Teaching and Learning Process of the Information
and Communication Technology and Computer Science Subjects
in Lower Secondary Schools in Albania in Front of International
Facts and Trends
Genci Berati
Alpen-Adria Universität Klagenfurt (AAU), Faculty of Technical Sciences, Institute of Informatics Systems,
Klagenfurt, Austria
Keywords: The Curriculum Policy, Curriculum Design/Development, Educational Change, Curriculum
Implementation, Professional Development, School Development, Textbook Development.
Abstract: The specifics and the broad content of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and
Computer Science (CS) subjects dictate various problematic on the process of teaching and learning. In the
large set of components that affect the process, one of the most important components is the methodology
used in teaching and learning. In the teaching process of ICT and CS subjects the use of different methods
for different issues is inevitable. Today the ICT and CS subjects are taught and learned based on various
methods. Some of them are unsuitable for successful teaching-learning whereas others may bring success in
certain learner’s groups (lower secondary school). Didactic of Informatics is not yet internationally
consolidated and still is a matter of discussions. The subject of this paper is mostly the actual situation of
Albania and partially how to improve the process of teaching ICT in lower secondary schools. Herewith are
taken in the analyses the ratios regards to the methodology, content and technology in best performing
countries, also the key factors of their success.
1 INTRODUCTION
In our age, Computer Science (CS), Information
Technology (IT) and Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) are developing
so fast. Nowadays there are modern and new
prospective about Information and Communication
Technology skills.
Every civil society in worldwide needs more and
more Commuter Literate, Technology Literate and
Digital Literate persons. ICT specialists, Advanced
Computer Users and Basic Computer Users are
significantly increased during last years, but
nevertheless the world wide labor market is still
hungry for them.
Globally speaking, the ternary education is doing
the most important part in preparation of the
employer category that is mentioned above.
If we start before ternary education to introduce in a
formal way creating ICT literate people, the results
on quality and quantity terms will be much better.
In many countries the computer literacy is now
subject of early stages of educational process. Even
in some countries ICT literacy is formally
introduced in preschool system.
In my country, Albania, ICT is a compulsory
subject since grade 7 (age 14-15), according to
national curricula of public schools.
The problems that I evidenced in the teaching
and learning process were directed to many aspect of
this process. Sometime the teaching process totally
failed as sake of many factors such as; infrastructure,
teaching sources and so on. However the main
reason was the methodological failure. The teaching
and learning process of ICT subjects is completely
different from that of teaching other subjects (i. e.
mathematics, physics or biology). This process is
complexes, difficult and problematic also in
international level, but certainly there are also very
good successful experiences in the teaching and
learning process all around the world. Being focused
in Methodologies, this paper will try to evidence
those good experiences.
381
Berati G..
Teaching and Learning Process of the Information and Communication Technology and Computer Science Subjects in Lower Secondary Schools in
Albania in Front of International Facts and Trends.
DOI: 10.5220/0004228203810385
In Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU-2013), pages 381-385
ISBN: 978-989-8565-53-2
Copyright
c
2013 SCITEPRESS (Science and Technology Publications, Lda.)
There are taken in account countries which are in
top of the PISA List
i
.
Albania has participated in PISA tests three
times, in 2000, 2009 and 2012. The results of
Albania are analyzed and compared in front those
countries.
2 STATUS QUO OF ICT
SUBJECTS
2.1 Albanian Educational System
The structure of the Albanian Educational System is
briefly described here with its specifics and
terminology. Elementary education is compulsory
(grades 1-9), but most students continue at least until
a secondary education. Students must successfully
pass graduation exams at the end of the 9th grade
and at the end of the 12th grade in order to continue
their education. The literacy rate in Albania for the
total population, age 9 or older, is about 93%. Most
schools are public and financed through the
government, but recently several private schools of
various levels have been opened. There are about
5000 schools throughout the country. The academic
year is divided into two semesters(terms).
The structure of education is divided into these
steps:
Preschool education (Kindergarten): 1–4 years
Primary education (9-year): 9 years (8 years
prior to 2008)
Secondary education:
Regular (middle or gymnasium or high school):
3 years
Vocational or Technical (technical, artistic): 2–5
years
Tertiary education:
Bachelor and Master Degrees (of 3 years and
1.5–2 years respectively
Quaternary education (PhD, Doctoral Studies): 3
yearsii.
Formal ICT education in Albanian secondary
schools includes grade 7, 8 and 9, respectively one
separate subject in each grade, which is called
“Informatics”.
