Digital Access and Proficiency for Innovative Capacity Training for Teachers to Enhance Higher-Order Thinking with Inclusion and Equity: A Baseline Data Analysis.

Abstract

Globally, economic and technological changes shape the occupational outlook of today’s students, these changes have in turn impacted the educational system across the world. Therefore, schools have begun to double their efforts on the need to instill Higher-Order Thinking (HOT) skills to prepare the 21st-century workforce. This can only be achieved when the teacher is professionally trained and equipped to engage students appropriately and create the needed classroom environment that will foster HOT. Hence this study focused on CL4STEM as an innovative capacity training for science and mathematics teachers to enhance HOTs with Inclusion and Equity (HOTIE): A Baseline Data Analysis. A quantitative research approach was adopted specifically a descriptive survey. The population of the study is made up of science and mathematics teachers in three states in the northwest and North-central states of Nigeria. Three states were purposefully selected for this study because there is a minimal level of insecurity in these states. Twenty-five (25) schools were randomly selected from the three states. Four teachers (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology) were elected from each school. The sample size comprised of: the control group had 20 teachers, the intervention others had 60, and the intervention focus group had 20. The instrument for data collection was adopted structured questionnaire containing items on teacher profiles which includes, respondents’ demographic data and facilitating conditions such as infrastructures that support users’ engagement with the module and CoPs for professional capacity training. The structured questionnaire was validated for face and content validity and the reliability of the instrument was found satisfactory. Baseline data was collected and analysed and the findings indicate that the participating teachers are intermediate or averagely proficient in the use of ICT devices and there is inadequate internet provision in this population. It was recommended among others that data subscriptions be provided for the teachers to enhance their effective engagement with the CL4STEM project.