Abstract
The study aimed to determining potentials and challenges of using Information and
Communication Technologies (ICTs) as perceived by the secondary school teachers. The
population size was 525, while the sample included 210 randomly selected ICT trained
teachers of the secondary schools of the study area. The study was conducted in a number of
selected schools of Fulbaria and Sadar upazilas of Mymensingh district of Bangladesh.
Potentials of using ICT were understood four aspects, namely teaching-learning process,
student's development, teachers' development and administration management. A total of 27
statements of potentials under these four aspects were selected for the variable. On the other
hand, 23 statements were used to understand three aspects of challenges, namely national
level challenges, institutional challenges, and personal-psychological challenges. Twelve
characteristics of the school teachers were considered to explore relationship with and
influence to their perceived potentials and challenges of using ICTs in schools. Appropriate
scales were developed and used in order to measure the concerned variables. Validity and
reliability of necessary variables were tested. A structured and pre-tested interview schedule
was used in the process of data collection during 15 May, 2017 to 22 August, 2017.
Correlation test was used to ascertain the relationships between the concerned variables and
multiple regression analysis was used to determine the influence of the teachers' selected
characteristics on the extent of perceived potentials and challenges of using the technology in
schools. A large proportion (66.67 percent) of the teacher's perceived medium potential of
using ICTs in schools, while 30.95 per cent had high potential. On the other hand, an
overwhelming majority (90.95 percent) of the teachers perceived as high challenges of using
the technology, while only 9.05 per cent had perceived medium challenges. keeping
officialstudents enrolment records, sending reports to higher authority, communication
between learners, teachers and the outside world, easier to analysis educational progress,
promotes students' personal satisfaction based on their needs, makes subject matter vivid and
dynamic etc were the most important influencing factors of teachers' perceived potentials of
using the technology. On the other hand, family annual income, knowledge on ICT, other
training attended, use of ICT, attitude towards ICT use, availability of ICT facilities and
access to ICT in school were the most important influencing factors of teachers' perceived
challenges of using the technology. The present study also found that teachers' perceived
potentials were mostly in administration management and students' development and
challenges were lack of ICT expert and skilled teacher, lack of internet speed, lack of IСТ
knowledge among the teachers, lack of budget availability for ICT education, lack of
teachers' attitude towards ICT use, lack of monitoring by higher authority etc Attention and
necessary fund should be given to the school or school teachers so that they can overcome
their challenges due to the financial inability. The Ministry of Education and the Education
Boards should pay appropriate attention to these issues.