As a lecturer of didactic of informatics in
Shkodra University “Luigj Gurakuqi” (Albania), I
participated in many secondary school classes in my
city and assisted in many classes of ICT subject
“informatics”.
2.2 Actual Facts about ICT Subjects
In order to scan the problematic of ICT subjects in
Albanian secondary schools, last year I made a
survey study during the first term of academic year
2012-2013, from September to October 2012. The
survey is made in Shkodra district (one of the
biggest district of Albania, in north-west Albania).
This survey can give a good overview regards to:
1. The actual situation of ICT infrastructure in
secondary schools. (See subsection 2.4 for more
details)
2. Teacher Background, Training, Distribution.
(See subsection 2.5 for more details
)
3. Curricula (Main Objectives) (See subsection
2.6 for more details)
4. Teaching Methodology (See subsection 2.7 for
more details)
The survey is realized by contacting 85
secondary schools (90% of total schools in Shkodra
district), by paying concrete visits on secondary
schools in Shkodra district, interviews with
directors(principals) of schools, telephone interview
of directors of schools, interview of ICT teachers of
schools. There are made also interviews to pupils of
secondary schools.
E-mail reports from every school (ICT teachers or
schools directors) are written.
2.3 Financial Facts
During 2012 the total budget for Ministry of
Education in Albania was 38.905.136 USD. This
amount represents 15.6% of the total budget. This
budget was 2.79% of the total amount of the GDP.
Finland (one of top level countries in PISA list) has
6% budget of total GDP for education purposes.
(See figures 2.3.1 and 2.3.2).
Figure 2.3.1: Education Budget of Albania in years.
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382
Figure 2.3.2: Education Budget in % against GDP.
2.4 Infrastructural Facts
Talking about infrastructure in Albanian secondary
schools we will see below components like internet
connection (see figure 2.4.1), number of computers
per pupils (see figure 2.4.2), number of ICT
laboratories per pupils and other equipment (see
figure 2.4.3).
Figure 2.4.1: Internet connection in 63 schools in Shkodra
district.
Figure 2.4.2: Total number of computers, computers
connected to internet, missing licences and number of
labs.
It is true that 100% of District schools have the
internet infrastructure, but almost the half of it is not
functional and the schools do not have capacities to
maintain internet access. Even Local Office of
Ministry (DAR) has no such capacities in regional
level.
Figure 2.4.3: Number laboratories per pupils.
2.5 Teacher’s Training
Talking about teacher training, it is evident that
teachers have no training concerning didactic
aspects. There is a need to break the cycle of
learning by heart and passive learning activities. In
Albanian secondary schools, It is strongly needed to
move towards more learner-cantered and interactive
pedagogical approaches, concerning ICT subjects.
The development and implementation of a
comprehensive in-service training program for ICT
teachers and school administrators is a necessity of
the moment.
Figure 2.5.1: ICT teacher background in Albanian
secondary schools.
2.6 Curricular Aspect
About aspects of curricula, the ICT is taught and
learned as a separate subject. There is no application
of ICT in Subject Areas. There is no presence of ICT
across the Curriculum. The secondary school
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curriculum does not reflect the ICT Specialization as
an applied element to prepare pupils for a
profession. In Basic literacy have significant missing
contents such are database concepts, ethic and social
issues and carriers in ICT.
2.7 Methodology
In Albania we have evidenced (based on the study
survey mentioned above) the predominance of
teacher-centered methods.Those methods were used
in early pre-technology stages, also in international
level, let's say 10-15 years ago. That is a rudiment
of communism regime of Albania. Most of today
teachers are educated under the strict methods
dictated from regime structures. Most of ICT
teachers are math teachers which did a ICT trainee,
but the way that they teach math dictate also the way
they teach ICT. The dominant method is so called
ERR method (Evocation Realization Reflection).
3 TRADITIONAL-EARLIER
TEACHING METHODS
Method represents how the content is transmitted to
the pupil and how the class is organized.
Pre technical area of teaching in the teaching and
learning process can be compared with the situation
where the teacher is the sender or the source (of
knowledge, concept ...), the study material is the
information or message to send, and the student is
the receiver of the information (Temechegn Engida,
2011). Regarded to ICT subjects, the content is
much more unstable. The subject groups of teaching
are not yet stable (different schools introduce ICT
subjects in different grades, different countries have
different ICT policies for schools). The teacher
centred method can be successful method in other
scientific subjects, but not in ICT and CS subjects.
