This article deals with the contribution made by domestication research to our understanding of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in everyday life, especially in the home. It first provides a sense of the diversity of research in this tradition and how this is evolving. The article then reflects upon and illustrates different elements of research in this tradition, providing examples of how these help to explain patterns of ICT experience, the way people evaluate that experience, and what bearing it has on their lives. To contextualize domestication research further, it considers overlaps with other traditions of research before moving on to the core, and the range of methodologies that have been employed. Finally, the article examines some of the general insights from domestication research, as well as more specific applications to the commercial and policy fields.

The contribution of domestication research to in-home computing and media consumption

Understanding and predicting the determinants of cloud computing adoption

Analyzing the factors influencing cloud computing adoption using three stage hybrid SEM-ANN-ISM (SEANIS) approach

This paper presents a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of Primary School Educators' dialogue on the use of ICT in an under-resourced schooling context. Educators play a pivotal role in the education system. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) interventions in schools will be effective only if educators are willing and able to appropriate the intervention to their existent needs, and derive real benefits. One of the barriers to the meaningful integration of ICTs in education in developing countries is the lack of alignment between what funders and project implementers intended (on the one hand) and the social meanings educators assign to the technology (on the other). The aim of this study was to understand the discourses around education and technology, as articulated by educators in under-resourced contexts in South Africa. Data for the study was collected through in-depth interviews with educators from under-resourced schools in Cape Town, in the Western Cape in South Africa. The results show that educators appreciate the value of ICT in education and are willing to adopt it. However, at the same time, they feel they lack capacity and support to achieve that goal effectively. The study also shows that global discourses on ICT may deny educators in disadvantaged communities the power to voice the challenges they face when integrating ICTs in their teaching processes. Keywords: ICT, education, discourse, under-resourced areas 1 INTRODUCTION The use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in teaching and learning can enhance curriculum delivery, and concurrently improve the quality of education, provided that there is appropriate attention to pedagogy (Louw et al., 2008; Bytheway et al., 2010). However, in developing countries where the repercussions of poverty, unemployment, and a lack of resources are widespread, the large-scale and sustainable integration of ICTs in schools is yet to be realised, particularly in those institutions that are under-resourced. Research has indicated that, despite the provision of infrastructure, ICT adoption is not necessarily a viable outcome (Bytheway et al., 2010). Numerous factors influence both the introduction and eventual acceptance of ICTs in educational environments: personal and professional cognition and efficacy, a lack of knowledge and skills, and unfavourable socio-economic dynamics (Fanni et al., 2010; Van Zyl & Rega, 2011). The role of educators is pivotal in the integration of ICT in education, as is the case with most educational innovation. (Demitriadis et al., 2003). It is, therefore, important to understand the meanings educators attach to technology and its use in the educational context. Research has shown that one of the barriers to meaningful integration of ICTs in education in developing countries is the lack of alignment between what the funders and project implementers intended (on the one hand) and the social meanings the educators assign to the technology (on the other). This paper examines discourses articulated by educators through the Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) framework; an analysis which may assist respective policy makers in aligning strategies with actual teaching experiences. The study is guided by the research question: What are the dominant discourses around I CT in an educational context, as expressed by educators working in disadvantaged contexts? Recent work has revealed a variety of prevailing discourses, for example "globalisation", "learning", "determinism", "liberation", "productivity", "disembodiment" (Brown, 2010). Hence, secondary research questions for this study include: * How do discourses impact on I CT interventions? * What contextual elements shape dominant discourses? * What is the role and impact of related macro discourses concerning local and national government policy, school, and implementation management? …

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Educator Discourses on ICT in Education: A Critical Analysis

