Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Frank Dilley Award for Outstanding Doctoral Study Collection 2010 Social capital influences upon Internet usage of rural Guatemalan English teachers for professional development Douglas Hudson Tedford Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.edu/dilley This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Frank Dilley Award for Outstanding Doctoral Study by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact ScholarWorks@waldenu. Walden University COLLEGE OF EDUCATION This is to certify that the doctoral study by Douglas Tedford has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made.
Review Committee Dr. MaryFriend Shepard, Committee Chairperson, Education Faculty Dr. Laura Lynn, Committee Member, Education Faculty Chief Academic Officer Denise DeZolt, Ph. Walden University 2008 ABSTRACT Social Capital Influences Upon Internet Usage of Rural Guatemalan English Teachers for Professional Development by Douglas H., University of Southern California, 1992 B., University of Southern California, 1987 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Administrator Leadership for Teaching and Learning Walden University December 2008 ABSTRACT This qualitative study examined Internet usage by Guatemalan English teachers in the rural, indigenous community of San Lucas Toliman, to improve enrollments and persistence in online teacher professional development programs promoted by the Fundación Rigoberta Menchú Tum.
Woolcock’s concepts of bonding, bridging and linking social capital were united with Rogers’s theory of perceived attributes to ascertain why only 5 of 34 teachers completed free online coursework. Research questions addressed teacher concerns about using the Internet, teacher satisfaction with Internet resources, and social influences upon Internet usage. The participatory rural appraisal (PRA) method was employed using a culturally-sensitive native speaker to interview 20 teachers selected in a purposive sample. In accordance with PRA analysis procedures, representative interview statements were sorted, prioritized and discussed by a team of 42 community educators to generate findings.
Findings indicated that interest in engaging the Internet and receiving specialized introductory support (bridging social capital) in groups (bonding social capital) was high. Findings also indicated that salary level (linking social capital) and family time demands (bonding social capital) were barriers to attending a community technology center or Internet café. Findings reinforced the community’s support for the design of online coursework leading to salary points and college credits. This study has positive social change implications by demonstrating how organizations can promote community-driven research collaborations to facilitate teacher Internet usage in San Lucas Toliman, and could be replicated in other remote sectors of the developing world.
Social Capital Influences Upon Internet Usage of Rural Guatemalan English Teachers for Professional Development by Douglas H., University of Southern California, 1992 B., University of Southern California, 1987 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Administrator Leadership for Teaching and Learning Walden University December, 2008 3336721 Copyright 2008 by Tedford, Douglas H. All rights reserved 3336721 2009 DEDICATION This study is dedicated to the enhancement of online teacher professional development in rural Guatemala. It was motivated by missionary service experiences in rural Guatemala and by involvement, since 1988, in Spanish-bilingual classroom teaching, teacher training, online mentoring, adult literacy, and educational product development, with supervision in Mexico and Central America. This study would not have been possible without the encouragement and support of my wife and three daughters, who are fully dedicated to its underlying purposes, and who provided countless hours of service to the San Lucas community previous to, and during, the interview phase of the study.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This study was developed with guidance from Drs. MaryFriend Shepard and Laura Lynn of Walden University, through the collaboration of Sra. Rebeca Chávez Zaldivar of Mexico City, through the intervention of Licenciados Wielman Cifuentes, Osbaldo Galvez, and Paul Menchú of the Fundación Rigoberta Menchú Tum of Guatemala City, through the assistance of teachers and staff of the Centro Educativo Luciano Pavarotti, through the support of Licenciado Angel Letona as a local representative of the Guatemalan Ministry of Education, and by means of the enthusiastic participation of 34 Guatemalan English teachers who work at schools in, or near to, the town of San Lucas Toliman, Departamento de Sololá, Guatemala. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES.
vii LIST OF FIGURES. viii SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY .6 Nature of the Study. 13 Purpose of the Study .14 Factors Affecting the Diffusion of the Internet in the Developing World. 16 Rogers’s Theories of Diffusion of Innovations and Perceived Attributes.
16 Social Capital as a Medium of ICT Diffusion. 18 Chambers’s Participatory Rural Appraisal for Measurement of Social Capital .26 Significance of the Study .32 SECTION 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .34 Organization of the Review. 35 Literature Search Strategy. 36 Factors Affecting the Diffusion of the Internet in the Developing World.
37 Polarization of Resources. 43 Levels of ICT Sophistication. 45 Rogers’s Theories of Diffusion of Innovations and Perceived Atributes. 48 Theory of Diffusion of Innovations.
50 Theory of Perceived Attributes of Innovations. 64 Social Capital as a Medium of ICT Diffusion. 65 Social Capital for Community Driven Development. 67 Correlation of Social Capital Definitions.
68 Bonding, Bridging and Linking Social Capital. 72 Social Capital as Social Networks. 76 Social Capital as Norms. 78 Perceived Needs for Social Support.
80 Social Capital for Social Mobility. 82 Impediments to Social Mobility. 83 Research Linking Social Capital to Developing World Internet Diffusion. 88 Studies of Online Teacher Training in the Developing World.
94 Chambers’s Participatory Rural Appraisal for Measurement of Social Capital .103 Measuring Social Capital Using the PRA. 104 Origin of the PRA. 105 Guidelines for Implementation of the PRA. 107 Rationale for Selected and Rejected Methodologies.
