Self Efficacy were not significant determinants of the Behaviour Intention for citizens to use the ICT platform. However, 75% of the Behaviour Intention was influenced by Perfomance Expectancy and Effort Expectancy as moderated by age and gender. Empirical evidence showed that responsiveness and actionability of councils and councillors had improved. We also learned that citizens believed that service delivery had improved and that they had more influence over councils, councillors, and the utility companies because of using the ICT platform. We conclude by noting that improvements in service delivery; enhanced responsiveness and actionability of councils, councillors and the utility companies were not necessarily as a result of the ICT platform alone; but a combination of ICTs and non-technology mechanisms of engaging the stakeholders through community campaigns, radio programs, print media engagement, community meetings and debates among others. It is evident that ICTs are not the panacea of all citizen engagement problems. This research can be useful to researchers and practitioners in the technology and citizen engagement domains. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Department of Computer Science, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-04
- Authors: Sibande, Rachel Chavula
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Information technology -- Malawi , Political participation -- Malawi , Mobile apps -- Malawi , UTAUT , Mzinda
- Language: English
- Type: thesis , text , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/177019 , vital:42782 , 10.21504/10962/177019
- Description: Literature has suggested that Malawians are keen to participate. Malawian’s willingness to participate is evident as the country has recorded high voter turnouts during the elections in recent decades. However, literature also suggests that there is minimal citizen engagement in between elections. Elsewhere, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have been used to enhance citizen engagement, but ICT led citizen engagement is still an emerging field and yet to be explored as an area of research particularly in Malawi. We thus sought to explore if the use of ICTs could improve citizen engagement with councils, councilors, and utility companies that provide water and electricity in Malawi. We developed and deployed an ICT platform called Mzinda which means My location in Malawi’s populous Chichewa language. The platform provided various channels for citizens and duty bearers to engage via SMS, USSD, web and a mobile application. We sought to understand the factors that influence citizen’s behavior intention to use an ICT platform to engage. We applied the modified UTAUT model by including Attitude and Self Efficacy social constructs that have among others been cited as limitations of the UTAUT model. We conducted factor loadings of six social constructs of the modified UTAUT model to validate content and reexamine the model in the context of citizen engagement using ICTs in Malawi. We found that, Attitude and Self Efficacy were not significant determinants of the Behaviour Intention for citizens to use the ICT platform. However, 75% of the Behaviour Intention was influenced by Perfomance Expectancy and Effort Expectancy as moderated by age and gender. Empirical evidence showed that responsiveness and actionability of councils and councillors had improved. We also learned that citizens believed that service delivery had improved and that they had more influence over councils, councillors, and the utility companies because of using the ICT platform. We conclude by noting that improvements in service delivery; enhanced responsiveness and actionability of councils, councillors and the utility companies were not necessarily as a result of the ICT platform alone; but a combination of ICTs and non-technology mechanisms of engaging the stakeholders through community campaigns, radio programs, print media engagement, community meetings and debates among others. It is evident that ICTs are not the panacea of all citizen engagement problems. This research can be useful to researchers and practitioners in the technology and citizen engagement domains. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Department of Computer Science, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-04
The impact of translanguaging and acculturation towards implementation of the Incremental Indigenous African Languages programme in former Model-C schools (Alfred Nzo West District, Eastern Cape)
- Authors: Lepheana, Jeremia
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Translanguaging (Linguistics) , Acculturation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Model C schools (South Africa) , Multilingual education -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Multicultural education -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Incremental Indigenous African Languages Programme
- Language: English
- Type: thesis , text , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/177236 , vital:42802 , 10.21504/10962/177236
- Description: This thesis explores the possibilities of multilingual language instruction within multi-ethnic classrooms in former Model-C schools shaped by multiple discursive practices. The researcher reviews current research on multilingualism and teaching and proposes strategies for overcoming the English prescriptivism, and monolingual mind-set in education. The research reported in this dissertation is both a qualitative and quantitative study, which sought to investigate the patterns of translanguaging in classrooms in five primary schools in Alfred Nzo West district (Maluti sub-district). In quantitative research, questionnaires were used to gather data from teachers and learners. In the qualitative research methodology, document analysis method of collecting data was employed. Purposive sampling was the major sampling method to ensure that relevant data was collected. Language in Education Policy formed the major analytical framework for this study. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of translanguaging as it is used by teachers and learners in the class in selected primary schools in Alfred Nzo West district. The research focuses on how primary school learners and their teachers engage with teaching and learning, and the strategies that teachers use to promote the use of two or three languages in classrooms to help learners to understand content and concepts in English, Sesotho and isiXhosa as there are multi-ethnic classrooms in the district. The dissertation concludes with some reflections on the findings, implications of the findings for future research and training, and recommendations to use the languages of school children as rich resources for teaching and learning. The Socio-cultural theory formed the theoretical framework that guided this study. According to Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development, children learn through social interaction that includes collaborative and cooperative dialogue with someone who is more skilled in tasks they are trying to learn. The findings of this study show the misunderstandings of the LiEP, translanguaging and multilingual education. The study also shows the lack of confidence in the ability of African languages to provide quality education. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-04
- Authors: Lepheana, Jeremia
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Translanguaging (Linguistics) , Acculturation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Model C schools (South Africa) , Multilingual education -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Multicultural education -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Incremental Indigenous African Languages Programme
- Language: English
- Type: thesis , text , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/177236 , vital:42802 , 10.21504/10962/177236
- Description: This thesis explores the possibilities of multilingual language instruction within multi-ethnic classrooms in former Model-C schools shaped by multiple discursive practices. The researcher reviews current research on multilingualism and teaching and proposes strategies for overcoming the English prescriptivism, and monolingual mind-set in education. The research reported in this dissertation is both a qualitative and quantitative study, which sought to investigate the patterns of translanguaging in classrooms in five primary schools in Alfred Nzo West district (Maluti sub-district). In quantitative research, questionnaires were used to gather data from teachers and learners. In the qualitative research methodology, document analysis method of collecting data was employed. Purposive sampling was the major sampling method to ensure that relevant data was collected. Language in Education Policy formed the major analytical framework for this study. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of translanguaging as it is used by teachers and learners in the class in selected primary schools in Alfred Nzo West district. The research focuses on how primary school learners and their teachers engage with teaching and learning, and the strategies that teachers use to promote the use of two or three languages in classrooms to help learners to understand content and concepts in English, Sesotho and isiXhosa as there are multi-ethnic classrooms in the district. The dissertation concludes with some reflections on the findings, implications of the findings for future research and training, and recommendations to use the languages of school children as rich resources for teaching and learning. The Socio-cultural theory formed the theoretical framework that guided this study. According to Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development, children learn through social interaction that includes collaborative and cooperative dialogue with someone who is more skilled in tasks they are trying to learn. The findings of this study show the misunderstandings of the LiEP, translanguaging and multilingual education. The study also shows the lack of confidence in the ability of African languages to provide quality education. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-04
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