The technology era dictated the new approach in
teaching process everywhere. The technology is now
an inevitable aspect of teaching and learning
process. Source of knowledge is now a set of
environments, tools and systems. As a result the
learner can be an interactive subject of the process,
not just the receiver of knowledge.
4 NEW APPROACHS
AND METHODS
Nowadays there is a democratization of knowledge
and the role of the teacher is changing to that of
facilitator (Damodharan and Rengarajan, 2000).
Based on experience of top countries in PISA list
(PISA, 2009) (Finland, Canada, China etc.) and
based on formal of UNESCO recommendations is
made a list of new methods and approaches on how
to organize the process of teaching in ICT and CS
classes (Buettner et al., 2002; Grace et al., 2011).
Figure 4.1: Components of teaching process.
Figure 4.2: Teaching methods suggested for each unit in
Basic ICT literacy.
5 RESULTS
In this section we describe some general results.
This paper takes in evidence the real situation of
the Information and Communication Technology
and Computer Science subjects in Albanian
secondary schools.
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It is evidenced that the government structures
have introduced efforts to improve the process, but
there are aspect of process like methodologies and
teacher training that is not done enough.
In aspects of infrastructure is evidenced the most
important problem which is the Maintenance of
everything created. In order to suggest the results to
the Albanian Educational System and trying to
standardize the process of teaching and learning is
evidenced the best international experience
(especially in terms of methodology).
Is evidenced the lack of trainee of teachers about
didactic, technological and content aspects, in order
to surpass the gaps in process of teaching.
6 CONCLUSIONS
All or almost all secondary schools have computer
labs with Internet access; however the number of
computers, the quality of the maintenance and the
Internet bandwidth are not adequate to meet student
demands for ICT and CS classes. There is a need to
increase the number of PCs, labs and other
equipment.
Methodology is the most problematic, deficient
and outdated aspect in the process (Teo and Wong,
2000). In Albania almost nothing is done from
didactic specialists and from responsible institutes. It
is an emerge need to move towards pupils – centered
methods and multiple methods of organizations of
teaching process. As final conclusion this paper
points out the need to standardize methodologies in
the community of teachers in Albania and wider.
Based on experience of Finland we can say that
the key of success is the formal education and
informal training of on duty teachers, autonomy of
schools on ICT priciest and the autonomy of ICT
teachers. In Finland there is not a National Curricula
about ICT subjects. Also England (Kargiban and
Kaffash, 2012) decided to skip National ICT
Curricula for secondary schools. Schools and
teachers can decide regard to curricula and
methodologies.
Strategic goals must unify vision to fully
integrate ICT and SC in the secondary school system
and clearly include measurable
curricular/pedagogical goals and objectives.
REFERENCES
Temechegn Engida, 2011. ICT-enhanced Teacher
Development Model. (Written document of United
Nations Educational, Sciatic and Cultural
Organization.
Dr. Damodharan V. S. ACCA, AICWA and Mr.
Rengarajan.V AICWA. 2000. Innovaive Methods of
Teaching Proceedings of the Annual International
Conference on ICT education.
Yvonne Buettner, Charles Duchteau, Catherine Fulford,
Pieter Hogenbirk, Mike Kendall, Raymond Morel.
2002. Information and Communication Technology in
Education. Division of Higher Education UNESCO
2002 Printed in France.
Grima Grace, Bezzina Christopher, Camilleri Raymond J.
Caruana Horace, Fr Cilia David, Fr Mallia Charles,
Micallef Joseph, Mizzi Bernie, Pace Paul, Sollars
Valerie, Spiteri Sandro, Testa Mario and Ventura
Frank. The National Curriculum Framework 2011.
ISBN NO: 978-99957-0-034-8.
Teo, R. & Wong, A. (2000). Does Problem Based
Learning Create A Better Student: A Refelection?
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Information and Communication Technology in the
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India, and Malaysia Paper presented at the
International Journal of Computer Application.
issue2, volume 1 (February 2012). ISSN: 2250-1797.
Highlights from PISA 2009: Performance of U.S. 15-
Year-Old Students in Reading, Mathematics, and
Science Literacy in an International Context.
i
This is a list of countries by student performance. The
Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)
published a report on the performance of students across countries
and in a couple of cases, cities. The report has recently included
more countries outside of the OECD member countries. The 2009
report, the latest one, is used in this list and includes a more
extensive report into the reading ability of students.
ii
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EducationinAlbania
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