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The relationship between technology integration and the development of global citizenship skills and attitudes in a Lebanese context

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Abstract

Information and communication technologies have seen exponential growth and development in the last few decades, therefore increasing the conditioning force they exert on power, knowledge, and creativity in the 21st century. This research aims to contribute to the discussion of 21st century globalization, from an educational perspective, and from the perspective of a developing country, Lebanon. Notable sociologist Manuel Castells’s theory of the network society provides the conceptual framework within which this thesis is situated. This thesis explores the integration of technology into the teaching process, and further seeks to investigate the relationship between technology integration and the development of students’ global citizenship skills and attitudes in a sample of Lebanese private high schools. Through a mixed methods approach to data gathering, data was gathered from 119 students and 41 teachers through the use of surveys, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and inductive emergent theme strategies. Two participant populations (students and teachers) were included to provide a complete context within which to interpret the findings. This research displays originality by suggesting the existence of a relationship between technology use in school and the development in students of the skills and attitudes characteristic of a global citizen. The analysis revealed that most students exhibit the attitude of a global citizen regardless of how technology is being used in their classes. Therefore a strong relationship between technology integration in school and students’ global citizenship attitudes was not apparent. However, a relationship did emerge between a particular technology attitude held by some participants and their global citizenship attitude, leading to a conclusion that increased exposure to technology in school, in various forms, can make students more aware of the importance of digital skills and consequently more globally conscious.

Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024

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