110 SECTION 3: RESEARCH METHOD.117 The Permanent-Group Interview. 131 Role of the Researcher .138 Context of the Study .141 Data Collection Methods .143 Threats to Quality .144 Feasibility and Threats to Validity. 149 Teacher Interviews and the Identification of Findings .150 Description of the Interview Process .151 Precoding of Interview Responses .156 Preparation for Derivation of Findings .159 Preparation for the Permanent-Group Interview (PGI) .161 Derivation of Findings in the PGI.164 iv Purpose of Small Groups .164 Steps for Deriving Findings .165 Alterations to the Agenda .166 Presentation of Findings of Teacher Interviews Within the PGI .167 Findings from Teacher Interviews for Research Question 1 .168 The Internet is a marvelous source of information .168 Learning to use the Internet is a positive challenge .169 Touching a button will cause damage .170 It is necessary to know English to use it .170 Using the Internet doesn't interest or motivate me .171 I lack experience with the Internet .172 Findings from the PGI for Research Question 1.172 Findings from Teacher Interviews for Research Question 2 .175 I want to promote the success of the students I teach .175 I want to learn English .177 I want to progress by studying on line .178 I want to improve myself so others will continue to keep me employed .181 The distance to a telecenter (CTC) creates difficulties for me .183 The cost of the Internet café or home service is too high for me.185 Others tell me that a woman shouldn't have professional goals .187 Findings from the PGI for Research Question 2.188 Findings from Teacher Interviews for Research Question 3 .191 The technician gives me personalized attention .191 I arrange my schedule to attend with a group .192 The Internet is not part of my life and commitments.193 I don't understand when they explain things to me .193 The schedules of the telecenter (CTC) change without notifying me .195 Findings from the PGI for Research Question 3.197 Reassignment of Research Question 4 .199 Evaluation of the PGI Meeting .204 Evidence of Quality .207 Purpose and Placement of Triangulation of Findings .209 SECTION 5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS .213 Interpretation of Findings .216 Interest in Online Learning and Novice Guidance is High .216 Salary Levels and Family Expectations Impede Use of the Internet .223 Social Change Implications .227 Recommendations for Action .229 Recommendations for Further Study .233 Reflections on the Researcher's Experience .239 APPENDIX A: CODED TRANSCRIPTIONS OF SIX SAMPLE TEACHER INTERVIEWS .251 APPENDIX B: FOLLOW-UP MEETING MINUTES, FUNDACION RIGOBERTA MENCHU TUM .338 APPENDIX C: REPRODUCTION OF CHART OF REPRESENTATIVE TEACHER STATEMENTS .343 APPENDIX D: CERTIFICATE OF RESEARCHER SPANISH FLUENCY .347 APPENDIX E: SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS .349 APPENDIX F: CONSENT FORM, PARTICIPANT.353 APPENDIX G: CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT, RESEARCH ASSISTANT .358 APPENDIX H: LETTER OF COOPERATION, FUNDACION RIGOBERTA MENCHU TUM .361 APPENDIX I: MEETING AGENDA, PERMANENT-GROUP INTERVIEW .363 APPENDIX J: REPRODUCTION OF PERMANENT-GROUP INTERVIEW FINDINGS .374 vi LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Participation Levels of 34 Teachers Invited to Enroll in Free Online Coursework.
Structure of Process for Generating, Gathering and Recording Data Within the PRA Methodology. Matrix of Research and Interview Question Ties to Response Categories of the Representative Statements. Comparison of Six Teachers Featured in Sample Interviews in Appendix A .160 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Chart Design, Color-Coded Representative Statements (see Appendix C for full reproduction).134 viii SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY Introduction In the developing world, “without the collaboration of governments, international organizations, social movements and the private sector, the Internet is as likely to deepen the gulf between rich and poor as to bridge it” (Koss, 2001, p.
The digital divide describes inequalities in opportunity for use of the Internet and related computer technology, based on socioeconomic status (Attewell, 2001; Natriello, 2001; Rogers, 2003). The divide is wider in developing nations (Leavey, 2003; Rogers, 2003), where infrastructure for connectivity to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is less prevalent, particularly in rural sectors (Hung, 2003; UN Chronicle, 2000). Buying power also stratifies the quality and availability of technology and materials (Rutherford, Gillespie & Richardson, 2004). Designed as what should be a gateway to vocational and socioeconomic progress, teachers in rural sectors of developing nations do not have broad access to the Internet, a portal to a myriad of human and electronic educational resources (Jung, 2005; Proyecto Educacional de Latinoamerica y el Cáribe, 2004; Randolph & Krause, 2002).
Freinet’s Mouvement de l'École Moderne utilized the postal service to create educational connections between classrooms in developed and developing nations (Acker, 2000; Sayers, 1990), and thereby, similar to the critical reflective dialogue enjoined in Freire’s praxis (Freire, 1971; Hasbrook, 2002), encouraged mutually- transforming interchanges between teachers of varying cultures and knowledge bases. 2 The Internet has been used to render a similar effect for teacher professional development, due to the increasing availability of online educational degree programs in developing nations (Laferrière, Lamon, & Chan, 2006). Harvey and Klopfenstein pointed out that in the developing world, innovations typically favor elites, with only symbolic benefits for the poor, who lack buying power (Harvey & Klopfenstein, 2001). Connecting teachers from rural sectors of developing nations to online professional development networks empowers them to contribute, in more and better ways, to the vocational and socioeconomic development of communities (Jung, 2005).
These teachers are opinion leaders in their communities, and linking them to online professional development resources represents the potential for empowering them as change agents for the diffusion of online learning within remote sectors of the developing world. Governmental, nongovernmental, and intergovernmental organizations have prioritized the creation of e-learning opportunities for low-income sectors of the developing world (Agency for Educational Development, 2007; International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, 2008; International Development Research Centre, 2007; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2003), and efforts have included programs for indigenous populations of Latin America (Ajb’atz’ Enlace Quiché, 2007; Fundación Rigoberta Menchú Tum, 2007a; GLOBE Program, 2007).