Abstract
This paper reports on a mixed-methods study of the Total Reading Approach for Children Plus (TRAC+) program, with a particular focus on its mobile learning element, where tablets and an app called Aan Khmer (Read Khmer) were introduced into Cambodian schools to assist ‘struggling students’ in Grades 1 to 3 learn early reading. This paper focuses primarily on survey and interview data collected in 2017 from relevant staff members, namely school directors, literacy coaches, teachers and librarians, about this intervention program. 73 school directors participated in the survey and following this, 68 staff members were interviewed, including 15 of the school directors surveyed. Findings indicate that staff members were positive about the program, including the app, and observed improvements in the children’s reading. However, several implementation challenges were noted, which echo challenges reported in the literature on carrying out technology-based interventions. This paper offers insights into the importance of alignment between program design and user readiness, which may inform other technology-based programs intended to raise literacy standards in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
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Acknowledgments
This research was conducted under the Digital Learning for Development (DL4D) project of the Foundation for Information Technology Education and Development (FIT-ED) of the Philippines, jointly funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada, the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom, and All Children Reading: A Grand Challenge for Development (ACR GCD).
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Appendix 1: Interview Schedule for Teachers
Appendix 1: Interview Schedule for Teachers
1.1 Introduction
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Purpose of the interview
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Assuring anonymity and confidentiality
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Seeking authorisation/permission to record the conversation in order to have an accurate account of what is said
1.2 Background Information
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1.
Tell me about yourself – name, role and what grade you teach.
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2.
When did you become a teacher in this school?
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3.
Do you teach children to read using the Aan Khmer app? If yes, when did you start using the app?
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4.
Do you hold any other post as well as this one (e.g., literacy coach, deputy school director, secretary)?
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5.
What training did you receive before the implementation of the app? How long did the training last and who/which organisation provided the training?
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6.
What training/support have you received since the implementation of the app?
1.3 Teachers’ Work and Experiences with the Aan Khmer App (and the TRAC+ Project)
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7.
Please describe your role/responsibility specifically in relation to the implementation of the Aan Khmer app in this school.
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8.
Do you think the Aan Khmer app has helped the children in your class learn to read? If so, how has it helped? How do you know this?
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9.
Which children has it helped (e.g., children with reading difficulties, other children)?
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10.
What would you like to change about the app, and how could it be changed?
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11.
What would you like to change about the way the app is used by the children?
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12.
How does the app fit in with your classroom teaching? (Do you follow up on the app activities with other classroom activities? How?)
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13.
What aspects of reading does the app help children learn (e.g., decoding, sight words, speed, accuracy, etc)?
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14.
What aspects of reading does the app not address?
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15.
Are there any other areas of literacy that the app has helped the children with, such as writing? If yes, can you tell me more about this?
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16.
How do you assess or monitor the progress of the children’s reading abilities? How often?
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17.
How does the app complement other TRAC+ materials such as the toolkit?
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18.
How would you rate the training you received on using the app? (Rate from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest score.) Can you explain why you gave this rating?
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19.
How could the training be improved?
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20.
Can you tell me about any problems children have when using the app to learn to read?
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21.
Have you ever had any problems using the app to teach children to read? If yes, what are they? How are the problems solved?
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22.
What are the positive experiences you have had with the implementation of the app?
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23.
What are the negative experiences you have had with the implementation of the app?
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24.
What role, if any, do parents play in helping their children to use the app?
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25.
In your opinion, is there anything that the school leadership could do to improve the impact of the TRAC+ project?
1.4 Closing Remarks
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Do you have anything you can add before we end our conversation? Is there anything you think we haven’t spoken about in relation to the app?
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Oakley, G., Pegrum, M., Kheang, T. et al. Mobile learning for early reading in Cambodia. Educ Inf Technol 27, 1467–1487 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10615-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10615-y