The use of educational technology (ET) worldwide is increasing rapidly, and South Africa is no exception. Grouped amongst the emerging economies of the world, South Africa’s information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure is often mentioned as one of the key factors leading to the growth of the country. Integrating ICT into education has become a priority for the South African government. However, it is necessary to move beyond merely providing physical access to ICT’s in order for integration to be successful. The integration of ET in schools is greatly influenced by teachers’ attitudes towards the technology. The aim of this study was to investigate teachers’ attitudes towards educational technology and the factors that are thought to influence teachers’ attitudes, namely, perceived usefulness, perceived cultural relevance, perceived competence and access to ET. A convenience sample of 117 teachers in the Johannesburg area, from both public and private schools, across foundation, intermediate and senior phase, completed the Attitudes Towards Computer Scale. Teachers’ attitudes were generally positive. The strongest predictor of teachers’ attitudes was perceived usefulness followed by perceived cultural relevance. Thus, it is evident that when integrating ET into schools, attention must be paid to teachers perceptions of the utility of ET in order for integration to be successful. Having access to ET and the competence to use ET are not enough for the successful integration of ET in schools.

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Perceived usefulness and culture as predictors of teachers attitudes towards educational technology in South Africa

The potential of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) to enhance curriculum delivery can only be realised when the technologies have been well-appropriated in the school. This belief has led to an increase in government- or donor-funded projects aimed at providing ICTs to schools in disadvantaged communities. Previous research shows that even in cases where the technology is provided, educators are not effectively integrating such technologies in their pedagogical practices. This study aims at investigating the factors that affect the integration of ICTs in teaching and learning. The focus of this paper is on the domestication of ICTs in schools serving the disadvantaged communities in a developing country context. We employed a qualitative research approach to investigate domestication of ICT in the schools. Data for the study was gathered using in-depth interviews. Participants were drawn from randomly sampled schools in disadvantaged communities in the Western Cape. Results show that even though schools and educators appreciate the benefits of ICTs in their teaching and even though they are willing to adopt the technology, there are a number of factors that impede the integration of ICTs in teaching and learning.

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An empirical survey on domestication of ICT in schools in disadvantaged communities in South Africa

Most studies on tax research have focused on the developed countries, and those on developing countries concentrate on subjects of general application. As a result, research on many aspects of tax applicable to low-income countries (LICs) has been neglected. By presenting an in-depth analysis of Uganda’s tax system, this study seeks to address this gap. The authors analysed panel data spanning over seventeen years to identify the key system gaps. The findings revealed that Uganda’s tax system conforms to the generally accepted international standards, and its economic performance during the period was above the regional sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) average. However, tax revenue performance still remains poor. The main reasons include: unrealistic tax expenditures, corruption, poor governance, low tax morale, overdependence on international trade tax revenues, and structural system weaknesses. To address those challenges, mitigation measures including creating a firm and all-inclusive political settlement; enforcing anti-corruption measures; streamlining the tax system to eliminate system inefficiencies; and systematically formalizing the agricultural and informal sectors to widen the tax base are proposed. It is hoped that the findings provide valuable insights to tax policymakers in formulating policies for improving revenue performance in Uganda and related LICs.
Uganda, taxation, tax system, tax reform, tax challenges, revenue mobilization, revenue performance, low-income countries, corruption, political settlement.

Article: Uganda’s Tax System: Key Challenges and Prospects for Improvement

Test driven development (TDD) is a crucial phase for any software developer. Most software developers using TDD observed an increase in software quality and reduced defects in the software. For that reason, it is our belief that it is critical to understand factors influencing software developers' intention to perform TDD. The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) proposes that intention to perform behaviour is influenced by three factors: attitude towards the behaviour, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control. The article reveals how the model is tested based on data collected from an online survey distributed around the world. This psychographic study showed that data collected does not conform to the model, and recommendations are made for a future study to form a more comprehensive model.

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Patrick Kayongo

Papers

An empirical survey on domestication of ICT in schools in disadvantaged communities in South Africa

Article: Uganda’s Tax System: Key Challenges and Prospects for Improvement

Why do software developers practice test-driven development?