THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN TEACHING HOME ECONOMICS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF FEMALE STUDENTS IN SAUDI HIGH SCHOOLS

Abstract

Educational research suggests that the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for teaching and learning facilitates access to information and the flow of communication between students and their teachers. However, little research has been conducted on the potential benefits of using ICT for the teaching and learning of home economics, particularly with regard to high school girls in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This study used a mixed-methods design comprising an online survey and interviews to gather the opinions of female students, teachers and principals in three broadly representative Saudi High Schools on the adoption and use of ICT to improve the teaching and learning of the home economics subject. Relying on the ease of usage and the perceived usefulness constructs of the Technology Acceptance Model, findings from the study reveal that students and teachers in Saudi Arabia believe that the integration of ICT will enhance the teaching and learning of home economics while identifying barriers to its use that could be reduced by formulating more appropriate ICT policy. These results have implications because they highlight an apparently neglected aspect of ICT integration and it could improve the efficiency of teaching, and the learning outcomes of home economics students in Saudi high schools.