Gender Characteristics of Secondary School Teachers Using Computers in and Around Kampala City of Uganda

Abstract

This study investigated personal and classroom teaching characteristics of  teachers using computers. The study was an evaluation of characteristics by gender using evidence from secondary schools in and around Kampala City of Uganda. Descriptive characteristics and associations between characteristics by gender; differences between gender characteristics; and prediction of gender of teacher using the characteristics were investigated. Cross-sectional data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Schools were identified using snowball sampling because of the nature of the study population. Respondents in
each school were selected purposively through their head teachers. According to the study, male respondents were about twice as many as female respondents. Proportions of teachers according to the characteristics varied across gender. Associations between personal characteristics were gender-based. Associations between classroom teaching characteristics were similar across gender and included average number of students taught per stream and average number of streams taught in a week. Gender differences in classroom characteristics were found in teaching science subjects and teaching higher classes with male
teachers scoring higher than their female counterparts. The study revealed gender difference in a computer with male teachers scoring higher than female teachers. Prediction of gender of a teacher was by teaching a science subject. Policy implications include the fact that the government should encourage more female students to study science subjects so as to effectively increase numbers of female science teachers; and to increase incentives for science teachers. School Management should encourage female teachers acquire personal computers and to teach science subjects in higher classes. Schools should also reduce teaching loads for teachers adopting and adapting ICT in teaching.